An iguana that I acquired through a rescue has been having some problems. It seems that there was a retained shed on the base of its tail and that it has caused dry gangrene that is spreading upwards through the tail. this is potentially deadly to him and an amputation is necessary. I am not entirely unfamiliar with vet medicine ( i volunteered for a summer at a reptile vet) but I need to know where the natural breaking point is on the tail so that I can be sure that the tail will grow back naturally and healthy. How can I find this point? thank you.
Vet question
- Thread starter snakeguy101
- Start date
Take him to a vet. They will know this info and will be able to do it the right way and avoid infections. The dry gangrene will kill him but a bad amputation will still kill him.
As far as a breaking point how far up the tail is it? If its in the lower third of the tail I don't see the tail having any issues with growing back. Also how old is the iguana. Some times they won't regrow a tail anyways. And it is never as long and nice as the original one.
As far as a breaking point how far up the tail is it? If its in the lower third of the tail I don't see the tail having any issues with growing back. Also how old is the iguana. Some times they won't regrow a tail anyways. And it is never as long and nice as the original one.
It is the lower third of the tail and i am looking to chop off about half way to make sure that i get everything. I did look into the cost of a vet but they estimated it to be between $500-700 depending on the complications and I have performed amputations before and I do have access to a local anesthetic. the iguana is about 3 feet long.
I think more bad than good can come out of this, are you certain the infection is moving upwards? Usually reptiles can get over the hump by cutting off blood flow to the highly infected area, causing the wounded limb to fall off.
Have you asked the Vet that you worked for,maybe he will cut you a deal or you could do some work for him. Go to www.herpcenter.com you might get more info.
I just read your post again and you said "base" of the tail ,to me that means at the hind legs . If the shed ring is that high up and close to the body don't forget about the sex organs if you have a male, as they are located on the underside of the tail. I would not try it without general anes. claws ,teeth and tail are a lot to hold onto with a thrashing ig. Also how do you plan on controlling infection afterward, the stress of one problem can lead to other problems like mouth rot. Been there, deal with it, used a vet, you should too, good luck.
I just read your post again and you said "base" of the tail ,to me that means at the hind legs . If the shed ring is that high up and close to the body don't forget about the sex organs if you have a male, as they are located on the underside of the tail. I would not try it without general anes. claws ,teeth and tail are a lot to hold onto with a thrashing ig. Also how do you plan on controlling infection afterward, the stress of one problem can lead to other problems like mouth rot. Been there, deal with it, used a vet, you should too, good luck.
This should deff be handled by a vet. The risk of infectio and other complications is to great. Talk to the vet you worked with maybe they can cut you a deal or work out payment plans.
Or just stick his tail in a door and slam it and hope for the best. J/k
Or just stick his tail in a door and slam it and hope for the best. J/k
Mike D;3734244; said:
actually not a bad idea. just not as brutal of course. I have been doing a lot of research and i found out that icing the tail and snapping it is the best way to go since it will not leave bone fragments and it will automatically break at a natural point. after that, I will wrap the tail in neosporin and wash it out daily with betadine. should not be a problem, tails break in the wild so i think that in a controlled setting, it will be a breeze.
I still would have a qualified vet do it. You could end up making it a lot worse. But it is up to you. Keep us updated