Tail dying or shedding??

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My new beardie recently met my cat and she scratched his tail a week ago. I have noticed slight dimpling near the scratch (red arrow in picture) and the tail is a bit darker and more dull looking from the scratch down to the tip. It looked like it was healing nicely and I put triple antibiotic ointment on it. I'm just wondering if his tail could be starting to die/fall off or if hes starting to shed now? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, the tail looks completely fine, no sign of infection or anything. Just be sure to keep your cat away, one bite to the head is all it takes to maim badly or kill your lizard.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Make sure to keep it clean using an antiseptic and then put the Antibiotic on the wound, and do this every day until the wound/scratch is completely gone. If you notice any blackness develop around the area of the wound, then post another photo of it, as that is the first indication that you have a problem.

FYI ABOUT CATS AND DRAGONS: AHBD said it very directly, "Keep the cat away from the Dragon from now on", which you must do. I'm not as nice or as friendly as him (lol, no big secret there :D ), and I will honestly tell you that cats are one of the most common causes of early Bearded Dragon deaths. Honestly, your Dragon's tank should be kept only in a room that is TOTALLY off limits to the cat and the door must always be latched. If you scroll through the Beardie ER you'll see post after post after post of cats lifting the lids off of the Dragon's tank, getting the Dragon out of the tank and torturing them for hours, knocking the entire tank over and then getting a hold of the Dragon, and just cats who were allowed by their owners to sit near the Dragon, with the owner totally supervising them both, when suddenly the cat quickly bites down on the Dragon's skull, and that's it.

****The other thing that most Beardie owners don't know is that ALL CATS contain an enzyme in their saliva that is fatal to Reptiles, so if your cat bites your Dragon, even if it's not a bad bite, if the bite breaks the skin and their saliva gets into the wound, the Dragon can die. Also, since cats are constantly licking their paws, if your cat has just licked his paws and then he scratches your Dragon and the saliva gets into the open wound, this can also kill your Dragon if the wound is not cleaned-out soon enough. So this makes keeping your Dragon totally isolated from your cat all the more crucial.
 

TinkusMajinkus

Member
Original Poster
Okay I will keep cleaning it and putting the antibiotic on it! Soon after that happened, we sanctioned his house off from the kitties. He’s in a safe place now. Those dang cats can’t be trusted lol. Thanks again for all your help you guys! I really do appreciate it! :D
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
You got that right, no cat/kitten can be trusted at all in this respect, in all seriousness. It's not their fault, they are natural hunters, it's innate and they will never stop hunting.
 

TinkusMajinkus

Member
Original Poster
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So the scratch on his tail is almost completely gone but now his tail is doing this. It looks pinchy like maybe he has scales that need to shed? I'm not sure what I should next. :?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Well, it does look like there is shed that needs to come off but also it may be starting to
become necrotic, it's hard to tell. Continue to put ointment on it, or get some raw,
unpasteurized or manuka honey to put on the area.
I think it would be a good idea to take him in to see a reptile vet to be sure it isn't infected.
Once an area on the tail gets infected, it travels upward if it isn't contained. That is a good
amount of tail, so I hope he doesn't lose half of his tail.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
 

TinkusMajinkus

Member
Original Poster
We went to the vet today and she said that he’s going to lose his tail. :( She said it should fall off by itself and she gave us oral antibiotics, an anti inflammitory and a topical cream for it. If it starts to look worse then we’re to take him back in right away and they will amputate. But he should make a full recovery! :)
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Oh wow, that took a terrible turn for the worse , there was not even a hint of that at first. I would get that amputated ASAP, it is infected and creeping up the tail. If it goes much further it can kill your dragon in days. I would insist on amputation.
 
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