Tiger Salamander has black growth on his face.

[christory]

Hi folks,
I have had Sneak, my tiger salamander, for a little over 10 years. Several months ago I noticed a small, slightly raised black spot on his lip. I thought it a bit odd, but not entirely out of place for a burrowing amphibian to maybe develop something on his face.

That changed recently as the growth has gotten much larger and there are one or two more. He spends most of his time burrowed, so I wasn't able to see this until I pulled him out to clean his terrarium. It seems like some sort of fungal or bacterial infection. I have had pet rats develop abscesses before and this seems to be a similar localized infection.

Has anyone had something like this appear on their tiger sally? I have seen similar cases in forums but nothing quite like this. I've attatched a very clear photo of my dude and the thing on his face. Should it be lanced or squeezed and cleaned with a saltwater solution? should it be left alone? Is there a antibiotic or antimicrobial med that will work?

Please limit the thread to answers based on experience, not speculation. Your help is appreciated. Thank you for your concern.

 

[FEAREDALPHA]

Hmm weird maybe it could be a cyst or some type of cancer this has happened to my pixie frog i solved it by putting Neal sporne on it 2 times a day it ALSO could be a really bad cavity that hasn't been cared for....Has it been acting weird latley? :smile:

 

[herpvet]

Hi folks,
I have had Sneak, my tiger salamander, for a little over 10 years. Several months ago I noticed a small, slightly raised black spot on his lip. I thought it a bit odd, but not entirely out of place for a burrowing amphibian to maybe develop something on his face.

That changed recently as the growth has gotten much larger and there are one or two more. He spends most of his time burrowed, so I wasn't able to see this until I pulled him out to clean his terrarium. It seems like some sort of fungal or bacterial infection. I have had pet rats develop abscesses before and this seems to be a similar localized infection.

Has anyone had something like this appear on their tiger sally? I have seen similar cases in forums but nothing quite like this. I've attatched a very clear photo of my dude and the thing on his face. Should it be lanced or squeezed and cleaned with a saltwater solution? should it be left alone? Is there a antibiotic or antimicrobial med that will work?

Please limit the thread to answers based on experience, not speculation. Your help is appreciated. Thank you for your concern.

If you want a proper answer, take the salamander to a vet. A physical examination and full evaluation by a vet, possibly with further diagnostics, is by far the best chance of getting a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

 

[ellenc]

One of my barred tigers has these growths . I initally removed them surgically in my lab and examined them. They are a problem with a type of skin gland. There was masses of ingrown or unshed skin trapping gland secretions. They recurred 2 years later and I found that numbing them up with one part "Baby Oragel" (lidocaine teaching gel) and 9 parts antibiotic ointment followed by sqeezing out the material with forceps was more effective and less traumatic than general anesthesia and stitches. I used triple antibiotic ointment until the resulting hole healed. (I talked to our university vet and she thought the treatment I described sounded appropriate)