Mysterious Tail Injury :(

[dana51581]

So, seth and I are running into a few seperate... lets call them issues... at the moment concerning our lady geckos. We started with worrying why Karen hasn't laid her egg(s) yet... its been around 2 months... that sound like too long, right? Then there's the 'issue' of whether Pam is actually female... though shes full grown, it still seems hard to tell. she has what look like pre-anal pores, but... what also look like possible eggs... upon arguing that my Pammy could NOT actually be male! I went to her tank and took the her out to find this:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e112/dana51581/tail1.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e112/dana51581/tail2.jpg

So, we'll get to Pam's true sex later, but has anyone seen an injury like this?

[c1rc4]

Did someone bite her tail? Or even a burn from heat?

Check out this

http://www.drgecko.com/tailprobs.htm

You can treat things with neosporin, but if it dies off too much you might have to remove it. Remember they drop parts of their tails in the wild so removing a section might not be bad. I remember I believe it was prism_wolf had to remove part of somethings tail before.

Separation is the best idea.

Oh and egg laying, 3-4 weeks usually for them. 2 Months could be egg-bound or even what looks to be eggs but isn't. Don't forget leos can absorb their eggs if they don't feel they have enough nutrients to lay. Could she have absorbed then had more eggs? Leos can store sperm for an entire season while just mating once.

[prism_wolf]

You can treat things with neosporin, but if it dies off too much you might have to remove it. Remember they drop parts of their tails in the wild so removing a section might not be bad. I remember I believe it was prism_wolf had to remove part of somethings tail before.

Separation is the best idea.


On an iguana...not a leo. I've had no experience with any other animal so it's always best to ask someone who can walk you through the first time. I actually had a vet tell me I should take the iguana home to do the procedure. The best thing in this case would be to get it to a herp vet and ask to be allowed to watch the procedure. In no way do I suggest that then you will be qualified to do this yourself...but then again...the same thing was said for me. When you do rescue...you learn to do a few things yourself...and what needs a vet.

This looks like necrotic tissue to me. The look is the same in all animals (and people). The area gets dry and brittle looking and kind of shrinks in on itself giving it a sunken (or shrunken) look. Some kind of trauma must have happened to damage the end. This doesn't go away by itself if that is what it is. It will continue it's progression until nothing can be done.

[c1rc4]

Yea that was what I was saying. I remember you had done something but figured you had spoken to someone first. Figured I'd point that out that way she could get an idea that it has been done before. I'd take it to SEVS almost and see what he has to say. It doesn't look too great.

[rwagoner]

If you do have to remove the tail it looks like it will require anesthesia and some stitches.

Gecko Tail Amputation Procedure (http://lbah.com/reptile/tail.htm)

[Quig]

That tail looks like it's dying off. I'd take her to the vets just to be sure what is going on with it. As far as her being male or female, could you post a belly shot? someone else may be able to tell from that.

Quig

[dana51581]

yeah, no worries on me tring to remove it! I definitely wouldn't (and couldn't) do that! and I beliueve seth and I decided last night to take her to the vet... :'( I hope she doesn't have to lose her whole tail

[yedida]

good luck!! i hope everything goes well

[c1rc4]

Glad you aren't going about doing things yourself. I was trying to be like it had been done on another lizard (Iguana) and it is possible to be done again on something else. Most likely they can remove just sections as leopard geckos can drop only certain areas of their tail. Let us know how the vet trip turns out, get her sexed while you are there too ;)

[dana51581]

I'm just SO sad that she is going to loose a part (however small it may be) of her tai. shes soooo pretty. She has an appointment for monday at SEAVS.

Plus I'm also so sad that She isn't REALLY a she after all :( But we've resolved this issue... to be continued in a new thread :)

[dana51581]

UPDATE: So I went to the vet and they gave me a pain med and an antibiodic... The Doc had agreed that it might be a bite and also mentioned possible kidney issues... I need to read up on that part more.

