Help, bad tail shed

[dananae07]

We have managed to get most the shed off, some of it smelled terrible when trying to help him shed..... should I be worried about the discoloration in tail? Seems to use it fine, holds it up, etc. fail idS just darker than it used to be. Again, just got remaining shed off, but tail is still discolored.

 

[TaterTotTheBeardie]

I'm no bearded dragon professional but don't worry about the darkened tail. My beardie has always had a black tail just like yours since she was a baby. She's now about a year and four months and doing well. I'm pretty sure it was from being bitten from her hatchling siblings. It might be tail rot, which I hope it won't affect their life. I hope this might have assured you.

 

[SHBailey]

I agree that color changes are normal before and after shedding, and it looks ok in the photos. I'd be concerned about the smell though -- shedding skin usually doesn't have a bad odor. Are you sure it wasn't him farting or that he hadn't dragged his tail through some poop or something that could have made it smell bad?

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, your beardie looks beautiful + healthy and his tail shedding like that is fine. What did you do to try to help it as you mentioned ? Please, do NOT try to pull the shed off ! Somehow this misinformation is being spread that their tails need assistance during a shed, but if you start peeling or or aggressively scrubbing, you are damaging it. The only time they might need help is if there is a thin band that is restricting a certain area such as the toes or tail tip. But yours is normal, it's not tail rot and I agree that your dragon either had a smudge of poo that you smelled or else passed some gas. Here's a pic of one of my beardies showing uneven shed, it's perfectly normal and doesn't require any help, no extra baths, just a quick spritz of water from a spray bottle once or twice a day in the tank.

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/29897/full

 

[dananae07]

I wrapped his tail in a warm cloth for 5-10 minutes a couple times a day/ there was a band forming around the top of his tail. It had been grayish for over two weeks if I had to guess. Like it was trying to shed but wasn't. I think the smell may have been some moisture that got trapped between old a new skin...... not sure. It smelled far worse than his poo ever has, but it went away when the shed came off.

 

[AHBD]

It always looks like it's bad at the point where the shed ends + the normal scales begin, but it's not an actual problem, just normal shed. Some take more than 2 weeks, especially with older dragons. Usually just a spritz in the tank and sometimes a soak every 2-3 days for 5-10 minutes will help. All beardies will have that look at some point in their sheds at one time or another. Your beardie is fine, if it had been tail rot [ which it wasn't ] then when the skin came off there would be an actual festering wound.

 

[dananae07]

hes been shedding a lot, usually does fine..... Hes only around 5 months old I believe, not sure how old he was when I got him.