r/MonitorLizards • u/CampaignMental6783 • 2d ago
Advice/opinions on my monitor’s tail?
Some background info, I got this little black headed monitor a few weeks ago from a pet shop, I’m normally against buying from pet stores but I really felt bad for this lil guy, it got to a point where I was visiting him everyday so eventually I decided to just get him. For the 6 months he had been at that pet shop, he lost 2 toes, a claw/nail, and a couple inches off the end of his tail due to stuck shed I’m assuming, and it was clear that he would loose more the longer he was there.
So I got him, popped him into his enclosure and and made sure humidity was kept consistently at 55% as that’s what I’ve been recommended for their species. He’s also got his main water bowl and also 2 small shallow dishes which I see him drink out of every now and again. I gave him some warm shallow baths too to help and he became all clear of any stuck shed and He had been shedding well with no problems since I got him. Took him to the vets about 2 weeks ago for a full checkup since the pet shop clearly weren’t taking care of him properly. They said he was all good toes and tail were all healed so to just keep an eye out for anymore stuck shed, and then showed me what to do if he got anymore stuck shed.
So fast forward to 5 days ago, I noticed a centimetre on the end of his tail had some shed stuck, it really came out of nowhere, the rest of his tail had finished shedding a couple days prior and the end looked completely fine.
Anyways so we got back into it with daily warm water soaks and gauze to gently rub the shed like the vet showed me. It lowkey did nothing though there was zero progress up until today and it started to look constricted so I decided absolutely not on my watch sir you will not be loosing another speck of your tail, and I got to work for over an hour rubbing with the gauze, he wanted to go climb around my room and I said NO you’re staying right here until this is done, and so he did.
after finally getting the shed off, it was bright red underneath, like the stuck shed took his healthy scales with it? I don’t know how that happened since I was being super gentle and only used cotton gauze, but maybe just the constant rubbing and soaking :/
I feel so so terrible, it looks so sore. He was so good letting me work on his tail and trusting me to do this,, and I failed him😩 I just feel awful my poor baby.
And after all that, im not even sure if I removed all of the stuck shed, who knows perhaps he will still loose that bit of his tail, but I really hope not after what he sat through.
I just wanted some opinions, I’m probably going to take him back to the vet on Monday anyways, but I just wanted to hear what people’s thoughts are or if they can give me any advice or how serious this is? I’m already panicking but I would like to know if I need to panic more please.
If you read all of this Thankyou so very much I appreciate it heaps.
Regards,
- a very guilty-feeling monitor mum
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u/Desert_Heat_ 2d ago
You’re right to just take him to the vet. If I was going to knowingly acquire an animal in this condition, I would have lined up an appointment before bringing it home. V. tristis can handle a higher humidity than 55%. That’s a benchmark for a good minimum rH. I would boost it by 10% for now, give him a good diluted betadine soak, dry him off, massage any areas with stuck shed. Once he is dry, spray some veterycin on the affected areas. After that dries, apply a small amount of organic, food grade coconut oil to the tip of the tail. Repeat this daily until the vet appointment. Hope this helps.
NOTE: this sequence of treatments is something I have done several times in the past with various reptiles. It yielded good results. But I have to specify to the sensitive Reddit culture that I am not a trained veterinarian. Just an experienced reptile keeper.
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u/CampaignMental6783 2d ago
I took him to the vet within a week of getting him I’m not sure if that’s what you meant? It was just the earliest I could book him in and I just wanted to get him out of his awful setup at the pet shop but you are definitely right. The vet removed any remaining shed and gave him a full check over, and said he was all good.
Thankyou for letting me know about the humidity! I was struggling for a while to find much info on it for these specific monitors but that’s good to know I’ll definitely raise it a little then.
I’ve given him a diluted betadine soak and I sanitised his enclosure and decor, I’m super worried about him getting an infection but he’s booked into the vets for tomorrow morning so hopefully it will all be good :)
I’m going to ask the vet about the veterycin tomorrow, I would go and get some now but it’s currently 1am for me😆 I’m hoping my vet sells it otherwise I’m sure the pet shop does.
I did actually see people recommending organic coconut oil for stuck shed, but do you also use it for wounds? Is it for helping them heal or something like that?
Thankyou so so much for your comment I seriously appreciate it I’m trying to learn from people with experience, if you have anymore advice/recommendations in general for black headed monitors please let me know! :)
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u/calamari_rings2827 1d ago
I would stop the daily soaks right now it can make stuck shed worse with monitors they need hydration to make a layer of fluid to separate the old skin from the new and then they need dry places for it to flake off. You don’t want a consistent humidity throughout the whole enclosure but options for the lizard to choose between
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u/CampaignMental6783 1d ago
Ah okay good to know thankyou!! Can I ask purely out of curiosity, how can the soaks make it worse?
Currently I’ve been dipping a couple of his insects in water at feeding time to add in extra water intake but I’m not sure whether it’s affective or not, I do have reptile electrolytes though which I only give him every now and again but in your opinion would you be giving them to him more often while shedding?
The cool side of his enclosure stays consistently humid and he’s also got a humid hide, whereas the hot side is super dry and his hide on that side is just normal, would you recommend any different way of doing things or is that sufficient? I just want to make sure I give him the best so that he can thrive but it’s been challenging to find information specific to these guys and I always seem to see people say different things😩
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u/calamari_rings2827 1d ago
With the soaks being constantly wet can make the shed tighten around them they need moisture to at first make the initial fluid to separate the new skin from the old but after that they also need it dry for it to flake off in pieces.
For hydration gutloading your bugs veggies with good moisture content is the best way carrots are my go to but can also do others variety is important though.
As long as he has choices to go between humid and dry areas that is really good.
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u/CampaignMental6783 1d ago
Ah yes that seems to make sense actually I never thought of it like that. Thankyou so much!!
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u/_THORONGIL_ 2d ago
Looks like inflammation to me. If it was caused by excessive touching of you I dont know. But it isnt balck, so it may be saved if you apply antibiotic cream. Dead tissue normally isnt bright red.
Personally I think you should go to the vet sooner than later. Monday might already be too late with the way it looks.
You had good intentions and you did as a vet asked, so imo you just did what was aksed. Was the vet a reptile specialist atleast? Because here in my area we dont have many of those and sometimes vets that mainly treat mammals give bad advice about reptiles (and birds).
Generally though stuck shed on the tip of the tail is very common and often the cause why many, many lizards have lost the very tip of the tail.