New bluetongue owner!

[laksomeister]

Hi, I finally got my first bluetongue the other day!
I noticed a bump under it's jaw when I came home, and I'm posting here in hope of someone knowing what it is.
Doesn't seem to have a problem with it at all, and ate some waxworms right of the bat. (and tried to eat my finger this morning)
I'ts very skittish at the moment so I couldn't really get a got shot.



Also if you can tell by the images, what approx age and type of bluey is it?
All I got from the seller was "Approx 6 months" but he really didn't sound to sure about it.




Thanks in advance! /Robin

[DianaBlueTongue]

Very pretty little merauke! Just cute as a button

Im not a vet so really don't feel qualified to comment much on the bump but it looks like some sort of abscess maybe. Its probably worth having a vet take a look at it, infections in and near the head, however minor, can be very dangerous in any animal, even humans, since it's so close to the brain.

He looks in great shape, maybe a little lean, but all in all a really gorgeous little booger. Congrats on your first bts and big welcome to the forum. This place is just chuck full of wonderful keepers

[lucasrusinak]

also can't help much with the bump, but around 6 months give or take sounds about right. he doesn't look quite big enough for a year yet.

[Dakota]

He looks a little younger than 6 months old, maybe 3-4 months old. It is kinda hard to tell with reptiles since their growth depends on the food intake. And yes, beautiful Merauke.

[laksomeister]

Oh thanks guys! So the biggest of them all, didn't see that one coming, just hope it doesn't outgrow the viv ^^
I'll pass by the shop that recommended this breeder and see if I can get any help there, and also look up a reptile vet.
Thanks again for all the help, much appreciated!

[splashy07]

Congrats on the cute little Merauke! I'm with Dakota on the age, looks much younger, as my Halys were that size at two months but again, depends on feeding and nutrition. I've seen Bearded Dragons in shops that were five months that looked like my babies at five weeks!! Breeders and shops do not feed like owners, as they quickly outgrow their space!
Again I am leaving to the experts on that little lump there, could be nothing but always treat as something, let the Vet decide! Enjoy your new little friend!

[laksomeister]

Thanks!
Yeah I've got word that it's abscess. I got it checked out and it's solid as a rock now so there's no getting rid of it either.
But I've been told there's no risk in leaving it either, so it'll be a little beauty mark

[Dakota]

Thanks!
Yeah I've got word that it's abscess. I got it checked out and it's solid as a rock now so there's no getting rid of it either.
But I've been told there's no risk in leaving it either, so it'll be a little beauty mark

I would definitely not leave it there. Are you aware of what an abscess is?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKoNyXdvQP0

[Dakota]

Thanks!
Yeah I've got word that it's abscess. I got it checked out and it's solid as a rock now so there's no getting rid of it either.
But I've been told there's no risk in leaving it either, so it'll be a little beauty mark

If you got it diagnosed as an abscess, I would not leave it there. Are you aware of what an abscess is?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKoNyXdvQP0

[Seadation]

I just received some skinks that had a similar swelling in the lower jaw just like yours. At first I was a little worried about it but left it alone and after a couple of weeks it was gone. If I were you I would give it a couple of weeks and it should go away. In my opinion I believe that the swelling has something to do with their new teeth growing out but that is just my theory. Anyways good luck and that's a nice little guy.
Ron

[Susann]

Välkommen hit; jag är en f.d. Gbg:are
Good job on getting the bump checked out; I agree that it looks safe to leave alone and just keep an eye on. As long as it doesn't seem to be growing and not looking inflamed.
Read through the threads in the FAQ and just leave him alone for now, worry about taming after he has settled in for several weeks.
Cat food alone is not the worst food for him while he's this young (and I think he's very young, I highly doubt he's 6 months old), but rather than worrying about adding veggies and greens to it, maybe try switching to dog food as it is better formulated for omnivores, often with veggies, greens, and even fruits already added to it.

Congrats on your beautiful Merauke, and I bet when he calms down from the initial stress, he'll be a great friend for you It sometimes takes a little time and a little patient work, but it's worth it. We're here if you need any help.

[laksomeister]

If you got it diagnosed as an abscess, I would not leave it there. Are you aware of what an abscess is?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKoNyXdvQP0

Oh man, that's nasty!...
But i think that one was still growing. He explained it to me and it seems you can puncture it while it's still growing, but when it becomes solid there little you can do about it..?
I will absolutely keep an eye on it still, and if what I've been told is wrong please do tell! I'm gonna head off to google and see what I can find..

Välkommen hit; jag är en f.d. Gbg:are
Good job on getting the bump checked out; I agree that it looks safe to leave alone and just keep an eye on. As long as it doesn't seem to be growing and not looking inflamed.
Read through the threads in the FAQ and just leave him alone for now, worry about taming after he has settled in for several weeks.
Cat food alone is not the worst food for him while he's this young (and I think he's very young, I highly doubt he's 6 months old), but rather than worrying about adding veggies and greens to it, maybe try switching to dog food as it is better formulated for omnivores, often with veggies, greens, and even fruits already added to it.

Congrats on your beautiful Merauke, and I bet when he calms down from the initial stress, he'll be a great friend for you It sometimes takes a little time and a little patient work, but it's worth it. We're here if you need any help.

