# Is this scale rot? Please help!!



## Merlot (Oct 22, 2018)

***NEW PICS IN LAST POST***

Hey everyone, I got a huge concern with my tegu’s skin, her name is Merlot, and I’m gonna post some pics and maybe you guys can tell me what’s up with her skin? I’m about to change her bedding and make it all fresh. What could cause this? I give her a hot bath every week at least once a week and never had a problem. Could I be making her husbandry too wet? I use a mix of coconut fiber organic soil and sand. She about a year old or less and is about 28”

She had some serious growth spurts. I’ve been feeding her reptilinks with 5 diff types of animals of ground whole prey, quail eggs and blueberries and greens mixed. Premium diet lol. But I ran out for the last
3 weeks and have been traveling and a friend has been feeding her well and I been gettting updates. The only thing that is different is that she’s eating regular good foods and maybe my friend kept the enclosure soaked so much because I kept stressing humidity to him while he took care of her. I don’t know. But my next shipment of links is coming in tomorrow so she can thrive even harder again. But could this be bacteria? Growing too fast to shed? Because that happenes once wher she grew so fast she was walking funny until her skin started flaking and shedding then she was cool. But she isn’t acting any different but her skin doesn’t look the same.


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## Walter1 (Oct 22, 2018)

If pus, maybe infected. H2O2, sunshine and drier conditions will help.


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## Merlot (Oct 22, 2018)

Zero puss. Just dry and sore looking and painful shed, Almsot like skin stretched too fast but probably I’m just Uber paranoid. But it doesn’t look okay. Never had this with any reptile. The bedding has been quite moist. I’m about to change out the entire substrate and leave it fairly dry but a little moist. Do you think a shirt that I put in there with some cologne might affect her? I think the last one I wore for a few days might have had some cologne. I just don’t know what the hell did it.


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## Walter1 (Oct 22, 2018)

No, I don't think the shirt is the problem. A very wet substrate would also result in belly sores. If not infected, apply coconut oil to shed.


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## Merlot (Oct 22, 2018)

Yeah my buddy just told me to go get some
Organic coco oil. I’m gonna change substrate and lather her up and see how it goes. Should I try and leave her lathered up for a day with out the heat lamp on so she doesn’t cook or just overnight while she sleeps

And no belly sores, I’ll double check again but it looked good


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## Walter1 (Oct 22, 2018)

From the looks of it, it seems to be a bad section of shed. If so, basking temp can remain the same. Hide should have moistened sphagnum, and fish oil in the food often


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## Merlot (Oct 22, 2018)

Fish oil from capsules or what type of application?? Thanks so much


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## Walter1 (Oct 22, 2018)

You can put cod liver oil on food or break a fish oil pill in food. Great for easing shed.


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## Merlot (Oct 29, 2018)

About to take my baby to the vet in a few hours? Anyone wanna guess what they are gonna say? I got all new substrate and and disinfectant cleaner to change it all out when we’re done with the hospital


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## Griffin (Oct 29, 2018)

What did the vet say?


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## Merlot (Oct 30, 2018)

They gave me this really expensive work up and they are a really good vet, I didn’t see the normal lady there that’s usually there who owns the practice. I feel like they were very empathetic but didn’t give me a straight answer on at least what there suspicions are, they seemed a little too salesy this time. So I started with a CANV test and fecal sample. They gave me some injectable antiobitoics and going to follow up. Changed substrate and disinfected tank and new furniture inside. We’ll see, she’s still very healthy, so I started with bacteria test and if nothing I’ll do a fungal test cuz that one alone is two hundred. And the blood test is 200$. So I spent about 160$ and we’ll go from there


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## Merlot (Oct 31, 2018)

She’s loving the temporary new digs. I went with more of sand coco husk mix, along with another type of cocohusksoil blend led product that was organic too. She loves the newsubstrate and it’s a nice new blend. Going add a little more probably today or tomorrow. I scrubbed the living hell out of that tank it’s crystal clear. The fake plants I just bought are a little rough so I’ll prob get some new softer ones and lots more. What is up with stores not having any good size logs/branches or anything any more? I went to like 7 places literally and only one guy had nice ones but they were huuuuuuge like for a walk in enclosure. I’m talking some serious branches and stumps. Thought about buying his smallest one and cutting it down but not sure if I wanna go that route. It’s was pretty crazy that no reptile or chain stores had anything for me to dress up the enclosure. Might have to look online. But she’s been super active and after two days of antiobiotics and a nice meal still digesting she seems to be looking better and actaully seems like a closer bond after taking her to the vet, strange but awesome. She comes to me first now even more, like every Time she sees me she wants to get picked up right away when I normally have to to initiate. Comes right up and says, Hello! I’m here!!!!!
Will keep you updated on health progress but seems to be doing great right now


