New! Please help. Worried about tail!!

[Shaferar3]

Hello, I’m a new here! We’ve had our 4 month old bearded dragon named Claus for a couple of weeks. Since we’ve had him I’ve noticed a little notch at the end of his tail. I didn’t think much of it until I started reading more, assumed it was shedding. Now I’m worried about tail rot or that it’s constricted and dying. What do I do???

 

[xp29]

Just keep an eye on it, it could be a tail nip from a clutch mate, or an injury from a hard shed. As long as there is still blood flow it will be ok, i have had several that had nips and none of them came off. If it starts to look black and dying and become squishy then you would want to have it removed. But as long as the color remains good and it still looks alive it isn't an issue.

 

[Shaferar3]

Just keep an eye on it, it could be a tail nip from a clutch mate, or an injury from a hard shed. As long as there is still blood flow it will be ok, i have had several that had nips and none of them came off. If it starts to look black and dying and become squishy then you would want to have it removed. But as long as the color remains good and it still looks alive it isn't an issue.

Thank you so much for your response!! Is there anything I should do to help? How do I know if there is still blood flow?

 

[KarrieRee]

Thank you so much for your response!! Is there anything I should do to help? How do I know if there is still blood flow?

It may or may not fall off -- if it starts to turn black that would be infection -- get some raw unpasteurized honey on it - thats going to kill the infection - it looks to be a pinch of some sort here is some info on tail rot
Causes of tail rot are:
1. Injuries/trauma - caused by falls, or by any other bearded dragon.
2. Malnourished - make sure he has a balanced diet and he gets the nourishment he needs

How to identify tail rot:

1. Dried out - Decaying tail won't be able to retain moisture, check if it's dried out completely.
2. Very thin, brittle - Decaying tail won't be able to process nourishment, causing it to become more thin and brittle.
What to do after finding out it has a tail rot:
1. Go to a vet - very recommended
For more info, please see the link: Bearded Dragon Tail Rot: What the Dark Tail Mean & Treatment
T Ask yourself these questions:
Was the tail recently injured?
Was a part of the tail open (eg wound/scrape/cut)
Was flesh exposed?
Is the tail constantly dark? or does the darkness ever go away (eg when in the tank, different environments)
If you didn't answer yes to basically all of those questions, it's not tail rot.
Tail rot is extremely rare. It's an infection of the flesh, from a wound or injury to the tail.
Tail rot is really kind of just a fancy name for an infected wound, one of which is affecting the tail.ail Rot

 

[C8lin]

I have the same issue with my bearded dragon it is most likely trauma from hitting it against something

 

[xp29]

That is an EXTREMELY common injury. Most times it won't cause issues. If the flesh isn't dying then it will be ok.

 

[Shaferar3]

That is an EXTREMELY common injury. Most times it won't cause issues. If the flesh isn't dying then it will be ok.

THANK YOU for your hopeful response!! Any advice on handling? He doesn’t appear to be afraid of us. Seems to enjoy us petting him, as he doesn’t run away and will eat out of our palm. He will not let us pick him up and if we are able to scoop him up, he squirms and tries to jump and run away. We make sure that we are approaching him from the front and scooping him up from below supporting his arms/belly/legs. He does allow me to hold him at night when he’s sleepy but would love to be able to hold him during the day! We just want him to be content sitting on us.

 

[xp29]

It just takes time and patience. When he is trying to escape, don't put him right back in, they learn and if you stick him back everytime he is unruly he will learn to be unruly. Instead let him run hand over hand until he settles down, he will eventually get tired and realize it's not getting him anywhere and stop. Do pay attention though babies especially are jumpers, keep him over a bed or couch or something in case he take a leap of faith. They can really get hurt if they hit the floor. Once he calms try setting him in your kap or on your chest. He will eventually come to look forward to being out but it usually takes a few months or work on your part. Don't ever hold him so tightly he fills pinned down or trapped though, it scares them and makes it harder to build trust.

 

[Shaferar3]

It just takes time and patience. When he is trying to escape, don't put him right back in, they learn and if you stick him back everytime he is unruly he will learn to be unruly. Instead let him run hand over hand until he settles down, he will eventually get tired and realize it's not getting him anywhere and stop. Do pay attention though babies especially are jumpers, keep him over a bed or couch or something in case he take a leap of faith. They can really get hurt if they hit the floor. Once he calms try setting him in your kap or on your chest. He will eventually come to look forward to being out but it usually takes a few months or work on your part. Don't ever hold him so tightly he fills pinned down or trapped though, it scares them and makes it harder to build trust.

I took your advice and tried letting him run hand over hand (previously was pinning him) until he calmed and this worked!!! We made a lot of progress today. So exciting! Thank you so much!!

 

[xp29]

I'm glad i could help