Mangled Beardie Toe! Please help!

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I have recently posted on the beardie ER about this subject. For some reason the website won't allow me to access my old post or the beardie ER so I'm posting here in health instead. My bearded Dragon has had a cut raw blackened toe for the past two weeks. When I got home this afternoon I found that it had fallen off. I applied some honey as recommended and I was wondering if there's anything else I can do to prevent infection. I was also wondering if the wound is a clean-cut and if it'll heal in time. Below I posted some pictures of the recently severed toe I hope you can help and any advice is appreciated. Thanks. I hope my baby's going to be okay...
91559-2269375483.jpg

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Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Putting raw honey on that affected area is all you can do, while waiting for it to heal.
What caused the toe to be injured initially, is your dragon housed alone or with another dragon?
Is his appetite good?
I see the substrate is felt or a material? Maybe until it heals up, to prevent too much dirt & debris from getting on it try using paper towels for awhile, to keep it cleaner.
He will be ok though & the loss of part of his toe wont affect him.

Tracie
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Oh my, poor little hatchling. That toe looks pretty sore.

Manuka honey is pretty good - has antibacterial properties. Continuing soaks in dilute betadiene will help too.

Did you ever work out how the injury happened ?
I noted you have two beardies viewtopic.php?f=1&t=233392&p=1796811#p1796811, if they in the same tank this is your cue to separate them .

My Rex lost the end off one of her longest toes when she was still with the breeder (as happens when there are lots of very hungry little hatchlings housed in a big tub all together), she told me she applied a vet grade antiseptic ointment to it until it healed, was healed when we got her. Rex was fine and it had no effect on her mobility from when we brought her home.
Missing digits and nails seem to very common with bearded dragons.
 

Babybeardie3

Member
Original Poster
He does not live with another dragon but I do have another one who has her toe bitten off. She lost hers when she was still with the breeder as well. As for the one who recently lost his toe he is still actively eating and pooping. I talked to some other members on the forum and they said that it looks like he tried to bite off a retained shed. And yes nobby I do have 2 dragons and the used to live together about 2 months ago but they no longer do. Ridges toe was injured about 2 1/2 weeks ago so it happened after the seperation. I am just a teen trying to take care pf her dragons, but what if all I have now and probably forever is just raw honer and neosporin? My parents don't really like spending money for the beardies except for food and vivs. Other than that I'm on my own and I don't get an allowance. Will my beardie be okay if I just use honey and if I clean the cage today?
 

Babybeardie3

Member
Original Poster
Also the stump where the toe used to be is really swollen and has been before the toe fell off. Is that a bad sign?

91559-9723276020.jpg
This was the injured toe before it fell off
(Notice how the base is extremely swollen)

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This is his healthy toe on his other foot

91559-2269375483.jpg
Now it looks like this
 

Babybeardie3

Member
Original Poster
Okay I am so scared that my beardie is going to die. He's been eating fine...but one of the toes on the mangled foot cane off and now I think the entire foot is going to come off. The foot is swelled up and is black and raw red. Raw honey and Neosporin seem to be making it worse. I am so worried. The foot is not getting any better and my parents don't want to pay for a herp vet visit and I only have $10...please help. Is this some kind of disease?
 
Even with my glasses I can't see the foot very well. Time for another eye appointment~

The only thing I can suggest is to follow earlier advice, and remove the reptile carpet for now.

If you use paper towels instead, you can change them every day, and keep the environment as clean as possible to promote healing.

Is the swelling only in the foot, by the way? Or is it moving up the leg as well?

If it's spreading all over the place that could be a problem.
 

traildrifterphalanx

Sub-Adult Member
If a vet isn't an option I would personally swap to paper towels as mentioned for now and continue just the raw honey. I have no experience with applying neosporin but raw honey should not be causing any swelling, and in fact should help reduce it.

It's possible there is an infection and the raw honey should help with that. I'm unsure of how you're applying it, but I'd be careful not to actually contact the foot. When I applied honey to my dragon's toe I was almost kind of drizzling it on to avoid irritating it further with any rubbing.

I'd really recommend a vet but if that's not an option, raw honey. Please be sure the honey you have been using is in fact raw/untreated. Most commercial honey is heated and this destroys the benefits needed to heal the wound and does nothing more than make him sticky. Raw honey will be very labeled to clearly differ it from heated honey. It will often be labeled as organic and may boast that it contains the honeycomb as well.

If he's still eating and acting fine, he'll likely be fine as long as the wound is properly treated to stop any infection. Red and swollen to me says likely infected or at least very irritated, and the repticarpet may contribute to some irritation due to possible snags or some irritants in the fabric like bacteria.

You're well in the clear currently of any amputation, but that's worst case scenario for now, not death.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
traildrifterphalanx":a326lv3i said:
If a vet isn't an option I would personally swap to paper towels as mentioned for now and continue just the raw honey. I have no experience with applying neosporin but raw honey should not be causing any swelling, and in fact should help reduce it.


