Abscess on head

[Minihuey]

Hey guys,

I have researched the abscess issue with other chameleons and I have not been able to find any follow up stories on how chameleons did after a vet removed it.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Homemade Screen 2x2x4
Lighting - Reptisun 5.0 brand new, model. Normal 60 watt incandescent . 12 hours a day
Temperature - 70- 85
Plants - Ficus
Placement - Cage is in Patio with low traffic. The cage is 3 feet off the ground.
Location - Bay Area, CA

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, Male, 7 Months. 7 months
Handling - Weekly inspections
Feeding - crix, dubia, supers? No more than 30 bugs a week? 8 bugs every other day? Gut load with dry dog foods, fruits, veggies
Supplements - Reptical D3 Calcium, reptical Calcium and multivitamin?
Watering -Mist 3 times a day with hand mister. Cham occationally drinks in front of me
Fecal Description - No parasite testing. Fecal matter is normal and well hydrated urinates.
History - Recently had a broken leg jumping off the top of the ficus. Startled it....
Current Problem - Abscess on his head

Pretty sure its an abscess and yes I have made an appointment to remove the nasty thing but I need some feedback from other cham owners who had this problem.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Abscess...

That does indeed look like an abscess. It does need to be drained. I'm thinking it is connected to the sinus system. I saw one case a couple of years ago were a sinus infection pushed up in that manner. An abcess is always seeking the path of least resistance to push though in an effort to burst open itself. Your vet will also examine the nare opening inside the chams mouth (roof of mouth) to see if they look clear. Whatever the source is, it needs to be drained or cleaned out. You will also get an antibiotic. It does not look like a tumor.

 

[CleanLineChameleons]

That is going to be a very tough one to get to. I would suggest Fortaz first and see if it goes down. Looking at its location, I don't think there is an easy play to drain it. Does it feel soft or spongy? Also, I haven't read through your past posts buy your cam either has MBD or has had it. Look at that front left arm. Keep the UVB and cal w D3 going.

An abscess is a buildup of white blood cells that indicates some infection or irritation. That is why I would go with Fortaz...I've used it successfully many times for abscesses.

Good luck,

Chris

 

[Minihuey]

That is going to be a very tough one to get to. I would suggest Fortaz first and see if it goes down. Looking at its location, I don't think there is an easy play to drain it. Does it feel soft or spongy? Also, I haven't read through your past posts buy your cam either has MBD or has had it. Look at that front left arm. Keep the UVB and cal w D3 going.

An abscess is a buildup of white blood cells that indicates some infection or irritation. That is why I would go with Fortaz...I've used it successfully many times for abscesses.

Good luck,

Chris

Yeah he had a case of MDB. All his bones are solid. That arm was really broken last month but a small cast fixed it up in a kind of crocked manner...

 

[Minihuey]

That is going to be a very tough one to get to. I would suggest Fortaz first and see if it goes down. Looking at its location, I don't think there is an easy play to drain it. Does it feel soft or spongy? Also, I haven't read through your past posts buy your cam either has MBD or has had it. Look at that front left arm. Keep the UVB and cal w D3 going.

An abscess is a buildup of white blood cells that indicates some infection or irritation. That is why I would go with Fortaz...I've used it successfully many times for abscesses.

Good luck,

Chris

It does feel spongy but it maintains its shape

 

[Minihuey]

My appointment is for next thursday so I will let everyone know what happens.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[tektypea]

bump

my killa cham, yoshi has got the same bump. My vet was a little hesitant to remove it because of their pineal glands. He also had some infectious scar tissue on his side that she had removed. I am assuming the antibiotics she supplied will also help calm the inflammation on his head. any word on the results of your vet visit?

 

[kinyonga]

Usually abcesses have to be drained and cleaned out or they will just continue to cause damage and may spread. It never seems to get rid of them just by giving the chameleon antibiotics. Besides...if you don't get a culture and sensitivity test done you won't know for sure that you are using the right medication.

 

[Carlton]

Hey guys,

I have researched the abscess issue with other chameleons and I have not been able to find any follow up stories on how chameleons did after a vet removed it.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Homemade Screen 2x2x4
Lighting - Reptisun 5.0 brand new, model. Normal 60 watt incandescent . 12 hours a day
Temperature - 70- 85
Plants - Ficus
Placement - Cage is in Patio with low traffic. The cage is 3 feet off the ground.
Location - Bay Area, CA

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, Male, 7 Months. 7 months
Handling - Weekly inspections
Feeding - crix, dubia, supers? No more than 30 bugs a week? 8 bugs every other day? Gut load with dry dog foods, fruits, veggies
Supplements - Reptical D3 Calcium, reptical Calcium and multivitamin?
Watering -Mist 3 times a day with hand mister. Cham occationally drinks in front of me
Fecal Description - No parasite testing. Fecal matter is normal and well hydrated urinates.
History - Recently had a broken leg jumping off the top of the ficus. Startled it....
Current Problem - Abscess on his head

Pretty sure its an abscess and yes I have made an appointment to remove the nasty thing but I need some feedback from other cham owners who had this problem.

I had a wc verrucosus with an abscess that formed in a similar area. My vet was going to open it from the top and to our surprise found there was a very thin layer of crusty scales over a pocket of clay like material that extended down to the roof of his mouth. Once the skin was opened he could push a probe all the way into his mouth. It was almost completely encapsulated (no attachment or spread to other tissues). He cleared it all out with a sterile swab. It might have started in a sinus or the nasal cavity. Not sure. But, no real bleeding. A pretty big hole was left, but it healed on its own once cleared out. The vet said he'd never seen anything like it. Not sure if yours will be the same, however.

 

[kayleigh23]

did you ever find out what it was?? my 4yr old veiled male chameleon has the same bump in the same spot..

 

[kinyonga]

Infection needs to be cleaned out of areas like this persistantly and the area flushed until it stops filling up again. Just giving the chameleon medication won't clear it up. Things like this can go inside...can fill the sinus area...can even have occurred due to a sinus infection.

You also need to have a culture and sensitivity test done of the exudate to determine what bacteria are involved and what medication will kill the bacteria.