Should i be concerned about this swelling?

BrunoSousa · Feb 6, 2016

Hi, all!
Ninja is been doing fine, active, eats very well, is relaxed, all just fine.
Today, i noticed this little "bubble" swelling. She doesn't scrath, or have any signs that something's wrong with her.
Should i be worried? What do you think it could be?

I attached photos.

Thanks in advance!

dmmj · Feb 6, 2016

it looks like it could be an abscess in the ear. they're painful and need to be treated quickly as possible. it needs to be drained and possible antibiotics

BrunoSousa · Feb 6, 2016

dmmj said:
it looks like it could be an abscess in the ear. they're painful and need to be treated quickly as possible. it needs to be drained and possible antibiotics

What would be the signs that it hurts? She doesn't seem to "notice" that she has that, doesn't change her behavior, doesnt scratch it...

dmmj · Feb 6, 2016

no signs, it just hurts like an ear infection it just hurts.

BrunoSousa · Feb 6, 2016

dmmj said:
no signs, it just hurts like an ear infection it just hurts.

Ok, thank you! I will take her to the Vet.

BrunoSousa · Feb 6, 2016

@dmmj what could be the causes?
Could high humidity levels (around 90%) cause this? The temps are around 75F - 86F, basking 98F, substrate coco coir. Closed enclosure, that i remove the poops on a daily basis, I change the water everyday, fresh food everyday also: mallow, sow thistle, white cabbage, turnip greens

She had a pneumonia, (due to wrong temps that i had in her enclosure at that time) in past November but has fully recovered. (i had it post here)
I think now i'm doing everything like it should it be, so, what may have caused this ear infection? Any ideas?
How to prevent it?
Many thanks in advance.

EDIT: the substrate that i have is coco coir and not cypress mulch

dmmj · Feb 6, 2016

it's an infection from bacteria. sometimes it's from bad husbandry sometimes they just get them.

MPRC · Feb 6, 2016

Abscesses just seem to happen sometimes. It could be a remnant from when she was sick, but maybe not. They take a long time to develop sometimes.

I would definitely bump her temps up a little bit to promote healing once you return from the vet. Unfortunately untreated abscesses don't heal on their own unless they rupture which usually makes things worse.

BrunoSousa · Feb 6, 2016

Thank you @LaDukePhoto .

Yvonne G · Feb 6, 2016

That's an ear abscess. They don't necessarily happen because of infection at that site, but rather because of infection somewhere in the body. And since you said he has recovered from a respiratory infection, that's probably where it came from. When it is ripe, a vet has to lance it for you, but wait until it's ripe.

Meganolvt · Feb 6, 2016

Vitamin A deficiency can cause aural abscesses (ear infections). This is usually due to a problem with the diet.

BrunoSousa · Feb 7, 2016

Yvonne G said:
That's an ear abscess. They don't necessarily happen because of infection at that site, but rather because of infection somewhere in the body. And since you said he has recovered from a respiratory infection, that's probably where it came from. When it is ripe, a vet has to lance it for you, but wait until it's ripe.

Hi @Yvonne G , how are you? Thanks for the reply.
The RI was past November, could the effects "last" that long? I'm a bit worried because i think everything is ok with her closed enclosure, the only thing i can't control that much, is the water, not the water in the bowl for her to drink, but the water that due to the closed enclosure and humid substrate (not
dripping) and high temps, it causes the (i dont know how to say it in english) water at the roof of the enclosure that drips. I looked to see if in some place of the enclosure it has shallow water, rotten wood, mustiness, etc, i found a little bit of "dilated"plywood at one of the corners, due to the water that dripped from the top, but its dry now, could this "the water from the humidity" cause something to a bacteria to appear? I'm completly noob about this biologic stuff.
But, once again, i'm taking her to the vet next week, to treat her, but, i'm concern about the cause, she's a yearling and i know that yearlings are more likely to be sick.
Thank you @Yvonne G :<3:

BrunoSousa · Feb 7, 2016

Meganolvt said:
Vitamin A deficiency can cause aural abscesses (ear infections). This is usually due to a problem with the diet.

Thank you @Meganolvt. Can you please name, one or two Vitamin A rich foods?

Meganolvt · Feb 7, 2016

Dark leafy greens are the best, also many tropical fruits, fish, carrots, sweet potatoes. At my vet clinic, we often tell people to puncture cod liver oil gel caps and squirt the liquid on the food for Vitamin A supplementation. Know too that in reptile abscesses the pus is usually very thick /hard and the patient often has to be sedate or fully anesthetized because it has to be kind of "dug" out, not just squeezed like in a mammal. I've seen several of these lately at work and they never really seem painful, these guys don't show pain much, but I'm sure it is, and not treating can lead to a ruptured eardrum which can cause balance problems and anorexia. Usually once the abscess is cleaned out and the husbandry/diet issues fixed they recover pretty well, although I think they are more prone to happening again.