<<< I agree , remove the carpet - raid the kitchen pantry and take some sheets of absorbant paper toweling from the roll , line the viv floor with this , and simply replace the soiled sheets AS SOON AS THEY ARE POOED ON - THIS IS IMPORTANT.
The carpet , like hair is very hard to keep germ free, it's a perfect medium for bacteria, viruses and fungi to colonise. (Large effective surface area).


<<< I think you've been advised to use raw honey as an ointment , simply dab this on the inflamed toe and foot with a cotton bud as often as necessary each day, use 1/4 strength betadiene in water soak the infected toe and foot for about 15mins each day , this will help kill any biofilm.

<<< beg , borrow what ever it takes - find the money or way to get him to a vet ASAP. (maybe get a parttime after school job at a burger place, or on the checkouts at a shop if mom and dad refuse to pay for a vet. Maybe start a GoFundMe account linked to FB or what ever social media you use, do odd jobs ( clean the neighbours' cars, weed their gardens, mow their lawns, make lemonade and sell it, bake cookies, cupcakes, berry pies , sell them .... heck if you want to make $100 - $200 it should be dead easy now it's summer there.)

It's possible there is an infection and the raw honey should help with that. I'm unsure of how you're applying it, but I'd be careful not to actually contact the foot. When I applied honey to my dragon's toe I was almost kind of drizzling it on to avoid irritating it further with any rubbing.

I'd really recommend a vet but if that's not an option, raw honey. Please be sure the honey you have been using is in fact raw/untreated. Most commercial honey is heated and this destroys the benefits needed to heal the wound and does nothing more than make him sticky. Raw honey will be very labeled to clearly differ it from heated honey. It will often be labeled as organic and may boast that it contains the honeycomb as well.

If he's still eating and acting fine, he'll likely be fine as long as the wound is properly treated to stop any infection. Red and swollen to me says likely infected or at least very irritated, and the repticarpet may contribute to some irritation due to possible snags or some irritants in the fabric like bacteria.

You're well in the clear currently of any amputation, but that's worst case scenario for now, not death.
 

Babybeardie3

Member
Original Poster
Okay just an FYI the honey didn't really work but I'll keep trying it. I'll start using paper towels again as well. The swelling is starting to creep up his leg. I can't really get a part time job because I'm too young and summer break hasn't started over her yet and we won't be off till the 19th. Thanks for all your help. Any guesses on how much a vet appointment might be? Does he have any chance at allif the infection keeps spreading?
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
I'm not going to pull any punches with you because your bearded dragon is way past that. It's not a disease as you asked, it's his tissue dying due to the bacterial and/or fungal infection. The dead tissue spreading is called Necrosis, and it will continue up his legs, his legs will need amputated, and the infection is going to very quickly spread to his bloodstream and kill him. It's called sepsis, or septic shock, it's a systemic infection.

The only thing that is going to save him is a certified Herp vet immediately, and at this point he needs antibiotic injections, oral and topical antibiotics, and possibly amputation of one or both feet/legs. The longer you wait the worse it gets and the more money it costs.

I'm very sorry, but your beardie is in pain and has been suffering and is going to die a really painful death if you have allowed this to continue to the point that his toes/feet are falling off because they are necrotic. I mean think about that, your foot is so infected that it dies and falls off, and you don't even have any pain meds?

I hate to say this to you, it's not your fault, but this is why people shouldn't have pets if they can't afford to take them to the vet at any moment. Again I'm not blaming you, but if your parents are unwilling to get him to a good, experienced Reptile vet immediately, like right now, the best thing for him is probably putting him to sleep. And I don't say that very often at all, I try everything I can, but he's suffering greatly and that infection is very progressed. You're way past raw honey and Neosporin. Please either get him immediate vet care, surrender him to a reptile rescue so that they can get him vet care immediately, or at least pay to have him euthanized. Both sides of his limbs are falling off, you can't let him go on like that.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
I really feel for you and for your beardie and I do think he's biting it [ or has bittemn it ] due to possibly retained shed. It almost looks like a crease in the " ankle " area , maybe a tight band of skin there ?It is pretty serious so a good vet is your best option, but I don't think that he's necessarily going to die....but he does need medical attention.

Is he still eating as of now and moving around ?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

I understand not wanting to spend money on a pet but sometimes things happen that warrant needing to spend money on emergency medical attention. Try asking your parents again for help.
He deserves medical attention.
Are you bathing him, to see if there is retained shed on the feet which is constricting the circulation? This does happen, if they have skin restricting movement, etc they will oftentimes bite at it trying to remove it. The area will start to itch, or hurt so he is feeling pain right now.
Be sure the honey states that it is raw, unpasteurized to be sure it has the healing properties needed.
Something does need to be done quickly or he is going to have to have a double amputation though because infection will eventually travel upwards.

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 
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