Bad scales from digging in sand while prego..

[StaceysBuddy]

So Miss Buddy has been laying eggs already this year and I have noticed it has effected her scales. I did a little research but what I could find was vague and said most the spots are from stress or the sand from digging and would go away next shed.
Last year when she laid eggs I noticed the spots on her and the next shed did help it but her "thumbs" were still rough looking and the tip of her mouth was still raw looking.
Well it just seems every time she lays eggs, it get worse. Not like it spreads but she keeps going crazy during her prego phase.

This is from her last clutch. She has had one more and it has gotten slightly worse. She still lets me handle her feet and toes with no problem, I don't think it's painful. I have the beardie soap but it doesn't help. I can update pictures soon. Her mouth is pretty bad and same with her toe nails.

Any advice? Is this normal or should I soak it longer? Shedding will help?
It's noticeable all the time but it really shows in the bath when she brightens up, it darkens. It almost looks soft to the touch.

I will update pictures of her nails, they are hard to see in photos.

(I already posted this is the Health section. No help. Hopefully breeding will be more helpful. Thanks)

 

[AHBD]

Hi Stacey....you might want to switch to topsoil + vermiculite for her to dig in. My girls have always had sand or a mix of sand/soil + never had loss of scales like that though, so I'm not sure why her little cute arms are losing/damaging scales. Most of mine lose a nail here + there, but nothing you can do about that. But it might be good to switch to something softer just in case. I'm sure she'll be fine, maybe you can put a little antibiotic cream on when she's done with her nest box.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

Well Miss Buddy is gravid again. You said topsoil + vermiculite.... any certain brands? I have no idea. I am going to go to Home Depot and pretty much going to wing it. I might just mix the soil with my sand and feel it out. I am going to bring my boyfriend with me, who I hope it smarter with this type of thing. I will be reading up on it too, I don't want anything poisonous for her or something.

Buddy is shedding her snout area, and one of her legs. The foot looks a lot better now. The spots came off. I just wish everywhere would shed so she would look better. I hope her snout comes out alright.

 

[AHBD]

I saw your other post that she's gravid again, she is keeping you hopping ! As long as she stays healthy she should be fine. I have a girl that has laid for 4- 5 years, the year before last she laid 9 clutches and she is still healthy as a horse. [ Last year she didn't lay any ] I never even used liquid calcium, just fed her plenty of veggies + dusted insects. So you say the spots on Buddy's arm have disappeared ? That's great, so it isn't really a problem using sand. The topsoil you want to get will say that it's just topsoil. It will be on the label if there is added fertilizer which is what you don't want, so get the plain kind and mixing it with sand will make a nice nesting material.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

I went out and bought play sand and topsoil. I mixed it together but I don't know if I got the right topsoil. It smells pretty bad. It said organic and it doesn't have any perlite or pesticides... but it smells. I can't have it in my house. Problem with that is Buddy hates it outside. I put her in it and she black beard and stood still. Then tried to get out. I highly doubt she will lay eggs outside, and I don't want her egg bound.

Do you have a problem with the smell? Did I get the wrong kind, it was the only one that said "Top Soil" without anything added to it..

I might have to go back to just sand. Which will suck just because I spent money on that soil and kinda made it a big deal to get it... turns out I might not need it..? lol

 

[StaceysBuddy]

And yes, she did shed ONE leg and the spots came off. It wasn't the worst leg but it's nice to know they will come off after they decide to shed. I wish she would do a full body shed soon, she's all mis-colored and all from randomly shedding. Her head is bright compared to her back and her belly is dirty and her legs, well, you know. lol

 

[AHBD]

Lol ! No, my topsoil never smelled, I even use it in my fireskinks tank mixed with bed - a beast right in my living room. I guess you will be fine with just sand....I'm sorry you wasted your time + money on the stinky soil...I can't think of why it would smell. :shock:

 

[StaceysBuddy]

I guess one of the ingredients is manure materials... so.. eww.
I'm just going to buy more 'play sand' because the sand I was using wasn't called play sand, it was just sand we had from a sandbox that my niece plays in. The top soil was the only soil I seen that wasn't mixed with something else so I thought I had it right. Whoops. My boyfriend may be mad, I made him carry it, mix it, add water, mix again.. all the hard work.. just for me to say I want only sand again. Ha. I just want what's best for Buddy so hopefully he will understand.

The smell is pretty bad. I'm not sure what we are going to do with it, his parents have a garden but it's already made up and going, maybe they can still use it? lol