ABSCESSES
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ABSCESSES

by
Edward M. Craft

The most common form of illnesses seen in captive reptiles is abscesses, which are a secondary infection from an injury. Abscesses appear as hard lumps on the skin of reptiles and are filled with a hard matter, unlike abscesses in mammals that are filled with syrup like liquid matter. Abscesses are most commonly the result of injuries from prey, cage mates, wood and wire cage furnishings, and as a result of mating in some species.

There are a wide number of underlying causes for abscesses in captive reptiles that should be found and corrected to prevent the problem from occurring again. Abscesses are often mistaken by owners to be tumors or growths, which they closely resemble. For this reason proper diagnosis is essential in the proper treatment of an abscess.

Since gram-negative bacteria is often involved in an abscess in reptiles they must be treated differently than abscesses in mammals. Reptiles lack the necessary enzymes to effectively break down the bacteria that result in the encapsulated mass. As a result of this lack of necessary enzymes, the abscess should be surgically removed to insure that all of the bacteria are removed with it. The abscess should then be treated topically with povidone-iodine solution of 2.5%, silver sulfadiazine 1% or a 2% chlorhexidine solution until the abscess is gone. Failure to have the abscess surgically removed will result in a recurrence of the abscess if all of the bacteria are not removed.

Often times abscess may lead to CARBUNCLES, which are multiple abscesses, connected by small sinuses. Carbunicles complicate treatment and may involve deeper tissues. Treatment remains the same, except that surgical debridement of the tissue may be required and antibiotic therapy with an injectable antibiotic may be needed. In order to be sure that the antibiotic therapy is successful the material with in the carbunicle should be sent to a lab for culture and antibiotic sensitivity to ensure that the proper antibiotic is used.

If left untreated an abscess may lead to a secondary systemic infection that carries with it the potential for severe illness and possible death depending on the organs effected by the secondary infection. Prevention is the best method for dealing with an abscess and involves a few simple preventative steps: 1) Never place any two reptiles of any species together for any reason, other than breeding. This prevents the animals from biting or scratching one another. 2) Never feed live prey animals. This reduces the risk of injury from an animal that will be fighting for its life. 3) Avoid using sharp materials such as wire or unsanded and sealed wood in the construction of the enclosure and in cage furnishings. 4) Keep both the enclosure and water container clean and bacteria free to avoid transmission of bacteria to any possible injury, which may only serve to complicate the injury.

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All rights reserved by Edward M. Craft. Printed in the United States of America. Original Edition 1997