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My 2ft male sav had an abscess in the center of his back, directly between its shoulders. I didn't notice it this morning but this evening when I got home it was very noticeable. When I applied a little pressure it popped right out. I kept gently squeezing & massaging the area till the fluid turned to pure blood, hopefully removing all infectious-type fluids.

Is there any over-the-counter med or salve I can apply to the area? I've got a friend that's a vet but not experienced with reptiles. They've told me before that if I can find out the name of any meds I need that's not considered mission-critical (administering concerns that could cause severe injury or death) she might be able to research it & administer it, if they feel comfortable in doing so. They're no fly-by-night vet, either.

I know some don't like giving names of meds and I can respect that and agree with it in most cases, I'm hoping this doesn't fall within that category. I don't, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Enlighten me. If it does, please forgive me for asking.

For the first time I'm scratching my head as a monitor keeper, trying to figure out what caused this abscess. I've been relentless about keeping his water bowl clean, cage clean, conditions, etc...

A couple of things come to mind.
1) Several weeks ago I had to make two trips to FL. The first trip left the water bowl (Which is big enough for him to soak in but he doesn't soak very often.) unchanged for about 1 1/2 weeks. I was home for a week and gone again for another week. Water bowl was changed while I was home but my wife & kids didn't change it while I was gone. I use a dirt mix substrate and when he gets into his water it gets muddy.

I don't know how long it takes for abscesses to form but that window of opportunity was open aprox. 3 weeks ago.

2) The only other thing I can think of is where the abscess was is where his back first scrapes a big piece of ceramic tile as he goes under it, into his hiding hole. Having a dirt mix substrate I wonder if dirt didn't get into an open wound and cause the abscess.

Anyone got any ideas or pretty well knows what happened and/or what I can do to help speed up healing?

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

How do you know it's not a burn? The clear fluid in a burn blister is sterile until you pop it open. If it was an abrasion from a hide and got some dirt in it ------>got infected, then I'd clean it well with a Qtip and some peroxide one time. Then just leave it to heal. Applying greasy ointments like Neosporin or Silvadene usually just make the dirt stick to the opening. I'd leave it alone to heal if it were me and it looks minor.

Thanks for replying, jburokas.

I'm sorry for not giving better details, I know better than that, I just plain left out somethings.

Some meat came out of the bump at first, followed by infectious-looking fluid. The chunk of meat was an off white color & about the size of a pencil eraser, maybe a tad bigger. Yes, it was meat because I could see it's composition, almost like chicken, and there's a depression in his back where the abscess was.

There's also a small hole in his skin but it's not leaking fluid anymore and appears to be sealed with drying blood. He's laying ontop of the dirt and not tried to go back into his hiding hole. I'm going to place a small box or something for him to get into so he'll stay ontop of the dirt instead and getting into it for the next few days, at least.

I noticed that yesterday and today he basked more than unusual & I thought it was weird but I don't know if it has anything to do with the abscess or not.

I consider this my first major crisis with just over a year of keeping monitors and it bothers me to know end. I appreciate your help!

Take care!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Hi HH, I will go by what you are saying, that its a abcess. Abcesses are generally systematic, so you may want to take the whole lizard to the vet.

Also, oil based antibiotics are not recomended for monitors. Cheers

Thanks FR. It's gonna be a few days before I can see the Vet, unless I cry "Emergency!" which I can't do. I put some peroxide on it & was able to get it under the skin, on the infected area. I'll keep an eye on it between now & then & play it by ear. I've got a good hunch now as to what caused it.

I did a lot of searching & reading online last night to where I fell asleep at my PC but I learned quite a bit in the area of abscesses, boils & cysts. Unfortunately, not much of it pertained to monitors, or any other reptile for that matter, but mostly pertaining to humans.

Yeah, yeah, I know, "What the heck am I doing reading human health issues when my problem is with a monitor?" My first goal was to determine if it was an abscess, cyst, or something else. I started my searches including the word "monitor," "lizard," and various other relative words but couldn't find anything definitive to clarify what it was. That's when I decided to look at the human aspect.

Well, it definitely wasn't a zit, and it wasn't a cyst, either. I'm about 95% sure it was an abscess. I read a reptile article that said the two leading causes of an abscess are; injury to the infected area or stress.

Here's what I think caused this:
I had said in my first post "...where the abscess was is where his back first scrapes a big piece of ceramic tile as he goes under it, into his hiding hole."

The abscess was dead center of his back, right over the spine, in between his shoulders. When he first goes under the tile it is usually pushed up about an inch and then it lays flat again once he's all the way underneath.

