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Hi, i have an african eyed lizard that has recently developed lumps on either side of its head. It has very recently (in the last 24 - 48 hours) become extremely lethargic. Any ideas what this could be? Dave
Optional Information: Pet's Gender: Male Name of Animal: raphael Already Tried: Nothing except observation
Hello Dave,I'm sorry to hear your lizard is having a problem. Some additional information will be helpful.What brand and size of UVB light do you have? Is the bulb a straight tube or a coil/spiral? How old is the bulb?Do you use any supplements? If yes, what and how often?What do you feed?Thank you.Anna
36" arcadia d3 12% uvb tube, positioned 10" above basking spot. Tube is 4 months old. Weekly supplement of calcium and diet consists almost entirely of gut loaded crickets and locusts, never shown an interest in fruit and veg. ThanksDave
I am going to opt out of your question and send it on to Joan,a another of our experts, who will be able to help you. Thank you.Anna
Hello,
Anna had to leave and asked me to assist you. Could you please post a pciture of what you are seeing? You can use the paper clip icon if you have a toolbar, or Photobucket.com which is a free photo server.
Joan
I'm afraid i'm at work right now and won't now be home until 2230, would this be an acceptable time to send it? Dave
I am here until late in to the night. That would be fine. I would like to see what you are
describing, rather than just throwing something out as an uneducated guess.
I will await the pictures.
Thanks very much, i'll get back to you as soon as possibleDave
Hi,
No Problem! I will look for the picture later.
Hi, have attatched a couple of pictures, there appears to be an eyecap just coming loose, although could be someting else, struggle to get a closer look as I keep them with as little interaction as possible to avoid stress, and they are therefore unused to any form of handling.Dave
Hi Dave,
It looks like Raphael has an abscess in the jaw on both sides. This is going to require some Reptile Vet care. The Herp vet will need to go in and clean out the areas and then get Raphael on an antibiotic.
In the mean time you can tale a Q -tip and clean the area inside the jawline with some water and diluted Betadine which is Providine Iodine and you should be able to get it from the Chemist.
If you cannot get the Provodine Iodine you can use some Novalsan which is Chlorhexidine or also sold as Hibiclens.
The Betadine and Chorhexidine are antibacterial agents to clean the area but the abscesses will need to be opened and cleaned by the Herp Vet.
I am going to give you a link for Herp Vets in the UK who can treat Raphael: http://www.livefoods.co.uk/Vets.php or http://www.ukbeardeddragons.co.uk/vet%20directory.htm Raphael needs to be seen asap.
Please let me know if I can forther assist you by hitting Reply to Expert. If the answer is satisfactory, please do not forget to rate my service with a smiley face, so I can be compensted for my answers. I will be happy to continue with you if needed and you can always request me by name.
Thank you for that info, that was pretty much what I was thinking too. Is it unusual to get both sides at the same time? Both coming up together was what made me question my own thoughts on it, and I considered the possibility of something affecting glands in the jaw, is this possible? I'm asking out of curiosity, not in doubt of your response. I know it's a difficult/impossible answer to give accurately but given the very rapid deterioration in the last 48 hours do you believe there is much hope? I've kept herps for over 10 years and have never witnessed a deterioration like this being followed by an improvement, to give an idea of the change in Raphael, I've never yet got within 12" of the viv before he has disappeared, yet tonight I was able to get within 2" with the camera.Rest assured he will be seeing the vet in the morning, (just noticed you're on EST, guess it's not so late for you guys :) ) and thanks once again for your assisstance.Dave
What makes me think it is an abscess is looking at the mouth, I noticed a sign of Stomatitis, which is mouth rot. You can see a discharge running down in the top picture. Stomatitis can go deeper into the tissues and cause what you are seeing and the infection can take over rapidily. The Herp Vet visit will be needed. I imagine he is very sore and his lethargy is not surprising with that type of infection.
Just managed to get a closer look at him and you're right, what looked at first sight to me like a skin discolouration is discharge, sould have spotted that myself. Thanks again for your service, I'll be recommending highly to others.ThanksDave
Before you leave please do not forget to rate my servvice with a Smiley Face. YOu can also recommend me by name or use my link to my profile Joan . I also work with other pets as well. I have a special part of my heart dedicated to Reptiles.
Please up date me on the Vet findings.
Experience: I have been doing Reptile Rescues for 15+ Years