Whats wrong with garys face???!

[reptastic]

I was thinkin maybe he got stung by something since it came and dissappeared so fast

 

[Rhetoric]

I don't know what it would have been by. We haven't had any bees near our house so far. I've seen some spiders but thats about it. Maybe he ate one and got bit or something?

 

[herpgirl2510]

I am glad to hear he is better.

 

[Big Dave]

I was bit by a spider once and my whole face swelled up like a balloon. If I had walked up to my mother she would have not been able to recognize me. just a guess, glad he is better

 

[Rhetoric]

Thanks everyone, I'm still keeping a close eye on him. He looks scary in that picture! Does anyone think he should still go to the vet just in case or can I wait?

 

[slughunter]

yeah, MBD deformities are caused when the bone can't calcify itself, so the body starts building cartiledge around weak areas. It doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't go away. Since it was tender and hard it sounds like inflammation, and like other people said he might've gotten something lodged in his gums. The swelling could have rolled over it, but infections don't disappear that quickly. I don't know, I'm not a vet, but it seems like he may have just smacked his jaw against something really hard. When you feed him rats, does he whip them side to side like he's trying to kill them?

 

[Rhetoric]

He is notorious for death shakes, I feed him in a separate tub but there have been a few times where hes whacked his head on the side of the tub. The rats are fairly small, they're ASFs so I'd guess maybe the equivalent of a small/medium rats. Fish fillets, chicken, livers, he makes sure all of it is dead.
I know that eggs can effect the absorption of calcium, I only feed eggs 1-2 times a month. I'd like to think I'm giving them a healthy diet.
The mulch I'm using is super fine, its supposed to be better for splinters and things like that but there are some chunks here and there. But its always possible. I'm not ruling anything out.
Again, he seems fine, he was out for a few today and its like this never happened. I was sooo worried when I woke up and saw that. I think as long as there aren't any more issues I'll hold off on the vet for the time being. I'm hoping to get all 3 of them in to see the vet before hibernation for a fecal.

 

[Rhetoric]

Here he was a few hours ago, its kind of hard to see but it looks nothing like it did yesterday.
I'm not sure why that piece of chicken looks so massive but it really isn't as big as it looks lol.
Theres also a body shot of him, I don't think hes overweight or anything.

 

[new2tegus]

He's fine rhet, I'm guessing here, but something identical happened to my iguana. So I'd say just take him in to make sure and have the vet look him over. Guessing in a shake he may have nipped his gums, developed a minor infection causing it to swell some and deform. My vet had to lance my iguanas cheek clean out the dry puss and pack it, then I had to give him antibiotic shots in the large muscle of his hind legs.

 

[Rhetoric]

Hmm I went in there this afternoon and noticed his lip doing the same thing while he was sleeping. He heard me open the enclosure and it went back to normal when he moved his head. Maybe its just his face? It's weird...
Either way, I'm going to hang onto him until I can figure it out.

 

[got10]

looks like a stroke

 

[Rhetoric]

I thought the same thing the first time I saw it. He's fine moving around, the only times I have seen it are when hes laying down or asleep. Maybe his face just relaxes funny? My other tegus don't do it..