Well, dumb 'ol me, without thinking a thing about it, placed his water tub ontop of the tile about a week or so ago & for no good reason have kept putting back in that same place. This caused more pressure on his body as he slid under the tile due to the water tub's weight.

I had deburred the tile good with my wet-saw before using it, so it wasn't the edges, but the weight of the tub. The tile's been in his cage & used as his hideout cover for ages, just didn't have anything heavy on it till lately.

Something else about this situation that I feel could go to prove a point that has been mentioned around here repeatedly. In reference to abscesses in humans, the main recommended treatment is heat, heat compacts. It was mentioned how heat application increases the circulation to the area and allows the body to better fight off the infection.

When I first read that I remembered what I said in my 2nd post here; "I noticed that yesterday and today he basked more than usual & I thought it was weird but I don't know if it has anything to do with the abscess or not."

So, do they really know what they need? (I've heard that said before) Could a wide range of temps be beneficial? (I've heard that before, too)

One more thing and then I'll end this chapter.
I was telling a buddy last night about how I was able to handle my sav and do things I've never been able to do before. For the first time he hissed real loud (as usual) but didn't try to tail-whip me or bite me and he let me pick him up. He stayed perfectly still while I held him in one hand & squeezed the abscess with the other. It was just as if he knew I was trying to help him out. I was in awe.

Sorry for this being so long but hopefully this situation and the things I mentioned will help someone out in the future. That is, if they will use the "search forums" link. Ha! Ha!

The end.

Thanks, again, jburokas & FR, for your input.

Take care!
Mike
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Your missing the boat, abscesses are a common expression of a depressed immune system. Its generally to much of something, as in not enough choices.

By the time its expressed as an abscess, its generally very widespread.

THE REALITY, healthy monitors can be cut wide open and crawl in dung and will not get infections or abscesses. They can and do sustain massive injuries without need for anycare what so ever. Their immune system is a marvel. But, long tern exposure to stress, without question causes an immune system failure.

Which as I mentioned, expresses as abscesses. Remember, I am only offering the most common problem for what your seeing, it of course may not be whats happening to your monitor. Of course most say that as well. You know, I have Ideal husbandry, but my monitor is sick. Please dwell on that if you will.

About water changes, hmmmmmmm I should not devulge such information, but with a healthy monitor, you can leave the water until plants grow from the water bowl and it will not harm the monitor. I am not saying I have done that, OK, I have. So shut up, hahahahahahahahahahaha

I never said I was the best keeper, far from it. I just let my monitors be the best monitors. As I have previously mentioned, I often keep the accidents. You know, the ones I made huge errors with. I often sell the good ones and keep the culls. hehehehehehehe, I have three or four lacies that I burned the peewater out of. Horrible burns, yet they recovered with no treatment WHAT SO EVER. And did so in DIRT and cages that have not be changed out in over a decade. Hmmmmmmmm who changes out nature?

You task is to figure out what allows your monitor to be a full on monitor. One that can survive in the real world of elephant dung and hippo scat. Not one that can only survive in a antiseptic cage. How human. Cheers

Just when you think you're getting the hang of it, "Wham!"

Missed the boat? It ain't the first time, is it? I'm sure it won't be the last, either. Par for the course. I just happen to still be on the putt-putt course instead of the country club's.

> > > Of course most say that as well. You know, I have Ideal husbandry, but my monitor is sick. Please dwell on that if you will.

I see how some of the things I've said could be taken in that context but it wasn't what I meant to say or imply. While reading your last reply I kept waiting for you to mention a few things but you didn't. I re-read my previous post and see where once again I left some things out that I had planned on including/mentioning. Man, I've got to tighten up or loosen up, one. Too many irons in the fire, making too many goofs.

Heh, in my reply to "jburokas" I used the word "know" when it should've been "no". Plus a few other goofs in that one & other threads.

Anyway, When I took the piece of ceramic tile out there was standing water in the bottom of the sav's shallow burrow. Shallow substrate = shallow burrow.

I've been running the humidity level around 65 - 70% while testing higher heat & more ventilation. This was all part of a weight loss plan.

He's been fed considerably less for the last 2 months than I used to feed him. I'm not even gonna say, "I think this might...," so I'll ask you. Do you think the very sparse feeding could've caused the onset of stress?

He lost the weight I was trying to get rid of and is now back to being fed smaller meals at about the same pace as he was before. I kept an eye on his behavior and never noticed any changes in his routines or anything. I figured it would put a little stress on him but I figured a little bit of stress now to save his kidneys later would be a good trade off.

So, the two things I kept waiting on you to say something about, the ones I left out, are: Standing water in his burrow and sparse feeding diet.

