Bump on Tiger Salamander

[Repguy27]

My tiger salamander has gotten a bump on her side. It has gotten a bit bigger too and I am worried what it may be. Any ideas?

 

[Ominojacu]

I guess the options are
1.Subcutaneous nematode
2. Bacterial skin infection
3. fungal skin infection
4. cancerous tumor
5. Benign tumor
If you lance it, subcutaneous nematodes are easily seen. Bacterial and fungal infections would require you to culture the lancing, however these are less likely in a single legion as they tend to spread quickly, and you could just routinely treat it with a topical antibiotic, I would recommend a sulfur based one. If you suspect four, your better off leaving it alone as you risk releasing cancerous cells into the blood where they can spread.

 

[Repguy27]

Thank you for the reply. I put a triple antibiotic on her bump for now. It seems to have gotten a bit larger and a little more milky colored. Would you recommend taking her to a vet? How often should I be putting on the ointment? Also while putting on the cream she didn't react badly as if from pain or anything from me touching it.

 

[Ominojacu]

your best bet is always to go to a vet. However, having started my interest in herps from long before the average vet could tell the difference between a tiger salamander and paper weight, I would be inclined just to lance it verify that it is not a parasite and continue to treat it topically.

 

[Jan]

Thank you for the reply. I put a triple antibiotic on her bump for now. It seems to have gotten a bit larger and a little more milky colored. Would you recommend taking her to a vet? How often should I be putting on the ointment? Also while putting on the cream she didn't react badly as if from pain or anything from me touching it.

Yes, I would try to find a vet experienced with amphibians. This could be one of a number of things and you are not in the position to determine etiology....therefore the best you are doing is punting and treating blindly. I had a tiger with a similar bump on its tail. Took it to a vet experienced with amphibians who excised the 'bump'....as my example turn out, it was a benign cyst.

 

[Repguy27]

I took her to an exotic vet and they tested it and it wasn't bacterial, fungal, or a parasite. They said they were going to talk to an amphibian expert on it and after almost a week and a half I got a reply saying that it would have be be surgically removed and sent in for a biopsy to determine what it is which is upwards of $300 which I don't have anywhere near that

 

[Ted]

This is why Ive learned to do things myself.

 

[mellissa]

did he/she live? and what happened this is happening on my salamander