concerned about swelling in new GUs foot...

[babyyitslove]

He's currently in full body shed, but after looking him over, his front LEFT foot seems to be a bit swollen above the toes.

Anything I can look for that may be causing it?

I haven't gotten him home yet, but we intend on bathing him and working on his stuck shed areas on his tail and toes.

Anyone ever seen swelling like this?

 

[james.w]

Can you post a pic of the other foot as well? Is he missing any toes on that foot?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

He looks like he has had some shedding issues for quite some time and from what you said still has some retained. Retained sheds can cause the area to swell since it affects circulation.

 

[babyyitslove]

Ok. I CAN post pics of both feet for comparison, we're still on the highway and I lost 3g...so ill have to wait until we get closer to a city to do so.
He's not missing toes, but a few nails are barely there if at all. We wanted to let him shed on his own, but the size of the stuck chunks and looks of his cracking feet make us feel a little differently. The old owner DID soak him regularly with oils to help him shed, but I don't see that its helping too much. (He feels oily from his last bath).

So what next?
What can WE do differently to nip this in the butt before it causes more problems for this guy?

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I took one of the tops but it didn't save, and we're on the road again.

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He also has 'jello legs'.... low muscle mass in his hind legs. That can surely be fixed quick, and with either of these problems, his mobility doesn't seem affected. But that doesn't mean it wont be affected in time if I don't take care of these issues.

 

[james.w]

It is more than likely caused by stuck shed. Oil in the bath won't help anything. I would soak him daily for 15-20 minutes, make sure to use a substrate that retains moisture well, make sure humidity stays up in the enclosure, and feed fruits daily. If you were planning on handling him or letting him free roam, I would refrain from doing so other than handling to work on getting stuck shed removed.

Other causes could be a broken bone or the start of MBD. You said he has low muscle mass in the hind legs? Does he lift his back end up when he walks or does he drag it?

 

[babyyitslove]

He walks great! High off the ground and all. His little hammies are just a little deflated and what muscle mass IS there, is not as firm as id like to see it.

We had the same issue with our girl. But a daily stroll in the yard everyday tightened her up.

I have no blame to place on the previous owner, this is why she sold him to me. She couldn't take care of him anymore.

 

[babyyitslove]

We're finally home! We let him go right to sleep. We'll start with the soaks in the morning =0)

Would giving him a nice massaging rub down while soaking help loosen the skin? I just want to find the fastest and safest way to get him through this shed so he can be as healthy as possible, leaving no rocks unturned.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

I don't know if they had CLO, liver and fruit in his diet or not but I would get some in him asap.

 

[babyyitslove]

Fruit for sure.. the others, she never mentioned. Ill have to really make sure this boy eats! He's slightly thinner than what I'm comfortable with, so we're hoping to put a significant amount of weight on him before hibernation.

 

[james.w]

Not bashing you, but I don't understand why people pay for unhealthy animals. You spent $200 Plus the gas and your time for travelling to get him. Taking him in/rescuing him is fine, but paying doesn't make sense to me. Just curious.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

For me it depends on their situation, but more so the animals issues and what they're asking for it.
With Natsukis previous owner her situation on top of the fact that she could no longer afford to feed him properly made it so that the best thing for her was to re home him. She wanted just over 300 for him but after talking for a while she was willing to give him to me but left it up to me to decide.

I gave her 180,... about the same price for a hatchling but still just over half of what she was asking for. Yes he was emaciated but nothing he couldn't recover from. Some times you do things not only for the animal but to help out the owner as well.

Which reminds me,.. I need to send her an update.

 

[babyyitslove]

Pretty much the same as Bubblz.

I was helping her raise the funds for her to get back to San Francisco to be with her family again. She asked $300 for him.... she even got less than $200 by the end of the day, as we had taken her to lunch and let her spend the day with us scoping out pet stores.

The travel that way is never a burden when the trip hasn't been made in a while. We lived in Phoenix a little over three years ago, and still have LOTS of friends and favorite places to go.

Had Puff been half dead, I would've requested a surrender due to having to pay vet bills to keep him alive.
I was properly informed of every little issue that Puff had, atleast a month prior to obtaining him.
We're confident that we can get him back to 100%.
She had him for 4 years. His condition looks nothing like 4 years of poor husbandry or neglect. It merely shows at which point she lost the time to continue her dedication.

 

[james.w]

That is understandable. I would just rather not take on someone else's problem.

 

[babyyitslove]

I hate to see people fall on hard times, and then the tegu suffers. He's such a doll and so sweet, that it'd just be such a waste to let him wither away or be sold to someone who wants him as a novelty, not a family member.

 

[babyyitslove]

After a few soaks and examining what shed HAS come off, it looks as though His last few sheds never actually SHED. The skin is thick and opaque. ....whereas our big girl is shedding today and her shed skin is translucent and thin.

We're going to continue the soaks and focus on the toes and feet to start.

I can only attribute this to her refrigerated air system in her home, providing zero humidity as he had no 'enclosure' but only a room to free roam in.

We'll get him there.... in time.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Not surprising,.. he kind of looks really dry, even for a Red about to shed. He looks more like a snake in Blue. But he'll feel and look much better once it comes off

 

[reptastic]

Other than the shedding issues which can be reversed, he is a gourgeou tegu, he dosnt look neglected

 

[babyyitslove]

Her husbandry was spot on until she moved to Arizona 6 months ago. He's a sweet boy, and easier to pick up and move around than our big female.

I'm hoping to get him on track soon so I can tell if a vet visit is in need for his foot.