So my bearded dragon has been living on the sand mat dessert terrarium substrate for probably over a year now. He's going to be 3 this year. Yesterday I noticed it appears he has darker looking calluses on his back feet. Also his shorter toe on one side is kind of crusty. I've been reading about rot but his tail is fine. He has not been bitten by anything, but he has been in heat so he's been going crazy and running around. I think maybe he's cause micro abrasions by running so much.i don't think it's retained shed on the bottom of his feet but maybe on his toe it could be. I've replaced the mat with a softer towel for now and I've been bathing him and gently brushing his feet with a tooth brush. I have read a lot of people use betadine in water and then apply Neosporin to the affected area. Is that an appropriate thing to Do? I will take him to the vet if it persists. I will post a picture of his feet once I figure out how. Thanks to anyone who has any input to share
Yeah it sounds like the rough surface has taken a toll. Try something soft for a while like fleece or even a few layers of newspaper or butcher paper to offer some cushion and relief. Unless there are open wounds you probably don't need to actively treat them but if he likes warm baths that's fine to offer (not worth the stress if he doesn't). Can you post some photos of the affected areas? You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them to your thread using the XIMG button when you reply.
I bet the sand mat irritated his feet/heel area. They are nice substrate options but I guess for
some they can cause scale irritation if they are really active.
Pictures would be helpful, definitely.
Ouch, that probably does hurt some. I would get them cleaned up & you can use the Neosporin
ointment on the areas or raw, unpasteurized honey.
He will like the soft fleece blankie or towel on the bottom to keep his feet from getting more raw.
Let us know how he is doing.
Yeah that looks a bit raw but should heal with some softer substrate. I've found that the honey gets really messy when applied to feet so it might be best to apply it overnight while he is sleeping/not moving then wash it off in the morning.
Hi, his feet look slightly better. His toe is still questionable. It doesn't look like there's something around it but at the same time it does. Still bathing him and using Neosporin. Will update again in a few more days
Poor guy, I hope that his little feet get better. Oh you mean it looks like it is getting infected
or is it just discolored? I hope the antibiotic ointment helps out for him.
Let us know how he is doing.
We took reptar to the Vet! They said it was probably just micro abrasions from the rough mat like I thought. They gave us a silver antibiotic cream for his feet and said other than that he looks really healthy! Feet should look normal in a shed or two