Lump on Tegu's back

[Hana]

Hey guys,
My b&w argentinian tegu's name is bane. He is a very tame loving guy, and sometimes likes to break out of his tank and sit by my bed ready for me when i wake up.
he loves affection and loves to bask in his light spot. i take him outside everyday in the summer because its hot enough and we go on walks with his leash. currently we are both just sitting around hanging out outside.

recently ive ran out of cash because i built a 10 ft enclosure for him. im having a hard time maintinaing the humidity so i have to manually spray the tank very often. one of his lights is above his pool so it sets off humidity when i cant be home.

but anyways, becayse of this fact i havent been able to buy him a new uvb light, its about 4 months old. i also ran out of his calcium dust two weeks ago.
im pretty much dead inside but my tegu is actually making me cry because of how worried i am for him. ive recently gotten back to construction (ughhh) just so i can get a few bills and buy him what he needs cuz this guy deserves it.

hes always been really healthy, he is 4 feet tall and nice and plump. a healthy size for sure! he seems happy and nothing has changed, no twitching or anything. (he stretches in the morning after 10 min of basking and once i thought it was a twitch but it really is just a stretch, cuz he spreads all his fingers and toes out perfectly (cute) and lays like the adorable guy he is under the light.
anyways wih that said, two days ago i noticed a small bump on his back, an inch bellow where his arms are . he isnt bothered by it but i am. like a lot. like i swear i thought i didnt have it in me but i cried and still tear when i see it. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH rhgeruaegrliuheg liuegh he is my only friend tbh.

i feel so guilty because my mind is saying it was cuz i didnt feed him properly, not dusting the food with my regular calcium+d3 dust. but part of me is saying its cuz i introduced eggs and frozen chicken in his diet. (for a week he was eating an egg with the shell for the calcium, a chicken breast that had been thawed out in luke warm water, and blueberries and kiwis. sometimes strawberries, but also dates regularly.

im thinking its a Calcium hydroxyapatite deposit.

what do i do. please help. i will exhcange positive vibes, virtual hugs, and anything else just for some advice.
or if youre in mississauga, maybe you can drop by and check the tank out, maybe i didnt build it right?

i bought this guy w my ex and it was easier w him around but its just me and bane now and im doing everything i can. like absolutely everything. im getting calcium dust tonight and a new heat light to maintain the cool side of his tank to a cool that a tegu could enjoy. (so far he only goes to that side to sleep.)

can Calcium hydroxyapatite deposits be reversed? is it mbd or a deficiency in vitamin b?

sadface


ive attached a very recent pic (without little lump) of him being his adventurous self:climbing. he is burowed now so ill get a pic of his back if y'all are interested, tomorrow

 

[dpjm]

Hi Hana

Well, you certainly have a great attitude toward your tegu. That's a great place to start. Here are a few pointers:

1) The lump on his back could be anything, I would not jump to conclusions about what it is. A vet needs to see him for this. Really.

2) Humidity issues - The first step to increasing humidity is to reduce ventilation. I'm assuming that your have a screed top for the enclosure. Cover a lot of it up so the moisture doesn't escape so easily. You can use wood, garbage bags, etc. Actually the best way, if you have the time to maintain it, is to use wet towels on top of the screen, these not only block moisture from escaping but provide moisture themselves, so less misting is necessary. It is a bit more time consuming because you have to soak the towels daily and wash them every so often so bacteria doesn't develop.

3) 4 months old is not that old for a UV light. Unless it's of the worst quality, it should still be providing usable UV after that long. Make sure it is the proper distance from your tegu or it won't be effective (or too effective if it's too close). The proper distance depends on the type of the bulb and the age of the bulb.

4) Chicken egg shell does have a lot of calcium but I wouldn't use it for calcium supplementation. They are dirty. Get some Zoo Med brand calcium supplement, which is not made from oyster shell (contaminated with lead).

5) There is lots of info on this forum regarding what to feed, so have a look through previous threads, there are lots of good ideas. I like that you include some fruits, keep that up and try to introduce more, also try vegetables. Most vegetables are a bit more palatable and digestible for your tegu if they are lightly steamed, things like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and sweet potato. Chicken breast is not really the best bet, it's just meat which has relatively low nutrition besides protein. Go for whole animal prey like rats as the protein items. Raw egg is not great either, it can cause a deficiency in biotin (vitamin B7) and if the eggs are factory farmed then eating them raw is disaster waiting to happen. However, for the short term, I think you said a week, neither of these will cause huge problems, I just wanted to mention that neither should become staples in the diet.

Stay on the forum, there is lots of good help to be had here from many knowledgeable keepers. Post any questions you have and definitely add a photo of the lump on his back.