Mutilating herself.

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Hi everyone. I feel like I am a bad dragon mom because I constantly have some sort of problem. Anywho, Zym decided today she was going to eat her toes. Two of her toes on her front right hand have been chewed off. I noticed right before having to leave for work and could not doing anything. When I came home, luckily she had not chewed any of the other ones. I looked up how to care for it and cleaned her up, did a medical soak, and wrapped it up. I also cleaned out her tank and washed everything down for her before placing her back in there. I feed her multiple times a day and today I should have known something was off because she refused to eat. It may have been stuck shed that was aggravating her so I will keep a closer eye on that from now on and help if need be, this way she does not have to chew it off again. My question is, will the nails tear her stomach or cause anything else bad to happen. She chewed and swallowed all the way down to her knuckles. I would appreciate if anyone has any insight on this matter and what I should do. Whether it be to monitor her and take her to a vet if she does not get better or just take her as soon as I can. Thank you very much.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Oh no, that is definitely not good at all! So sorry to hear this is happening. There are
several things that could be going on here. Can you review the tank setup that you
have for her, such as UVB lighting, supplementation, etc for us?
One main reason this happens is retained shed, but also a nutritional deficiency &
especially calcium issues. Based on your description, retained shed is most likely the
culprit. For now, you could put some raw, unpasteurized honey on those toes to help
ward off any infections.
If you have a chance try to post a few pictures of her just so we can see how bad the
condition is. Do you have her on a solid substrate or a loose substrate?

Tracie
 

Wolfverliebt

Member
Original Poster
Thank you for replying. I do not know the size of her tank, all I know is that she looks tiny compared to it. My fiancée knows the size. She has a 100watt bulb so that one side is 106 and the other side is 87. She used to be on the sand substrate until I was told on here to switch it. Now she is on paper towels. I have a heating pad under the tank for night due to the fact that it gets below 60 in my room I feed her collard greens and dandelion greens, crickets, and super worms. Occasionally dubia roaches. The live bugs get calcium dusted on them. I will post photos in just a moment of her poor foot.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your girl doing today? Has she chewed on her fingers today?
I hope she is going to stop with that behavior, so she doesn't lose anymore digits!
Can you tell whether or not she has any retained shed on that area, it is hard to determine
from the picture?
Which UVB light are you using, do you have a tube bulb or a mercury vapor bulb?
It sounds like she is getting adequate calcium if she eats everything that is dusted in calcium.
Let us know the type & brand of UVB you are using so we can be sure that is correct for her.

Tracie
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Yes name and brand of UVB please -- and I would ditch the heat mat and get a Ceramic Heat Emitter -- they heat from the top not the tummy--- and your cool side I would try to get down to lower 80's as well ---
Karrie
 

loljelloclowdz

Juvie Member
Wow, that’s disgusting, I had no idea they actually eat themselves. You can probably put a cone around her head, but I don’t think that’s the best solution. Ew, I’m sorry, I just can’t get over how gross the idea of chewing and swallowing your own fingertips — nail and all — would be! ?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Just checking in, seeing how your girl was doing today. Any progress? I hope she isn't
biting her fingers anymore, are they trying to heal up any yet?

Tracie
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
That's a new behaviour to me .

I've checked my references ( on lizard behaviour and health issues ) and none mention this problem.

Are you sure she's chewing them off herself ? there will be blood all over the tank I'd expect .

Is it possible there might be rogue crickets or locusts in the tank ?
... they are capable of damaging already injured toes.

or maybe she's getting the toes caught on something sharp ?
 

Wolfverliebt

Member
Original Poster
Hi everyone. Yes, I actually caught her chewing off her finger before i left for work. Zym is not doing so well. She is refusing to eat and the only way she gets water is if i use a syringe. I am afraid that one day she will pass, I do not know what to do for her. I tried giving her water today but she went limp in my hand. I use a bulb. Not the strip lights.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Please get rid of the "bulb" if its a coil - this could be the issue shes chewing on her toes --- you need a 24" fixture for a 40+ gallon tank
https://www.reptilesupplyco.com/wholesale-reptile-hoods-domes-fixtures/1884-reptisun-terrarium-hood-t5-24-zoo-med.html
this bulb
https://www.reptilesupplyco.com/t5-uvb-bulbs/1878-reptisun-100-uvb-t5-ho-fluorescent-bulb-22-zoo-med.html
The fixture comes w/ a 5.0 bulb - hang on to it -- it is considered a T 8 you can use it but placement and distance would be different
I would recommend getting that changed out immediately
Karrie
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your girl doing this evening?
As suggested, please do try to change out your UVB to one of the mentioned tube bulbs
for a much better UVB exposure for her. Is she still trying to bite her hand & fingers right
now? We need to figure out what exactly is going on, whether it is a calcium issue or some
type of retained shed or skin issue going on.
What foods are you offering her?

Tracie
 

Wolfverliebt

Member
Original Poster
I will grab the tube light this weekend, also, she eats collard greens, romaine hearts, crickets, mealworms, superworms, dubia roaches and on occasion when the stores are out of insects i feed her repashy. She has not tried to eat any other fingers or toes. Although her two fingers are a dark grey now. Is that an infection? Or just discoloration from being chewed off? I have been giving her baths daily and cleaning the fingers two times a day so she always has clean bandages. I finally got her to eat today, she ate a bit of romaine heart. She seems more alert but is still not acting herself. I have been checking her entire body for stuck shed and i have not seen any. As i used to do this every week when she had a tubby.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Great, I am glad to hear you are getting the tube bulb. Which brand are you going to get,
the Reptisun 10 or the Arcadia D3 12%?
Did you increase her calcium a little bit also, in case she is having some calcium issues?
I am happy that she isn't biting her fingers anymore. Though, if they are turning a darker
gray, etc it sounds like they might be infected. She may need to see a vet if the infection is
traveling upwards. Sometimes, the area will dry up & shrivel up then fall off, but not sure if
that is what will happen here or not. You can put antibiotic ointment or raw, unpasteurized
honey on those areas to help with infection.
The frequent baths should help keep the areas clean, too. How is her appetite doing?
Keep us posted on her.

Tracie
 
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