Bad shed, leading to bruised tail

[Andi]

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thanks Elizabeth. I hope she enjoys it as well. She was so tired that she slept for 12 hours. She eventually got up, went to the bathroom, and drank more water than I've ever seen her drink in my life. She's still covered in shed, as I didn't want to soak her in the state that she was, but this morning she looked very alert, so maybe I can do that tonight.

[Andi]

I really appreciate your updates, Andi!

I hope your leo is resting comfortably and that her OMEM hide helps her heal.

So she seems to be avoiding her OMEM hide. I personally think it's a temperature issue. The OMEM hide sits right next to her dry/warm hide. It's directly on top of the UTH, and directly underneath my CHE. When I temp gun the top of the dry/warm hide, it's 80-84 degrees, but when I temp gun the top and sides of the OMEM hide it's Low 70's.

Last night I even resorted to putting 90+ degree water in the reservoir, but this morning the hide was low 70s again....ground temps are spot on, but I think the ambient temps in the hide are too low. Condensation would actually build on the walls of my old homemade moist hide, and this hide is in the exact same spot. I'm going to try to use less water...also curious to know if you use tap water in the reservoir or some sort of filtered / treated water?

[Elizabeth Freer]

So she seems to be avoiding her OMEM hide. I personally think it's a temperature issue. The OMEM hide sits right next to her dry/warm hide. It's directly on top of the UTH, and directly underneath my CHE. When I temp gun the top of the dry/warm hide, it's 80-84 degrees, but when I temp gun the top and sides of the OMEM hide it's Low 70's.

Last night I even resorted to putting 90+ degree water in the reservoir, but this morning the hide was low 70s again....ground temps are spot on, but I think the ambient temps in the hide are too low. Condensation would actually build on the walls of my old homemade moist hide, and this hide is in the exact same spot. I'm going to try to use less water...also curious to know if you use tap water in the reservoir or some sort of filtered / treated water?

I use tap water in the OMEM's reservoir and for all my geckos' needs.

What are your GROUND temps on the floor of both hides? The under hide ground temps are the key temps.

I heat my leo's 20 long (30 x 12 x 12 inches high) enclosure with a 150 watt All Living Things CHE from PetSmart. The thermostat turns the CHE off at night. I began using this very CHE on 5 March 2015. It's connected to a Hydrofarm Digital Jump Start thermostat with the peak temperature set for 91"F.

I sorta gave up on my temp gun even though it's a good one, because of temp variability. I place 2 probes on the ceramic tile floor of my leo's warm dry hide (thermostat's probe & separate digital thermometer's probe).

My leo's large OMEM hide literally sits right next to her warm dry hide. My leo uses her OMEM hide frequently. Her 150 watt CHE completely covers both hides. My Oedura castelnaui frequently hugs the outside of his medium OMEM hide, sandwiching himself between that hide and the enclosure's glass.

I do have slate, but I've not added it yet.


EDITED:
I used a small Phillip's screwdriver to make a probe-sized hole in the top of a rectangular upside down baby food container to hold the digital thermometer's probe. That way this probe measures ambient temp inside the OMEM hide.

[Andi]

I use tap water in the OMEM's reservoir and for all my geckos' needs.

What are your GROUND temps on the floor of both hides? The under hide ground temps are the key temps.
.

The Hot/Dry hide has ground temps that range from 86-92
the OMEM moist hide has ground temps that range from 82-87

They both sit under a 100W CHE.

at first I thought the water I was using was too cold, or I was using too much water, so that's why I warmed it up before hand...but that doesn't seem to do the trick. I could go out and get a stronger CHE but it really seems like the ambient temps are pretty dialed in.

[Elizabeth Freer]

The Hot/Dry hide has ground temps that range from 86-92
the OMEM moist hide has ground temps that range from 82-87

They both sit under a 100W CHE.

at first I thought the water I was using was too cold, or I was using too much water, so that's why I warmed it up before hand...but that doesn't seem to do the trick. I could go out and get a stronger CHE but it really seems like the ambient temps are pretty dialed in.

Both your ground temps seem adequate.

Has your leo ventured inside the OMEM hide yet?

This terra cotta OMEM hide may work like Hydroton clay culture balls that are often used as a substrate when conditions are excessively dry.

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(click to enlarge)

Based upon your earlier feedback today I'm troubleshooting my large OMEM hide's humidity levels. I'm setting up a plastic baby food container upside down with a probe-sized hole for my digital hygrometer/thermometer combo to monitor ambient humidity near the top of that hide right underneath the basin. Results won't be in for several days.

That OMEM hide was definitely a game changer for my Northern Velvet gecko. He stopped continuous tail biting on his healing tail once I provided him with a medium OMEM hide. Even to this day his preferred night time spot is between that hide and the glass. He does have a dry hide right next to his OMEM hide, if he wishes.

[Andi]

Both your ground temps seem adequate.

Has your leo ventured inside the OMEM hide yet?

the first day when she came back from the vet I put her in there and she slept in there the entire day (she was exhausted)...but since she's been in her warm/dry hide. Last night when I checked on her I actually placed her right outside the OMEM hide, and she did go in and stayed there for almost an hour.

Temps aside, I'm wondering if it's just a new hide with new smells and it's just taking a little time to get acclimated.

[Elizabeth Freer]

the first day when she came back from the vet I put her in there and she slept in there the entire day (she was exhausted)...but since she's been in her warm/dry hide. Last night when I checked on her I actually placed her right outside the OMEM hide, and she did go in and stayed there for almost an hour.

Temps aside, I'm wondering if it's just a new hide with new smells and it's just taking a little time to get acclimated.

Thanks for your feedback, Andi. I, too, was wondering whether she needed to get acclimated to her new hide with its new smells.

Have you noticed ANY tail biting?

[Andi]

Thanks for your feedback, Andi. I, too, was wondering whether she needed to get acclimated to her new hide with its new smells.

Have you noticed ANY tail biting?

I have not noticed any tail biting! That being said, the vet had to practically take the entire tail off...so I don't think she could bite the stub even if she wanted to. I had to soak her 3 nights in a row to get all the stuck shed off her, but there is a little bit right on the base of her tale stub that seems like it just doesn't want to come off (which is why I want her to use the OMEM hide more).

After I got all the stuck shed off her head, she has actually eaten 2x. So I'm really hoping that once the tail grows back, everything will be okay.

[Elizabeth Freer]

I have not noticed any tail biting! That being said, the vet had to practically take the entire tail off...so I don't think she could bite the stub even if she wanted to. I had to soak her 3 nights in a row to get all the stuck shed off her, but there is a little bit right on the base of her tale stub that seems like it just doesn't want to come off (which is why I want her to use the OMEM hide more).

After I got all the stuck shed off her head, she has actually eaten 2x. So I'm really hoping that once the tail grows back, everything will be okay.

Are you applying any antibiotic cream to her healing tail stub?

[Andi]

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Are you applying any antibiotic cream to her healing tail stub?

The vet specifically asked me not to.