Zephyr's Lip, mouth rot?

[nosytrish]

Hey everyone,
I wrote a few weeks ago about Zephyr (5 month, male, Nosy Be Panther) and his lip which seemed to be a bit swollen and discoloured (black spot). The day after we noticed Zephyr's lip, he shed and his lip seemed to seem less swollen. We continued to monitor the lip and even resorted to using a qtip and warm water to gently cleanse the area. We thought that his lip was on the way to recovery, assuming that it was just a little cricket leg stuck in his gum. Over the last few days, we have noticed that the other side of Zeph's lip is appearing the same way. I have done a lot of research today about mouth rot (could he have the beginning symptoms of it?), and we are hoping to get Zephyr into the vet tomorrow morning or asap, as the vet is closed on the weekends. Does anyone have any advice about the lip? Any suggestions as to what it is? or tips for the first vet visit? We collected his poop this morning to bring in with us, just to be prepared for a fecal. Zephyr has been showing no signs of illness. We had him out of his cage for cleaning today and he was active, eating, and not looking ill whatsover. Hopefully we can get a hold of this lip thing before it gets out of control.
Thanks everyone!!!!!

 

[draetish]

Vet visit definetely and print the information you found to take with you. Also look up what treatments are used so you and your vet can determine what's best. Can you look inside his mouth without hurting or stressing him out? Look for discoloration, stringy saliva, bumps, etc.

 

[gsurfn]

bump...did you find out what was wrong??

 

[Paul R]

i wouldnt worry about that at all

My panthers also got that, its like wear and tear of the lips i guess, in my opinion its no need for concern and is usually found on males and not females.

A vet visit would just be a waste of cash

Paul

 

[lisa h]

i wouldnt worry about that at all

My panthers also got that, its like wear and tear of the lips i guess, in my opinion its no need for concern and is usually found on males and not females.

A vet visit would just be a waste of cash

Paul

IMO a vet visit is NEVER a waste of cash, unless the vet isn't knowledgable about your type of animal. Even an "OK" that your animal is in good condition is worth it.

 

[Carlton]

Taking a cham to an experienced vet (even if nothing ends up being wrong) isn't a bad idea. For one thing, you'll establish a relationship with the vet and get some baseline information on the cham. This could be invaluable later when a problem does show up. Mouth rot can be very difficult to treat. If you are concerned and this is progressing at all, take steps. If it goes too long you could lose your cham.

Taking a cham to an inexperienced vet might be a waste of money or downright dangerous, but having a good relationship with a good one means faster service when you DO need it.

 

[chamlover]

I got a w/c female years ago who i origianally thought had mouth rot. My "wasted money" to the vet, put me at ease knowing that was not the case and she was just a beat up w/c female. Well worth the money IMO just for the peace of mind. Not to mention having a fecal done is always a good thing.

 

[nosytrish]

Hey Everyone! I am sorry that I have not responded sooner, school has been pretty hectic with essays these days. Since my inquiry, Zephyr has shed twice. The first shed followed the day that I originally posted/we cleaned his lip with warm water, (Feb 8th) so we opted out of a vet visit that day, to minimalize stress. After the shed, Zephyr's lip was no longer swollen, had no redness or signs of irritation (or "discoloration, stringy saliva, bumps"), but we continued to monitor and q-tip his lip with warm water, and brought in pictures to our local vet to get an opinion. The vet suggested that it did not seem like mouth rot, and if there was no progressing signs of redness or irritation, that we should delay our visit. (Notably, he was not very knowledgeable in reptiles, and we have continued our search for someone who has more experience.) Zephyr's second shed was yesterday, we noticed a bit of a spot his lip about 3 days before he shed, and just as before, it has completely gone away. (see photo attached) We figure that since it is towards the end of his skin-term, his lips just look a little more shabby in the soon-to-depart skin. It seems that Zephyr may just be a little aggressive with his crickets, although, we are still shopping for a vet to get a more expert opinion. Thanks to everyone for their concern, and I will definately be updating this thread as soon as I have any more news.
Always,

Trish, Steve, and Zephyr