Skin Lumps - what does it look like to you?

[sandrachameleon]

Both of which are foreign words to me!
Just hope this helps

 

[ponders]

They look like warts to me. Do chameleons get viral warts and is there any test for it? I know humans with compromised immune systems can develop multiple warts rapidly. Hopefully the bloodwork will show if something is wrong internally. Just my take on the photos for what it's worth. Hope they figure it out, he's a handsome guy.

 

[kinyonga]

Baytril an antibiotic that is useful against a wide spectrum of aerobic bacteria, but especially gram-negative bacteria which are commonly found in lizards.

(Aerobic bacteria...bacteria that require the presence of oxygen to live and grow.)

(Gram negative...a bacteria that does not retain the violet stain used in Gram's method the way gram positive bacteria do.)

I've always had good results when baytril is used on my lizards as long as the bacteria involved is one that it will kill. I don't think it will kill a fungus though.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Thanks both!
the antibiotic is just shooting in the dark, in the hope it might help. we're not convinced its a fungus - that's a guess too! But because the culturing process to grow the fungus takes FOREVER, and because his symptoms are worsening, I was anxious to try other things NOW.

 

[TreelionsUK]

Thanks both!
the antibiotic is just shooting in the dark, in the hope it might help. we're not convinced its a fungus - that's a guess too! But because the culturing process to grow the fungus takes FOREVER, and because his symptoms are worsening, I was anxious to try other things NOW.

Ok if its getting worse why not just try another viv or modify yours for a bit more flow.
If it was my chameleon i would stop misting and increase the temperatures,and loose the paper on the floor.
I know you will defend your set-up as it is......but chameleons can be funny things
Less humidity,more heat and more fresh air is needed IMO

Good Luck
I hope he gets better

 

[sandrachameleon]

Ok if its getting worse why not just try another viv or modify yours for a bit more flow.
If it was my chameleon i would stop misting and increase the temperatures,and loose the paper on the floor.
I know you will defend your set-up as it is......but chameleons can be funny things Less humidity,more heat and more fresh air is needed IMO
Good Luck
I hope he gets better

thanks for the well wishes. But sigh Of course I will defend a good set-up. The problem is UNLIKELY to be Trucker's enclosure as it is the same environment all the others are enjoying. And more specifically, Turcker's father, who lived more than seven years, lived in that same cage (other than a fresh coat of paint), including papertowel on the bottom.
But surely you dont seriously think clean papertowel is a hazard?

You dont seem to want to hear me when I tell you there is PLENTY of air flow. The enclosure is FULL OF HOLES. Chameleons dont want or need a wind-tunnel, and adding more air flow would essentially be just be subjecting him to a constantly windy day. I know you mean well, but you cant see the air flow so you must take my word for it: The leaves MOVE when the oscillating fan goes in that direction. If anything, I may reduce the draft.

The humidty is on the low side of good, and the heat is bang on perfect. I have digital humidty and temp gauges at bottom, middle and top of enclosure, so I can say this with some certainty. I even took one from another cage and held it at each level to see if Truckers guages were functioning well. They are.

I suspect Trucker has got something from a wild caught insect this Summer, since that is the only variable.

 

[sandrachameleon]

TreelionsUK I'm sorry if I came across as disrespectful of your trying to help. I'm just edgy and worried.

UPDATE: bloodwork is back, vet says everything in that regard is fine. So clearly I over-reacted in thinking he was drinking too much and that his urates were too orange. And in fact his poop today is exactly like a poop should be.
Still wont have fungal culture (if anything grows) until Second week of October. Vet is still leaning towards bacterial, and is still hopefull for the new antibiotic treatment.

 

[TreelionsUK]

Thats ok mate they wind me up also when there not doing well.
We all want the best for our chameleons there not easy to work with.

Ok don't turn nasty on me... the paper on the floor keeps the bottom of your cage humid and the air stale(not because its not clean...because it holds moisture low in the viv),get rid of it and the viv will dry fully

The holes in your viv are good but they are small and unless a breeze blows on the side of the cage there not going to be fully effective,there maybe plenty of air in the cage thru the holes but the viv lacks AIR FLOW

Just because all the others are ok does not mean that the viv is not the problem.
Just try a more ventilated viv to see if it helps....if it dont help,no worries use the original viv again.

Ok just had a good look at your viv and i agree it looks great and has loads of holes in it but still could do with some vents right at the bottom to ensure the flow is correct,the top of the viv is excellent loads of flow up there im sure
we just want the bottom to dry out to being bone dry


Please,please,please dont get the hump with me xxx
would just like to see you and the cham happy again

 

[sandrachameleon]

Okay I'm going to try it your way - why not, cant hurt! But I'm limited in what I can do as my only screen viv is already in use. But what I can do is open the doors and leave them open. I can do this because he's in such a shitty mood (poor fella) that he isnt nearly as active as he once was. Plus if he does decide to adventure a little, he wont get far - I keep the door to that room closed. There are a couple large plants in that room and he normally goes to the one by the window if he is roaming. And I'll shift the fan so that it's pointed his way more often. Hm... Ive never seen them climb up the fan towards the blades, but.... hm. Well I'll keep the fan on and doors open when I'm around to watch anyways. Maybe I'll just close the doors and stick the fan right next to his cage so it blows in all the holes on one side the rest of the time. Dont think the others will mind a little less wind for a few days. Sound good?
I'll even take out the toweling, even though it is dry dry dry.