Man tackar! ^^
Yeah, the only handling I'm doing is digging it out of whatever hiding spot it's found and putting it's face into the catfood. I know it's hungry but if I just leave it in there it won't come out of hiding all day.
Once in your hand it's super friendly(not that it's aggressive otherwise, just stressed). And once the catfood is out I'm switching over to dogfood, thanks for the tip

[El Lobo]

If the lump has been positively identified as an abscess it should not be left in the body. I am unsure of a veterinary assessment that would recommend just leaving an abscess untreated. From the picture it looks to be located near or on the mandible; if left untreated it could lead to osteomyelitis of the mandible. A radiograph would determine if the mandible was involved, also a procedure called FNA (fine needle aspiration) would identify which bacterium is present.

The video clip is an extreme example of lancing an abscess and it should be noted all animals cannot be effectively treated in the same manner. Unlike humans and horses BTS and some other species of animals lack an enzyme that will allow infected material to flow. In their case the matter is more the consistency of toothpaste and needs to be scraped away (debrided) with the area fully flushed to remove all traces, including the capsule surrounding the infected matter. Failure to remove the capsule often means re-infection. A course of abx should follow.

If it was my BTS I would not leave this unattended or consider it a beauty mark.

[DianaBlueTongue]

I had a panther chameleon come into my rescue last year who was completely covered in abscesses. Like El Lobo said, in reptiles lancing an abscess is pretty useless, the puss doesn't flow the way a mammals does. It almost solidifies, like a super think paste. The first vet I brought him to removed bumps all over his body from face to tail tip. Little hard green mush balls would literally "roll" out leaving big gaping holes, like you see in the second picture. These hard mushy balls were actually the puss. Aftering removing them (there were over 20)the holes were covered in an antiseptic/antibiotic ointment and sent home and told to monitor him closely.

Not only did removing them not help though, it seemed to make the condition worse. The removing of the puss balls actually caused the infection to spread rapidly. Where there would only be one originally two more would come back, the second pic is of one of these instances. After most of the abbesses returned I brought him to a second vet for another opinion. He told me they should have only been touched to retrieve a biopsy and then prescribed a round of antibiotics to combat the infection/bacteria causing the abscesses. That it was the initial removal of them that ultimately caused me to have to have him humanely euthanized. If we had left them alone the infections could have been contained and treated from within from the medication.

I've also had quite a few leopard geckos show up at the rescue with very similar bumps on their chins as yours. They were never open or causing any outward discomfort. Just a bump like a teenager with a pimple. I let them be and like sedation said, sometimes they'd go away on their own and sometimes they wouldn't but they'd go on to live happy healthy normal lives. Just with the bump.

Point I'm trying to make is if you have any doubts, there's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. There are numerous reasons for this type of bump and people can only share from their own experiences here. Find another vet and see what they think. If a second vet doesn't think theres anything to worry about then theres your answer. If they want to treat it then maybe theres cause for concern.

[El Lobo]

@DianaBlueTongue - In the case you cite you don't say whether a course of abx was administered following the excising of the abscesses. It is likely infected material had already entered the bloodstream carrying the infection further around the body. This could explain the recurrence.

Given there were so many lesions, was viral papilloma infection ruled out in favour of abscesses?

[Richard.C]

I had a female shingle whom got a swollen leg a couple of seasons ago after mating season,her right front,so i squeezed it a bit and solid blobs of pus came out,i had to re do it gently many times to get it all out and thankfully she went back to her self after a month or 2,leg works normal again and no swelling or oddness

I see a bit of that swelling under the jaws on males from breeding season bite backs from females,or male dominance stoushes,if your lil tyke was housed with others that could explain the lump

[DianaBlueTongue]

Sorry, had my 18 month old pulling on my pant leg last night. lol.

Yes, he was sent home with a short round of antibiotic, but his case was obviously pretty extreme. The previous owner had left him with these lesions for months and months before finally surrendering him to me.

A virus was ruled out and found a bacterium to blame (of which I couldn't possibley remember the name of) but they really couldn't ever figure out why it had spread the way it did. The abscesses started on the face between the eyes and spread back along the body. The infection you mentioned I think was what I had thought too after doing some online research before bringing him in. I'm no good at remembering technical names so if in laymen's terms "reptile warts" is the same thing then yeah, same thing.

I didn't persue the whole case to indepth because during all the back and forth trips and treatments his health had been rapidly deteriorating. He stopped eating, would fall from his branches. Chams are extremely sensitive little buggers and I think the ailment combined with all the poking and proding and meds tipped the scales towards his ultimate end. I couldn't stand seeing him in such misery all the time so made the choice to have him humanely euthanized. I still wonder if it wasn't some form of cancer, like little tumors.

[laksomeister]

After all these mixed opinions I've decided to call a vet first thing tomorrow morning, will keep you posted!

UPDATE: So I called the vet, and the woman I talked to said it all depends on which bacteria is causing the abscess.
So I booked an appointment on Tuesday, fingers crossed it's nothing serious!

[laksomeister]

Okey I went to the vet, and he said it wasn't an abscess but something in the bone.
If we're lucky it's a fracture and the bump is callous formed when it healed.
If we're unlucky it's an infection in the bone... But he didn't see any signs, like inflammation, so fingers crossed!