Odd Growth

[reptylefreek]

I got Bumper in September of last year. She had a few issues with diet and she has a bad case of MBD. The last 7 years she grew up on a hard wood floor or the newspaper covered floor of her cage. Before that is unknown. I'm guessing she is around 20 years old. A couple months ago I was giving her a good once over, checking out her shell and the growth paterns, and she lifted her left arm in such a way that the skin moved and I could see this little growth. I touched it and she didn't flinch so I dont think its painful. She sometimes gets food stuck under her limbs, looks like food falls out of her shell when she walks around. I picked at it a little and its definetly attatched. I left in alone and came back to it a couple weeks later. I soaked her and then poked at it. It came up and there was something underneath the flap, like food. That fell out and now its just like a flap of skin. Is it possible that a peice of food got stuck under her arm and the skin grew over it?

These pictures were taken of her upside down, so the left side of the pic is her left arm and the right side is her head(upside down).

 

[Greg T]

I'm definitely no vet, so this is only an opinion. It is difficult to know what caused this, but it may be similar to humans who develop skin flaps and such as they age. If it doesn't bother him, then I'd leave it alone for now. Just continue to watch it and if it changes shape, grows, seems infected, etc. then it sounds like a trip to the vet is in order.

Good luck!

 

[reptylefreek]

It doesn't bother her at all. She doesn't even know its there. I do look at it about once a week. I gently pull on it to see if its loose. When its ready to fall off I wanna see what it looks like.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, I'm a "picker." If it were me, I'd soften the area with antibiotic ointment like Neosporin, then pick at it until it was removed. But that's just me. I can't stand to see things like that and not pick at them.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I'll give a third opinion that especially if she hasn't been to the vet in awhile, you might as well get it checked out. Peace of mind and all (assuming you have access to an experienced vet). I'd be afraid to pick at it as well as waiting and seeing what happens. Best wishes.

 

[egyptiandan]

It looks like it was an infection to me. Yvonne gave some great advice about antibiotic ointment.

Danny

 

[reptylefreek]

I will try the Neosporin. The lady that had her before me worked at an emergency vet and had her checked regularly. Dont know if she ever spotted this.