Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok well my Uncle's Iguana has this like lump thing on the side of its mouth and I have a picture of it and I was hoping someone could tell me what it is and how to fix it. Please and thank you!!!
-Melissa

No one can or should be diagnosing using a photo on the internet. I can tell you that it's highly possible that it's an abscess and needs to be treated by a vet. If left untreated it will get worse and the infection could possibly become systemic and kill the iguana. This is a very common area for abscesses to develop in iguanas.

Well my uncle doesn't have the money for a vet. I already suggested that to him. Thats why I was trying to help him out by hopefully finding out what it is and how to treat it. I just figured the picture would be enough. Well please if anyone else could help I would really appreciate it and I know my uncle would too.
-Melissa

Sorry, but I'm with Jiffypop.

Only a vet can accurately tell you what it is, and how to treat it. Figure out a way to get the money, or ask the vet if there's a way you can pay in installments.

Often such things happen because there's somethingwrong in the way the iguana is being kept. Damp, dirty and underheated environments coupled with poor nutritiona are some of the causes to infections. An iguana that has to live in an inadequate enclosure and is not fed a proper diet is destined to get sick. Such living conditions cause stress, and they weaken the immune system, which can result in infection from pathogens, bacteria, and fungus.

Veterinarians do a bacterial culture of the infected area, by collecting fluid from blisters and cultures from the lining of an abscess, which later are submitted for bacterial culture and cytology. This is why ONLY a vet can diagnose and treat the animal.

The characteristics of an abscess are:

1) A hard lump or bump under the skin.
2) Discoloration on the skin surface.
3) The iguana may react in pain when the area is touched.
4) Generally found on the face, ear openings, limbs, feet and body.

> If the abscess has burst and is weeping thick material, clear fluid or blood, you must get the iguana to the veterinarian immediately
> An abscess must be removed completely or lanced, the caseous material removed
> Reoccurring abscesses may indicate a resistance to a particular antibiotic
> Another cause for the appearance of a bump can be from parasites such as mites
> Infections and abscesses in the mouth area are often referred to, even by misinformed vets, as "mouth rot"
> If you have a concern about inflamed tissue in your iguanas mouth, do not let the guy at the pet store sell you something for mouth rot in snakes
> Trying to medicate or treat disease at home often leads to a more serious problem or a permanent disability.

Taken from:
www.iguana-news.com/preart.html

Also check out:
www.anapsid.org/abscess.html

Yahoo or Google "abscess in iguana" and you'll get more info.

Not to sound harsh, but if a person does not have the money to go to a vet, he/she should not have an exotic animal, which requires money to keep properly.

I'm sorry, I hope you and other relatives can help your uncle out. It does not have to be complicated, it is basically collecting fluid, and give antibiotics. But the more you wait, the worse it can get, and will get, and the higher the bills. Or the animal will die.

This is the best I can do. Best of luck,

-IJ

Hi Melissa,

Absolutely, the iguana needs to see a vet. A visible lump really doesn't give any indication as to what it is. It is USUALLY an abscess, but it's not always the case. Our male iguana, Jig, had a lump on his chin and we were sure it was an abscess... and it turned out that it wasn't. It was a boney mass that had to be surgically removed, plus the mass was cultured positive for staph. He is currently on antibiotics. Just goes to show you - you really can't tell without qualified medical treatment.

As for the money issue... talk to the vet and see what you can work out, financially. Any vet should be willing to work out a payment schedule. Our vet bills came out to over $700 and we were able to get a "Care Credit" card which allows you to pay your pet's veterinary bills, interest free, over a few installments.

Good luck and keep us updated!

-----
Julie Williams
www.baskinglizards.com
_____

I can tell you exactly what this is and what to buy to fix it.....
it is an abcess inside his mouth, my iguana had this not too long ago, and we took him to the vet, now fortunatly we did not have enough money that day for the surgery so he gave us the antibiotic called

ENROFLAXACIN 20mg (10 days worth, once a day),

and the antibiotic alone made the abcess come out, without expensive surgery, which is very hard to find a herp vet anyway.....
but you could prob, go onto petmeds.com and see if you can buy it there for much cheaper than it would be at the vet....

and also i rubbed his mouth alot every day pushing from the front of his snout to the back of his mouth, just rubbing my finger along his mouth, mine loved this and one day when i was doing this after 3 days on the antibiotic, i could see this giant thing that looked like a tooth coming out of it, and i used 2 q-tips ( tweezers just made it crumble) to push it out! i was so excited!
i hope this helps and i hope you ig, is fine and healthy!
let me know
here is a pic of my ig