Tail rot???

[GraphicTortoise]

Hi guys, this is my 8 yr old beardie Mushu who I rescued back in December. He was a neglect case, so he's a little rough around the edges.He got vet checked with a fecal and xrays and it seems like most of his issues can be helped with proper care.

About a month ago (a while after his vet check) I noticed his tail looked odd compared to my other dragon. I thought it might be stuck shed or the start of rot but I honestly don't know. About 2 days ago I started betadine soaks just to be safe since he hasn't gone into shed at all and the tail still looks off, but it's starting to look worse in my opinion and the tip of the tail (the affected area) seems rather mushy and gray. I noticed scales coming off as well. Should I continue the betadine soaks or leave it alone and see what happens?

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi guys, this is my 8 yr old beardie Mushu who I rescued back in December. He was a neglect case, so he's a little rough around the edges.He got vet checked with a fecal and xrays and it seems like most of his issues can be helped with proper care.

About a month ago (a while after his vet check) I noticed his tail looked odd compared to my other dragon. I thought it might be stuck shed or the start of rot but I honestly don't know. About 2 days ago I started betadine soaks just to be safe since he hasn't gone into shed at all and the tail still looks off, but it's starting to look worse in my opinion and the tip of the tail (the affected area) seems rather mushy and gray. I noticed scales coming off as well. Should I continue the betadine soaks or leave it alone and see what happens?


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@AHBD

 

[GraphicTortoise]

Update on Mushu's tail, I've been soaking every other day and using betadine every 4 days. I honestly can't tell if it's getting better or worse. It's definitely not as mushy as before, but still not as firm as the rest of his tail. I haven't seen any scales come off of it for a few days either. I'm going to continue with soaking and betadine.

Here's a few updated pics at different angles.

 

[KarrieRee]

Update on Mushu's tail, I've been soaking every other day and using betadine every 4 days. I honestly can't tell if it's getting better or worse. It's definitely not as mushy as before, but still not as firm as the rest of his tail. I haven't seen any scales come off of it for a few days either. I'm going to continue with soaking and betadine.

Here's a few updated pics at different angles.
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@AHBD
@Drache613

 

[GraphicTortoise]

Unfortunately this ended up being tail rot. I kinda assumed it was and did betadine soaks, but it ended up going necrotic which confirmed my suspicion.

After a vet looked at it he was given terramycin oitment. Only about 1/2 an inch was necrotic (what originally looked off) so amputation wasn't necessary unless it continued to worsen. I applied the oitment daily for about 2 weeks. The rot stopped spreading but unfortunately he lost the necrotic 1/2 inch that was black and dead. Now it's just a matter of keeping the area clean so it can heal.

Mushu is still active and eating so I'm certain he will recover. I just feel so bad for him. Hopefully he can continue to improve now that he's in a better environment than his previous home. It's crazy how past neglect can continue to impact their lives even after months of getting proper care.

 

[xp29]

Keep us posted on his recovery please. At least he is in a good home now.

 

[GraphicTortoise]

Will do! Any time I post on here I try to update so people with similar issues looking for advice or info have a place to go.

Since mushu is older, we're trying to keep him hydrated and not give him anything that's too hard on his body. That's why I haven't given any pain medicine and why we're using oitment instead of any oral meds. I'm honestly glad the rot stopped where it did, at his age I don't think he would have woken up from a surgical amputation. I called the vet earlier today and we are continuing with betadine soaks for 3 days and applying terramycin until it's completely healed.

 

[xp29]

I hope he has a speedy recovery, it sounds like you have educated yourself about what to do and are on top of it.

 

[GraphicTortoise]

Update on Mushu's tail rot.

His tail has completely healed and he just had his first shed since the end fell off.

Attached is a before picture of when the black necrotic end (sorry I didn't get a pic of that!) Fell off leaving behind a wound (the blue spot is acrylic nontoxic paint. I was using the paint mark to make sure the rot wasn't moving up his tail before it fell off), and what it looks like now after his first shed since it has healed. I'm extremely happy that his tail looks nice and healthy again.

 

[Groggyfroggie]

It’s looking good! Mushu looks happy too. I’m glad his tail healed nicely

 

[GraphicTortoise]

Mushu is always grumpy, but he's active, healthy and he eats really good. He just got upgraded to a 2x4 pvc enclosure too! He's not happy about the change yet (why he's a little gray bearded in the photos), but I'm sure he'll learn to love the extra space. I'm just so excited to see his tail look beautiful and healthy again. He still has some issues with stuck shed so I was really nervous for a while. It's definitely a relief to see that shed come off and know that his tail rot is officially gone

 

[Groggyfroggie]

Mushu is always grumpy, but he's active, healthy and he eats really good. He just got upgraded to a 2x4 pvc enclosure too! He's not happy about the change yet (why he's a little gray bearded in the photos), but I'm sure he'll learn to love the extra space. I'm just so excited to see his tail look beautiful and healthy again. He still has some issues with stuck shed so I was really nervous for a while. It's definitely a relief to see that shed come off and know that his tail rot is officially gone

He'll explore and come to like the new tank im sure