Slighty swollen lower lip

[funkyjimbob]

Hi,
My baby panther (3-4 months old) has developed a slight misalignment on hiw lower lip on one side of his face. It's not massive but it's definitely noticeable. I'm not sure whether this is new or he has had it from birth. Is this something to be concerned about or is simply the way his mouth is?

Here are some pics. You can't see it very well but it's the best I could do.

Thanks

 

[zlew]

Is it sensitive? I don't really see it.

 

[funkyjimbob]

Ok, hopefully these show it better.

 

[Lathis]

I had a similar situation with my Jackson's chameleon over a year ago. Jackson's are more prone to infections at the corner of the mouth than panthers is what I have read (I have only had my Jax). It started with just a little "poutiness" and misalignment of the lip on one side. It took a long time, but suddenly flared its ugly head as a temporal gland infection.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/pouty-lip-poor-muscle-tension-lower-jaw-jacksons-cham-109074/

Not saying this is the case here, but just that you should monitor the condition. If there is any change in appetite/behavior, swelling, pus, or discoloration of the gum line, it's time to go to the vet.

 

[funkyjimbob]

Ok. I will keep an eye on it and see if if gets any worse. I've checked inside hos mouth and it all looks fine.

 

[Lathis]

Ok. I will keep an eye on it and see if if gets any worse. I've checked inside hos mouth and it all looks fine.

For right now, that is probably the best course. Also, be on the look out for sleeping or napping during the day. That's a very typical sign of sickness in a chameleon.

 

[kinyonga]

Could be the start of stomatitis and should be looked after now if it is IMHO before it has a chance to get bigger.

 

[Lathis]

Could be the start of stomatitis and should be looked after now if it is IMHO before it has a chance to get bigger.

I do not disagree - just a question for discussion:

If the inside of the mouth looks normal - firm, pink, and moist, and there is no significant signs of swelling (as seems to be the case here and was the case for my Jax for a few months before the swelling appeared) - just a bit of asymmetry in the lip, would an experienced vet recommend prophylactic treatment at this point given how hard medications can be on internal organs? Or monitoring and returning if the condition worsened? From your past experience (which is significantly deeper than mine), have you encountered issues that started like this?

When I took Ferdinand to my vet, he agreed that the lip was "off" and commented that the muscle tension on that side seemed less than the right but agreed that there were no classic signs of infection in the mouth tissue. Later, it was obvious, but until then, there were no firm signs of infection.

I would be hesitant to overtreat with antibiotics in the event that there is nothing wrong but agree that waiting can be tricky issue with chameleons.

 

[kinyonga]

I didn't say treat it aggressively...I just think it shouldn't be left to get worse. Once a mouth infection gets a hold its a lot harder to get rid of. Just my opinion....its up to the OP.

Things can progress quickly and pseudomonas (the bacteria normally involved) is an opportunist and can be hard to get rid of once it gets a foothold.

See under symptoms..
http://animals.pawnation.com/chameleons-mouth-disease-5898.html

 

[ridgebax1]

Could be the start of stomatitis and should be looked after now if it is IMHO before it has a chance to get bigger.

Those are the exact symptoms that Clouseau had with his stomatitis. I would recommend you get to the vet as fast as you possibly can. Things did not end well for Clouseau and I would hate for you to have the same experience. Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing, but these animals are quite adept at hiding physical signs of illness until it is too late. I hope it turns out to be nothing

 

[Lathis]

I didn't say treat it aggressively...I just think it shouldn't be left to get worse. Once a mouth infection gets a hold its a lot harder to get rid of. Just my opinion....its up to the OP.

Things can progress quickly and pseudomonas (the bacteria normally involved) is an opportunist and can be hard to get rid of once it gets a foothold.

See under symptoms..
http://animals.pawnation.com/chameleons-mouth-disease-5898.html

In my case, the first vet visit showed no clear signs of an infection. Based on that, the vet and I decided not to treat with antibiotics but to monitor and have follow-up visits. Hindsight was definitely 20/20, but seeing how hard the antibiotics were on Ferdinand, I don't know that I would have made a different decision with the information I had at the time.

I absolutely do agree with you that early detection and treatment is really important. If anyone decides on a "wait and see" routine, that means it's a daily checking of conditions, documenting any changes, and returning to the vet ASAP if needed.

Kinyonga - do you typically treat with baytril for this condition? It has been suggested to me to try something gentler next time like cipro (which is what I take, ha!). Happily, it has not been needed since, but I would like your thoughts.