temporal gland infection? Treatment?

[kinyonga]

The opening to it I think is in the corner of the mouth...give me a few minutes to find articles.

 

[lubben]

The opening to it I think is in the corner of the mouth...give me a few minutes to find articles.

thank you so much.

 

[kinyonga]

This should help...
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-medical-temporal-gland-infection/

 

[lubben]

My Jacksons chameleon seems to have a temporal gland infection.
im having issues adding photos right now. im however am very certain that's the issue.
I only noticed it yesterday so I am unaware if its getting larger

Does anyone know the proper treatment?
Are antibiotics completely necessary? is there anyway to empty out liquid/puss/bacteria in the growth?
or is it safer to just leave it alone? could its possibly go away on its own?

how do I avoid this happening again in the future?

I am no longer "certain" that this is a TGI.
the location of his swelling is a little above the normal location. that being said, If it is not, then I have no idea what else it could be.
please let me know if you have ANY info on other issues witch involve similar swelling

 

[kinyonga]

I don't know the anatomy well enough to be sure of what it is. Chameleons can get infections "anywhere" and we don't always no why.

 

[lubben]

I don't know the anatomy well enough to be sure of what it is. Chameleons can get infections "anywhere" and we don't always no why.

I HATED DOING THIS
but here's another photo
photo
his left side seems to be larger than his right

 

[lubben]

I lost my Jacksons to that but no autopsy. I think you have to find vet and start antibiotics. The lumen of the gland can be flushed with saline. Sometimes surgery is necessary to lance the gland. There were articles here and online. Said Manduca honey can help prevent this. Good luck.

do you know how to access the lumen?

 

[kinyonga]

I HATED DOING THIS
but here's another photo
photo
his left side seems to be larger than his right

The left does seem a little bigger.

 

[kinyonga]

I don't know how to access the lumen.

 

[kinyonga]

Don't know if this will help...
https://jacksonschameleon.org/temporal-gland-infections-in-jacksons-chameleons/

 

[lubben]

please tag anyone you know to have experience with Jacksons!

 

[lubben]

Don't know if this will help...
https://jacksonschameleon.org/temporal-gland-infections-in-jacksons-chameleons/

thank you so much. I really appreciate all the info you've given me.
while the location of his swelling seems a little high, with his poor health right now, and lack of supplementing, it makes sense that he would have a temporal gland infection. with that being said, what do you think the best current plan of action right now is?

 

[MissSkittles]

I don’t have any experience with Jackson’s, but if I were you I would take him to a vet. Trying to ‘fix’ it yourself could end up doing more harm than good.

 

[lubben]

I don’t have any experience with Jackson’s, but if I were you I would take him to a vet. Trying to ‘fix’ it yourself could end up doing more harm than good.

yeah I forsure get where youre coming from. I just don't have a trustworthy vet.
I wish there was an easy way to empty it out. if so, I could clean it and periodically put Manuka honey on it to keep the bacteria from growing again.

 

[kinyonga]

I agree with @MissSkittles.
Just make sure it's a proper chameleon vet.

 

[kinyonga]

please tag anyone you know to have experience with Jacksons!

I don't know all the people who keep them on here. @JacksJill has already been tagged.

 

[kinyonga]

If you post where you're from @jannb might be able to tell you the best vet.

 

[jacksonchamnew]

Didn't somewhere recommend that vet use Baytril. I think only the horned chameleons have this gland and it may be used to attract flies. Why don't we feed them flies?

 

[jannb]

Here’s a list of reptile vets in CA. If you are close enough to drive to Dr. Tom Greek, he is excellent with chameleons.
https://thereptilereport.com/california-reptile-veterinary-directory/

 

[JacksJill]

The vet will typically surgically debride or clean out the gland and then you start antibiotics and topical treatments like manuka honey. It needs to be open and draining for treatment to work. Otherwise the infection is trapped and can spread.
Sometimes you start antibiotics for a few days and then do the procedure when the infection is reduced.