BrunoSousa · Feb 7, 2016

Meganolvt said:
Dark leafy greens are the best, also many tropical fruits, fish, carrots, sweet potatoes. At my vet clinic, we often tell people to puncture cod liver oil gel caps and squirt the liquid on the food for Vitamin A supplementation. Know too that in reptile abscesses the pus is usually very thick /hard and the patient often has to be sedate or fully anesthetized because it has to be kind of "dug" out, not just squeezed like in a mammal. I've seen several of these lately at work and they never really seem painful, these guys don't show pain much, but I'm sure it is, and not treating can lead to a ruptured eardrum which can cause balance problems and anorexia. Usually once the abscess is cleaned out and the husbandry/diet issues fixed they recover pretty well, although I think they are more prone to happening again.

Much obliged, @Meganolvt ! Very useful information.

Meganolvt · Feb 7, 2016

You're welcome!

Pearly · Feb 7, 2016

BrunoSousa said:
Hi @Yvonne G , how are you? Thanks for the reply.
The RI was past November, could the effects "last" that long? I'm a bit worried because i think everything is ok with her closed enclosure, the only thing i can't control that much, is the water, not the water in the bowl for her to drink, but the water that due to the closed enclosure and humid substrate (not
dripping) and high temps, it causes the (i dont know how to say it in english) water at the roof of the enclosure that drips. I looked to see if in some place of the enclosure it has shallow water, rotten wood, mustiness, etc, i found a little bit of "dilated"plywood at one of the corners, due to the water that dripped from the top, but its dry now, could this "the water from the humidity" cause something to a bacteria to appear? I'm completly noob about this biologic stuff.
But, once again, i'm taking her to the vet next week, to treat her, but, i'm concern about the cause, she's a yearling and i know that yearlings are more likely to be sick.
Thank you @Yvonne G

Hi Bruno, it sounds like you are my kind of a tort keeper, take your husbandry practices seriously and really care about your tort's wellbeing. I think your concerns have been addressed by other members, but I just wanted to pitch in about the humidity. Hi humidity levels and warm temps are great for raising babies but I think I'd try to do something about all that condensation (water dripping off the ceiling). Maybe try tweaking the humidifier? To keep it maybe little lower? Like around 80's %? Or... Condensation I think could also collect when there is a big difference in temps of inside and outside of enclosure. I only had one episode of tank glass get all wet when I forgot to turn the fogger off in time. My humidity was in high 90's for couple of days and bottom of the substrate got very wet. It didn't look/feel good. I was going to replace the substrate if it didn't dry up a little over next few days. I did the whole enclosure clean up, turned the substrate reaching all the way down to that wet bottom, the warms and bugs seemed alive and well so I decided to just cover things with fresh moss and watch things for a while. Humidity started dropping after couple of days and it's been steady in the 80's now, with no wetness anywhere. Is the room air much colder than inside of enclosure? Maybe it would help to put some insulation around to keep the cold air away?

BrunoSousa · Feb 7, 2016

Pearly said:
Hi Bruno, it sounds like you are my kind of a tort keeper, take your husbandry practices seriously and really care about your tort's wellbeing. I think your concerns have been addressed by other members, but I just wanted to pitch in about the humidity. Hi humidity levels and warm temps are great for raising babies but I think I'd try to do something about all that condensation (water dripping off the ceiling). Maybe try tweaking the humidifier? To keep it maybe little lower? Like around 80's %? Or... Condensation I think could also collect when there is a big difference in temps of inside and outside of enclosure. I only had one episode of tank glass get all wet when I forgot to turn the fogger off in time. My humidity was in high 90's for couple of days and bottom of the substrate got very wet. It didn't look/feel good. I was going to replace the substrate if it didn't dry up a little over next few days. I did the whole enclosure clean up, turned the substrate reaching all the way down to that wet bottom, the warms and bugs seemed alive and well so I decided to just cover things with fresh moss and watch things for a while. Humidity started dropping after couple of days and it's been steady in the 80's now, with no wetness anywhere. Is the room air much colder than inside of enclosure? Maybe it would help to put some insulation around to keep the cold air away?

@Pearly , thanks for the reply and suggestions!
I think i found a way, i open a little the top, on both ends, just some inches and it seems to keep the temp high enough but without condensation.
If it works, i'll keep it that way. The humidity is on 75%-85%

Should i be concerned about this swelling?

BrunoSousa

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dmmj

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