Posted by Donna Carrick Londono on August 01, 2000 at 16:59:20:
Four days ago, I noticed a swelling on the left cheek of my 8 yr. old iguana which I initially thought to be an infection. My vet lanced the spot, but found (so far) no evidence of infection, rather the muscle tissue has edema (It is very, very swollen). The area under the eye and the jaw also appear swollen and the iguana is holding her mouth open and appears to be in great pain. Upon examination of the inside of the iguana's mouth, the vet noticed that the tissue is spongy on the affected side, not firm. The vet didn't feel that it was a tumor. Since we live in S. Florida, we seem to think that the iguana may have been bitten by something that triggered such a reaction, but no one really knows what to look for. There don't appear to be any abrasions or puncture marks; however,at the point where the iguana's jaw "hinges" it does appear redder and more irritated than any other place, but that could be due to having kept her mouth open in such a painful position for so long. We are waiting for a lab report, but I am so panicked that we may not have checked out the right options and that time is running out. The iguana is very sluggish and doesn't really eat, not apparently from lack of appetite, but possibly more from the effort/pain of moving the jaw and cheek. Does anyone out there have any ideas or has anyone had a similar situation? And what can I do to make her comfortable while awaiting the vet's report??Something homeopathic that can't do any harm?? Many thanks!!