Incidentally, I had already reduced his feedings about a week or so before your discussion with "FreedomDove" about her sav's weight.

Thanks for the insight on stress. For the record, it works the same way in humans, too. Stress will already have it's hold before any symptoms are seen. Physically and/or mentally. That, I know.

Have a good one!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Hi again, about that boat, its a good thing they make dingys and tenders and zodiacs, you know, all those things to catch up with all the boats we all miss.hahahahahahahaha

If you keep your eye on this forum, you will see an increase in problems with normally healthy monitors(kinda like yours)(no its not from feeding less)

The problem is conditions change as fall sets in, but keepers forget to adjust their cage conditions. So all of a sudden their monitor is not working so well.

In short, its kinda about lack of choices, I give such wide choices it covers all seasons. Kinda why the too hot is too hot in summer, but its not toooo hot in fall, winter and spring. Guezzz

Which kinda means those having such problems have to narrow of a range for the monitor to self adjust, which is what it wants to do.

The deal is, when conditions change, the monitor behaviorally wants to adjust. Like in nature move to a place with more heat. But if there is no such place, it will look for a place to wait out the coming poor conditions, and if there is no place to do that, it simply stresses out and there you go, bumps and lumps and soon a sick monitor.

Preventing the monitor from getting what it needs is VERY STRESSFUL. You see, givin the ability, they know how and do this routinely in nature. In fact, every day of their lifes is making that sort of adjustments. Its what they do. Yea just gotta let them. Of course, this may not be your problem, but you will be seeing it soon at your local forum. Cheers

Dingy?! You called me dingy??!! And tried to make it look like you just misspelled a word; you clever lil' devil, you. Where's that dang "Report Abuse" link?

Back to the serious stuff.
Keeping your latest post in mind let's change channels for a minute. Turn over to channel 3 and let's take a look at what's goin' on over there.

Dadgummit! Just before you made your post (minutes before) I went down to my enclosed garage to feed my fthree foot fat female's frumpish fanny. No eaty. "#@$&*#*$!!!"

Cage: Bottomline = p-poor conditions. Temp setup to abide time for cage to be built. Unable to consistantly maintain minimum acceptable conditions, period. Mostly, low basking temp & low cool end temp. Humidity is the only thing that's been right. Aprox. 3 weeks under these conditions.

She's asleep when I put in 2 F/T sm rats. She acts a bit interested, perks up a tad, and then closes her eyes to go back to sleep. I leave 'em for an hour & they're still there & she's still asleep.

Remove F/T rats, place live rat in. She perks up a lil', moves about a foot towards it & stops. sluggishly looking & tonguing around. I push the rat close to her and she tongues it but lays her head back down & closes her eyes.

She moves around a lil' throughout the day but not far away from bask light. Usually within light's beam, or just outside of it.

Hmmmmmmmm........

I don't know if what's on these two channels would be called a soap opera or a drama, but I do know they dang shor ain't thrillers.

Exit, stage left.

By the way, all of my dinghies have holes in 'em from dropped anvils. Oh, and as always, your time, insight, advice, etc..., is much appreciated & not taken for granted.

Catch ya later!
Mike
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

I thought is was dungy or dungly, oh well, whatever!

Ok, with your post in mind, a healthy adult monitor will rip your dungy off for food. So, there must be reason its not. The question is, what reason. With a female, they have more reasons then males. But, oh them males, they do not pass up food at anytime, UNLESS CONDITIONS DO NOT PERMIT. Particularly, the digesting of said food. As in, incomplete digestion. Which is where fatty liver desease and other old time non sense comes in. Keeping them borderline is not wise. Either allow them to be them, or shut them down. Stay off the fence. The fence causes mental stress for all of us. Unless the ball goes over the fence and is in play, and its a walkoff. Nothing better then that. Cheers

> > > I thought is was dungy or dungly, oh well, whatever!

Ha! Ha! You're so full of it! But I think I got you beat, there.

I felt for eggs last night but didn't feel anything other than fat. I'm wrapping up my office work now & fixin' to get my fanny out there & finish their cage. I'm gonna throw another bulb in her setup before I get started.

Anybody in the Murphy, NC area that wants to make a few bucks come on over & help me wheelbarrow a truck load or two of dirt into their cage. I'll pay ya in cash or "white lightnin'". Hey, I wonder if that stuff would help the female? Nah, better not try; it turned my nile from a chameleon to a T-rex in 8.9 seconds.

As the World Turns

Suddenly my 9 month old world of uneventful savannah monitor keeping has come crachin' down on me. And just that quick. We'll get it sorted out soon, though; love these rascals too dang much.

Later Tater!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American