Unusual lump

As you guys probably remember, I acquired two new T. grans at the beginning of May. One refused to eat quite consistantly. She seems to have gotten over this, with a vengence! She's definately putting on the weight, and eating every time food is offered.

I moved over the weekend, and I thought it would be a good time to take the two out of quarantine, and set all 3 up in one tank. After a lot of sniffing and following, they all seem to get along well, despite a size difference.

However, the day after getting everyone all settled in, I noticed the little one has a rather large lump anterior to her poison gland on the back of her jaw. I also noticed this morning a small lump under her mouth, in the throat area. I'm going to call the vet as soon as possible, and see if I can get her in tomorrow.

But I was wondering if any of you Tarichaphiles have ever seen this?

Hey Joan,

I don't have any suggestions, but I hope all goes well at the vet.

If you could post a photo, that would be interesting, as the topic these days has been towards Taricha deformities.

Pin-pin, I will see if I can get ahold of a camera and maybe do a photo-diary of the trip to the vet.

Lump update. As of my arrival home yesterday, it was starting to look like a pimple coming to head. So she promptly went into the fridge, and will remain until tomorrow's vet visit. I'm thinking it's almost positively something bacterial, although it seems I misplaced my newt-neosporin during the move. We'll see what the vet has to say.

PS: do you think a fecal sample would be warranted? If so, she left me a pretty good specimen this morning. lol.

(Message edited by Joan on August 04, 2005)

I had what I believe is a similar thing happen to one of my males a few months back. At least in terms of the lump on the throat area. Take a look at the 6th picture down. Does the bump look anything like that?
http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/985/29055.html?1105920075
I also wrote something there under the picture questioning what it was, I thought it had to do with his male habit of chin rubbing. Well, since then, both of his bumps went away for the most part. And while he had them, he never showed any signs of problems or sickness...
But I really don't know what it was, or if it could be a problem.

The one under the chin is vaguely similar, but not nearly as big. This is also on a female, so I doubt it's anything to do with mating. But since we both got them from the same place, they could very well have been collected from the same population, and is something to note.

The large lump is on the side of the head, behind the eye but in front of the big gland at the back of the jaw, and is now starting to look like an open wound. Counting down the hours to the vet.

BTW, Mark, If you're on my side of the state this weekend, it's Reptile Weekend at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, sponsored by the Mich. Society of Herpetologists. If you gimme a call, I could get you in for free. Nothin' like a free behind-the-scenes tour!

Lump update: The vet says it's an infected abscess. He also noticed a small one on her tail that I had chalked up to just being a lump, as it had not changed in the months since acquiring her. She's on diluted baytril (she's 8 grams! they grow so fast...) for 10 days. Pics to come in a few days.