But basically, back to raman noodles, cause they want to see her back after a week... to beter evaluate if she.... darn it! I mean HE needs to have the dried part amputated. Hopefully the infection won't travel up the tail... :-\ so we'll have to wait and see...

[lizardboy]

I hate waiting yes I'm inpatient

[c1rc4]

UPDATE: So I went to the vet and they gave me a pain med and an antibiodic... The Doc had agreed that it might be a bite and also mentioned possible kidney issues... I need to read up on that part more.

But basically, back to raman noodles, cause they want to see her back after a week... to beter evaluate if she.... darn it! I mean HE needs to have the dried part amputated. Hopefully the infection won't travel up the tail... :-\ so we'll have to wait and see...


Might want to start ordering whole sale, by the case ;)
http://www.buythecase.net/products/index.php?page_function=search&keyword=ramen&x=0&y=0

I did this with White Cheddar Pringles before they stopped selling them. Bought a thing of 14 for $22. Not bad considering I can't buy them anymore here.

[dana51581]

Might want to start ordering whole sale, by the case ;)

I did this with White Cheddar Pringles before they stopped selling them. Bought a thing of 14 for $22. Not bad considering I can't buy them anymore here.


hahahaha.... I didn't see the pringles part and I thought you meant the antibiotics for the gecko.

good idea, though... about bulk Ramen noodles :D

[c1rc4]

Whats sad is I have a box of the stuff and the Easy Mac back at my parents house from when I lived in my dorm. Never did eat it, rather it just sat on the shelf as it wasn't appealing. I'd rather eat PB&J all day.

[c1rc4]

Noticing any change yet Dana? I hope he gets better and you won't have to remove it. Even if it does, at least it is just the tip and not the whole tail. You won't have to deal with the giant bubble tail that sometimes grows back.

[dana51581]

well nothing yet - He had his two meds last night for the first time, and later this evening, once he's starting to stir for the night - I'll give him dose #2... one smells like rancid lemonade but the other one they said - is strawberry banana flavored... it smells pretty good :)

[c1rc4]

What meds is he on??

[dana51581]

He is on:

Baytril - antibiotic
Meloxican - pain killer


He does NOT like them! The strawberry banana one he wouldn't even like it off his mouth for a bit - it looked like he had on lipstick... I know I shouldn't laugh since he's possibly feeling some discomfort, but it was pretty cute and I'll probably take a picture tonight :)

[c1rc4]

Baytril, yuck. I remember having to give that to a chinchilla. He HATED it so bad. I had to force it in his mouth and avoid being bit at the same time.
Gotta love working at a pet store!

[dana51581]

UPDATE: So, Beesly has dropped the dead part of his tail - plus a little bit more... :-[

I've never seen this before so the second I saw it, I freaked out... I'm not very good with injuries and blood and that sort of thing (not that it was really bloody or anything - This is why my childhood dreams of becoming a veterinarian never worked out

I lifted his hide box and he was lying there, awake, just staring at the wall and the open ends of his tail and the little dropped piece were facing me and I couldn't look at it... Luckily, Seth had just gotten home, so he can take care of it... I dunno why i got upset - but I guess I just relate losing a body part to pain/suffering  (even if they are made to drop it if needed) and I love my little Beesly...

anyways, all is well then, I guess, cause he dropped the bad part and now he can work on healing...  :-\ I think we will have a picture - but I didn't want to post it (cause I don't want to look) in case some people don't want to see - so we can start a new thread titled accordingly so no one is taken by surprise

[yedida]

when my iguana went to the vet she got scared and her tail broke, so my mom and I wrote a little song for her, to the tune of 'I Will Survive'

First I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side
But I saw you lying there on the veterinarian's floor
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on
But you grew back!

[prism_wolf]

APRIL! That is too funny!! I know someone who has redone several songs YEARS ago to be iguana related. THAT is the sign of a real ig nut... ;D