Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well a rescue i took in 1.5 yrs ago now is constipated and slightly lethargic, so i got her to work today and there is a tumor surrounding her lower intestines (from what i can tell from rads), fna looks like lymphoma (went out to path, will update when i get something back)
she was rescued from a puppy mill and has made somewhat of a recovery, though her spine and tail are fused, so i doubt id do anything to drastic, just wondering what if anything anyone here has done for lymphoma to get a plan for her in my mind...
tonight what ive done is a semi sucessful eneama (tried to do it alone...husband not hiome tonight) and shes back in the tub for the second night, im hoping if i can get her pooping well again with stool softners and lots of baths i can give her (and the hubby who is more attached then i am) a little more time.
any ideas would be wonderful!
off to chase teh cat away from the tub!!
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hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!

Is this a bearded dragon? I think I recall you taking in one of those a while back. If it's not a surgical case, then you are pretty much limited to supportive therapy. For the heck of it though, sign onto VIN and look up chemotherapy in reptiles (I think Mader has a small section on it).

Good luck,
Ian

its an iggy, saddest thing, but sweet as can be, i did a vin search and the answer i saw for non chemo options was pred, i dont think she would do well on chemo, she has so many other issues. im ok with trying pred, but dont know where to start with dose, ill call my retired herp vet today and see what he thinks. ill keep ya posted
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hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!

you can go here to see rads and a pic...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30830695@N04/?saved=1

fna came back, paraphrased- mild hemodilution, basophilic backgraound w/ abundant crystaline material:elongated, needle shape to rhomboid w/ rounded points, also some amorphous, some suggestive of uric acid crystals. cellularity is mild to mod w/ mix inflammatory- nondegenerative heterophils and macrophages / occ small and intermediate size lymphocytes. no infectious agents seen.

this may seem a bit over the top to some, but id like any info i can get!
thanks!!

PS, did get to do a better enama today, crossing fingers...
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hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!

The FNA doesn't sound like cancer to me. This sounds like an immune response to an idiopathic collection of crystal formation. Of course I'm not a vet and got most of my education from the Mader text, but it's a hunch just the same. I can't see the pic's, are you sure surgery isn't an option? Even reducing the mass might allow for better prolonged quality of life. Keeping things extra hydrated, even if it means giving bolus' might be the best action against further crystal production. The prednisone's desired action is to reduce the inflammatory response correct? The guys on VIn will have a better start dosage for you than any forumulary with all the experience they pack.

ps, as I think this further through there might be a little spin on my previous hunch. Inflammatory crystaline masses are sometimes a result to trauma. For example, similar masses have been found in retired breeder snakes; snakes retired after a season of dystocia, which relates to where the mass has formed.

Anyhow, good luck. My posts are probably more helpfull to refresh my mind of such topics then they are for you. Mak'n it to the ARAV conference in a few weeks?

Ian

well from what we (me and the one herp vet ive got nearby) saw on the pics and some bit of the fna, were thinking kidney tumor/gout somthing like that, the "tumor" or whatever is in the way has prevented defication for a while, to the point its making breathing a little hard, 2 good enemas and nothing... being that shes the one fused from head to the half a tail she has, so that i cant even get blood, im not going to even try sx, to much for her to try to fight thru and i dont know if we could deal with it. just going to spoil her rotten as long as we can, seems uncomfortable but not painfull, eatting dandilion greens in the yard laying out with daddy, and i brought home an organic mango, we will see if it makes a good breakfast.
as far as the ARAV CE, ive been begging my boss but its not going to happen, hed rather send me to learn about goats then herps, sucks cuz i grew up in southern cali, would be nice to visit "home"
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hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!