Is my tegu about to drop his tail?

[spencerck12]

I've noticed my tegus tail seems to have very shallow cuts between some of the rings of his tail. It's also quite dry around the area, I'm not sure what to make of it because the rest of his body looks fine. I soak him daily and he eats a little bit each day. I've been putting Vetericyn Plus reptile wound and skin care on it but is there something else I should do? Has anyone seen this with their tegus?

 

[Zyn]

No he’s not about to drop his tail that’s the good news. I had a similar issue one year as my Sevy came out of brumation. I hadn’t had it cool enough and she came out with two layers of stuck she’d some how. Anyway this is a shed issue. A few good tail sheds should take care of this. First I’d introduce fish oil into their diet, that may be adding fish to the diet or cracking open actual fish oil pills on their food. I feed Sevy a combination of salmon or sardines every few feedings. Another thing you can do is go to the store and get coco butter not the lotion, the kind used in cooking after a good soak in the bath put a nice layer over their tail. This will hold in moisture in. Soaking is a good start but in a dry environment it actually can have the opposite effect and dry them out as they quickly dry. The coconut oil will work to hold the moisture in and allow the skin to heal. Think of this wound like a construction workers hands. Dry cracked and some times bleeding if not taken care of. I should know I’m an industrial electrician lol hope this helps

 

[Debita]

Totally agree with Zyn - the only thing I'd add, is that the bath water can help to soften the skin, but I agree that there needs to be a coco butter to keep it from drying back out.

I don't know about Vetericyn, but I haven't had any luck with other shed products on the market. Zero results. I've posted about this before, and still feel that fish oil in the diet, fresh fish, especially oily fish will help. I always supplement with actual fish oil soft gels that I've cut open with scissors. Any "balm" that has a little more staying power (greasier) than most moisturizers are probably helpful. I'm trying an all natural product called Puriya Wonder Balm. It boasts anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-septic properties. (Expensive)

Zyn!! My Scottish Grandfather was an industrial engineer - came over here to the U.S. when he was 18, and built his own home in McKeesport Pa. I think he was embarrassed about his accent.... he was a man of few words. I remember his hands. There's an old story about how he would play a prank on the ladies that were washing the clothes in very large "bines". His Mom ran a boarding house with 152 male residents. He would wire up a small charge that would shock the women as they put their hands into the water, and after yelping, would hunt him down, and chase him into the field. He had to be mid-teens at the time.

 

[Mich lady]

I give both my lizards fish oil in their food. My Savannah won't eat unless its in there

 

[Dylan koch]

I have reptile foggers for my enclosures and also put baby oil or coconut oil in the baths helps shed amazingly and keep skin healthy and I give a varied diet of whole prey, mice,quail,chicks, ground turkey, greens, vegetables and fruit mixed with turkey or when I feed salmon once seal I take the juices from fish and soak the stuff they normally would avoid in it and they eat no problem! Hopefully that helps! I live in tucson az so it dry out here so I have to do more than most but only my reds have had shed issue never my blues