More seriously though, he seems really unhappy today. Do antibiotics make them feel sick? He's dark and gives me the stink eye when I am in the room.

 

[TreelionsUK]

Okay I'm going to try it your way - why not, cant hurt! But I'm limited in what I can do as my only screen viv is already in use. But what I can do is open the doors and leave them open. I can do this because he's in such a shitty mood (poor fella) that he isnt nearly as active as he once was. Plus if he does decide to adventure a little, he wont get far - I keep the door to that room closed. There are a couple large plants in that room and he normally goes to the one by the window if he is roaming. And I'll shift the fan so that it's pointed his way more often. Hm... Ive never seen them climb up the fan towards the blades, but.... hm. Well I'll keep the fan on and doors open when I'm around to watch anyways. Maybe I'll just close the doors and stick the fan right next to his cage so it blows in all the holes on one side the rest of the time. Dont think the others will mind a little less wind for a few days. Sound good?
I'll even take out the toweling, even though it is dry dry dry.

More seriously though, he seems really unhappy today. Do antibiotics make them feel sick? He's dark and gives me the stink eye when I am in the room.

Try it,it cant hurt if he does not improve in 6 weeks,go back to how things were.
Baytril can make them seem under the weather and if it was a good strong aggressive dose its more than likely he will feel sick,but its better that he got a good dose
He should be a bit better in a few days

Keep us posted hun xx

 

[sandrachameleon]

Trucker has finished the Baytril antibiotic treatment and I noted no improvement.
Fungal culture came back "inconclusive". It grew something that sounded like Peniciltium (I had a voicemessage from the vet Friday, who wont be back until Wednesday so I'll have to confirm the name later). The vet indicated that, as the results were not certain, we should due a biopsy next to make sure before prescribing an anti-fungal treatment.

Anyone know what Peniciltium (keep in mind I have likely got the word and spelling wrong) might be caused by? helped by?

 

[adam1v]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but it looked exactly like what my female had right at the early stages.
Since then, its spread very quickly.

Id jump on that very quickly before it gets any worse

 

[sandrachameleon]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but it looked exactly like what my female had right at the early stages.
Since then, its spread very quickly.
Id jump on that very quickly before it gets any worse

Goodness that doesnt look good. What is it that your female has (had)?

 

[kinyonga]

adam1v...does your chameleon still have this??

Did you see this thread too?
https://www.chameleonforums.com/penicillium-16452/

 

[kinyonga]

how's the chameleon...sandrachameleon? adam1v?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Thanks for asking kinyonga
The growths on Trucker seem to have stopped getting worse. I take this as a good sign. It had been progressing steadily until about two days after the antibiotic treatment was complete. Now I'm hopeful this lack of progression means perhaps the cause (though unidentified) has been addressed and that its a "simple" matter of his body healing. Because the next step was to be biopsy, which scared me, I spoke to the vet and decided to wait one to two weeks. If there is the slightest suggestion that it is getting worse, I will immediately take him in for the testing. If it remains as is, neither getting worse nor better, he still goes in for the biopsy. If he improves without additional treatment, so much the better!
His attitude and appetite are not back to normal. The bumps on his shoulder (which became more of a single grey area rather than bumps) is now kinda hard, and I am hoping it is dead and wll come off in next shed. the bumps on his eye ridges no longer seem "cottony" as if they are shrivelling too.
FINGERS CROSSED

 

[adam1v]

Like Sandra, the skin infection got worse before it started to get any better. I have exactly the same thing with exactly the same symptons. They will tend to eat less and drink more. You need to ensure they're drinking as much as possible, Im showering every day and bathing every day at the moment and so far I've had very good effects responses.

Its been a hectic time for my little cham the last couple of weeks, its been contstant baths, showers and cream rub downs, but she is tolerant of it now, I think she knows im trying to help her, not a hiss, gape, struggle or anything, she lets me bath her and then rub cream all over her body (i do feel sorry for her )

After long warm bath in the sink, alot of the nasty fungal skin and warts just flaked off, leaving healthier skin underneath.
Coupled with antibacterial/fungal/sporicidal cream, all of the brown skin pictured above has removed itself and been replaced with more normal looking skin.

The creme ive been using is Betadine which is aimed at bacterial/fungal infections.

I will try to post some photos in the next couple of days.
Sandra, Id be interested in some photos of your if possible? just to compare.

 

[sandrachameleon]

We no longer believe it is fungal. Instead, the initial diagnosis of "something viral or bacterial" appears to have been correct, and the oral medicine did appear to do the trick (just not as immediately as I would have liked). Trucker is currently shedding the areas that were effected, and I suspect he will look much improved once that's done and will take an updated pic. He is once again lively, eating and drinking normally, happy colours, horray!

 

[adam1v]

what the heck, here are two images.

The left side is the before photo, and the right side is the after photo.

I've also uploaded a higher resolution for anyone who wanted to take a closer look Here

In the new photos, ive just gave her a rubbing down with cream

So far, I am happy with her progress.

 

[veiledchamguy]

I am happy things are looking up for you and your melleri