Juvenile Leopard Gecko Shedding problem?

[MyLeoPaul]

Alright guys I have a question for you. So I have this "Fancy"(turns out to be an albino i think) Leopard Gecko I bought from PetSmart about 2 months ago. Now I myself besides this Leo have 5 others and have never had this occur with any of them. So I am not so much new as I am curious because i have never seen this. But anyway he seems to be a very lazy shedder and often it is very hard to tell when he sheds because his skin is so fare and thin it almost seems. He doesn't get ghostly like all my other guys. So as i was handling him the other day I saw that the end of his tail was kind of how might i say "singed" or like almost burnt at the end from the dry skin i am assuming from him being unable to get it off. I did give him a warm bath to help out his tail but i don't know if it has done anything. Just let me know what you guys think because i haven't ran into this problem yet. Thank you everyone. I appreciate the help.:big grin:

Another thing, just to make your replies easier for you, his terrarium has repticarpet which i clean every week and i clean his droppings out every day. He has a moist hide that is sprayed every other day and his temperature is at about 90 during the day on the hot side on and about 78 during the night. He also has an underneath heating pad. Has three hides, one on the hot side, his humid hide(loves his humid hide) is on the cold side and his other hide is somewhat in the middle. He is in a 10gallon terrarium. Thank you again.

 

[marieandchrisx4]

have you got a picture, from my experiance from a rescue i got it sound simular to tail rot and will need to be seen to asap. but if can get a pic ill have a look.

 

[MyLeoPaul]

Yeah let me see if i can get a picture. I was having problems earlier with being able to load a Jpeg file from my macbook so I am not sure if it will load but i will go try now.

 

[marieandchrisx4]

have you tryed photobucket?

 

[MyLeoPaul]

Pictures for you guys

Here are some pictures for you to see.

 

[NicKtheGreeK1997]

Have you seen any blood on the substrate? I'm not an expert but I think it may be an injury. The gecko would try get rid off the stuck shed by biting the tail. If that's the problem, put olive oil to help it remove the skin and let it heal. But I may be wrong.

 

[marieandchrisx4]

am affraid that look like the start of tail rot heres a pic of the rescue i took on . because the guy got champ and failed to take him the vets x

this was the day i got him.

and this is when he went to the vets to have it cut off. bare in mind he died a couple weeks after because he had rot and other problems that were left .

 

[MyLeoPaul]

No I haven't, I can't imagine what would injure him, he eats all his crickets every night and does a great job when feeding. So i do not think the crickets have been chomping at the bit.

 

[marieandchrisx4]

i would recomend getting him to the vets as it can spred up the tail quite quick and it eats away and the tail has holes in it , if not to bad as yours seems just the start they may just give antibiotics and some iodine, but i think they will cut it off

 

[NicKtheGreeK1997]

Yeah an idea is to make it drop its tail, but it could stress the animal (however it happens many times). The decision is yours.

 

[MyLeoPaul]

Mine seems bad? He seems pretty unaffected by it and he has no problem eating or doing any of his regular things. How fast does this spread do you happen know?

 

[marieandchrisx4]

do Not drop the lizards tail , why nick has said that is beyond me. the vet will cut the rot off and give antibiotics and iodine, but as said my rescue was badly neglected nothing i me and the vet tryed to help him because he had skin fungus and tail rot he still died. Juts shows how quick something left and does not recive vet treatment an animal can die.

 

[marieandchrisx4]

it can spred quite quick the guy i got him off said a couple of weeks and thats what his tail looked like when i got him, the rot will get into the blood stream and kill your leo if not treated asap. sadly champ had had it for 2 weeks and died because it had hit his blood stream.

 

[NicKtheGreeK1997]

Why shouldn't he make the gecko drop the tail? It's a natural instict and it will regrow, it's not something unusual with captive animals. I've seen many breeders using this technique to deal with tail rots. Anyway, you always can go to a vet!

 

[MyLeoPaul]

I don't think it would be a good idea to make him drop his tail lol but i appreciate the idea. And they will only cut off the tip correct?

 

[NicKtheGreeK1997]

They cut the tail from the base and it regrows without issue, but the safest thing to do is to visit a vet. You are not breeders to do such things :lol:!

 

[marieandchrisx4]

please do not attempt to drop a leos tail. that can couse more harm than good. Yes they will only cut the rot off, as seen in the pic now bare in mind champs was very bad it had holes in the tail because it had eaten all the way through . Nick i think your way of making a leo drop there tail is a cheap way of getting out of paying vets and is sick.

 

[marieandchrisx4]

no and thats cruel nick. to me its neglect and a leo should not need to drop there tail for any reason, and in the wild they only drop there tail because preditors think its live so the leo will drop there tail and run yet the tail still wiggles so the preditor has only the tail and not the full gecko for food

 

[MyLeoPaul]

Thanks

Yeah, i do not mean to offend nick by any means but i would never do that. I am actually running him to the herp vet in about a half hour, so thank you for all of your help I really appreciate it. And yeah I think i caught it at the right time, it has only been on his tail for 2 days so hopefully he can be saved and i can monitor his shedding a little better. His skin makes it hard as heck to spot it.

 

[MyLeoPaul]

I will post pictures when i get home if he is not to stressed out. MOst likely he will be so be expecting an update tomorrow for everyone who was helping me. Thanks!