Tail chewing??????????

[XCrunner]

hi my 4 month old beardie has been acting normal and without problem since i got him. i was just sitting at my desk and looked over and saw him biting his tail. thinking it was an accident a waited. he did it again. i looked at his tail and the tip of it is almost chewed off! Could someone inform me of what is happening because i have no clue!

 

[diamc]

Moved from Health to here so it could get more attention

Does he have a retained shed on his tail? Can you post a picture of it? I suggest you read this article and get him to a vet asap. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=104827&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

 

[XCrunner]

none of that sounds good at all. I'll take a picture of his tail and post it bright and early tomorrow. the chewing is on about the last 1/8-1/4 of his tail.. would soaking it in water or olive oil help now or is it to late? Is there anything else i need to do? do you know how expensive vet visits like these are because a college students budget is pretty tight..... thanks for the concern

 

[XCrunner]

i actually just tried to get a picture but its so small you can't really see it. its the very thin tip part of his tail. and there is several bite marks but only one semi deep one that goes about halfway through the tail. like i said before any advice on what i can do right now?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Place him in a bath with two drops of betadine iodine, just enough to make a weak tea. Temp of the bath 90-100*F. let him soak for 10-20 minutes, than remove and blot dry. Wrap the tail in some sterize gauze. I would suggest a visit to the vet, as he may have gotten this infected, and meds would be needed.
You might also want to bring up his temps tomorrow just a degree or two, to help.
Also, place him in a burrito for the night, to help keep him calm and get some good rest.
Hope this helps out,
Janie.

 

[XCrunner]

he's been sleeping for about 3 hours now.... i should give him the bath tomorrow i assume? will he bite off the Gauss used on his tail? if i can even get it on? its only 1/4 inch of the tip of his tiny tail i don't think Gauss will stay on....

 

[diamc]

Soaking it in plain water and then picking up some Betadine from the drug store would be a good idea. You will add enough of that to the bath water so that the color is like weak tea. Make sure to put him in clear water first in case he wants to get a drink. After the Betadine bath is over, blot the area dry and apply Neosporin which is a triple antibiotic. Make sure that you don't have any type of loose substrate in the bottom of his tank. He really should be seen by a vet as it could travel further up the tail. Does it look like the circulation is restricted? Is the end of his tail hard like a stick and darkened in color? If you could try taking a closeup picture on that area it may be helpful. Let us know how things go. It's hard to say how much a vet visit would cost as it depends on what they need to do, xrays, blood work, etc. Please don't wait too long. You could try wrapping it very loosely with gauze but he may end up pulling it off, especially if it puts pressure on the injured area. Denise's beardie couldn't stand having it wrapped up, if you do try that though, please make sure it isn't on very tightly.

 

[XCrunner]

thanks. I'm waking up extra early for that bath, but I'm still unsure if an up close picture can even capture the wound. The question about darkness around the area I'm not sure how to answer... His tail alternates colors of light tan dark brown and the tip section is dark brown. For the circulation I would think that there's enough circulation about half of the tail is still intact. anything i can do that would keep him from chewing on his tail? in the article you showed me, would it be helpful to rub aloe Vera or olive oil on the tip of the tail? The tip is pretty hard i think but its hard to tell because i would figure the end of his tail should normally be pretty hard. on a lighter not i haven't seen any blood.... does that shed any new light on the subject?
I have been on a few trips lately and have only taken care of him for about 1 week in the last 4. when people take care of him for me they usually do not use the calcium dust. could this have any affect?

 

[diamc]

Well, I'm not sure how far up the tail is the area that he has been chewing on that is bleeding so on the opened areas, you need to use the triple antibiotic. Bathing with the Betadine solution needs to be done too. You could try using 100% Aloe Vera gel or olive oil on the very tip of the hardest area but not on the raw parts. The end of the tail shouldn't be very hard, certainly not hard like a stick, if it is, then it may be dead on the end so he may need a partial amputation.

Not using the calcium dust shouldn't have caused this medical issue with his tail. It sounds like he's had a retained shed for a while which has caused the end of his tail to become necrotic so I really do feel that a vet visit is necessary before it travels any further.

 

[XCrunner]

*Sigh* okay you have me convinced i will hopefully be taking him to the vet soon. thanks for all your help. i will try to keep this updated on his status....

 

[diamc]

Yes, please keep us updated. If you could post a picture of the end of his tail, that may be helpful. Please don't wait too long before you get him to the vet.

 

[XCrunner]

after a long night, Dinos lights came on and i went snapping away with the camera.... you have to look closely at the tip of his tail

poor guy.....
any new advice?

 

[beardie parents]

Yes, there is deffinitely something wrong with that tail. I agree, get him to a good herp vet.

Lori

 

[XCrunner]

Dino and I are currently awaiting the vet to return our call with his estimate on the partial tail amputation... poor guy

 

[diamc]

That is definitely not normal and does look necrotic. There are some darkened areas further up the tail too, hope it isn't spreading. Can the vet see him today? His tail looks thin, has he been eating normally?