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## Merlot (Nov 2, 2018)

What do you think you guys? I’m freaking out over here. Mixed signals from different people. How do you think this tail looks? It’s fat and she’s a chunker, the discolored/yellowish/brownish scales aren’t kind of coming off and I’m trying to help peel
It little by little. It’s a little light colored underneath or discolored. Could she be growing so fast her skin can’t handle it? She seems great all round except for this skin fiasco. Heyyyeeeellpppp! Whatcha think folks? Sorry I’m a tweeter here but I love this baby so much and never encountered anything like it. And with it looking a little different every day I can’t tell if it’s getting better or worse, bad shed? And anticipation waiting on the vet is killing me. I almost want to run back and get the other tests going. Something keeps telling me she’ll be okay but the little devil on the other shoulder keeps on screaming over here


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## Merlot (Nov 2, 2018)

And the dryness of her skin is killing me. Her head was shiny and slick like I just buffed and waxed her just a short time ago. One of the little large round scales/spots right above her snout looks wierd. It just pains me. I could be over reacting but also not


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## Zyn (Nov 3, 2018)

Just looks like a bad shed


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## Walter1 (Nov 3, 2018)

An especially bad shed.


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## Merlot (Nov 3, 2018)

Hoping that’s all it is. I’m trying to attribute it to something and find some sort of justification. I was thinking because how fast she’s been growing, every time I measure her I can see the growth. I strive real hard to make sure of the husbandry and atmosphere is humid and clean. I was thinking maybe something I put in there like the decor could’ve had something on it. But I feel a little more hopeful with it just being a bad shed. Hoping this stays true. Thanks for the responses. Lol even those short comments help me feel some relief.


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## Zyn (Nov 3, 2018)

Soak her then lather her in cocanut oil it’ll hold in the moisture and give her a large dose of cod liver oil or break some fish oil capsules in her meals till it comes off.

Sev had a bad shed after brumation that was thick and stiff last year, a few days of this and it came right off.

This to me looks like more than one layer of stuck shed pealing apart. Like on the tail the yellow is the to top layer and the whitish cloudy part is the 2nd layer id say at least two layers. The good news is, it can be fixed


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## Merlot (Nov 3, 2018)

I was gonna lather her up right away in coco grease/oil when I started becoming suspicious. I emailed the vet and she said don’t do anything like that yet until we know what it is so it doesn’t potentially lock in bacteria. When lathering in coco oil/grease, should I leave her in the tub for a while and let’s her sit in there without water to let it soak in. Wrap her in a towel and hold her a while? Just put her back in enclosure? (Substrate get stuck all over her?) I’m taking a lunch break now going to the health food store to buy some cod oil and coco grease. Also is it okay to rub on top of her about on the shiny part of her head or just avoid it?

You guys are the best! This is a great forum I came across. And I love the user interface here. No third party hosting site can upload pics direct! Thanks for all your help so far, all your responses are VERY much appreciated


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## Walter1 (Nov 3, 2018)

While you're at iy, pick up sphagnum moss, moisten and set in his hide. It is a darn good antisceptic and will provide moisture to the skin. Use always.

Keep posted.


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## Merlot (Nov 3, 2018)

I actaully did that last week or so when I changed the substrate. I didn’t know it served as an antiseptic of sorts? That’s super cool, I can definitely tell she likes that stuff. I put way too much in the hide and it expanded so she kicked a bunch of it out lol but it’s okah because they soak up the water well and having a little mixed in the substrate is helping with with humidity. Good stuff for sure


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## Merlot (Nov 3, 2018)

Accidentally bought a bottle of cod liver oil with natural orange flavor? She ain’t having it. But seems like she wants too. My wife fed Merlot a ground whole prey ReptiLinks whol I was away at work. I wanted to keep her hungry until I got home so I could dunk her food in it, so she’s not eating another link right now. Sometimes she could eat 2 links, so we’ll see
If she skips a meal or not tomorrow, and I’ll be awake all day to playyyy with her and told the wife the baby needs some personal time lol


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## Walter1 (Nov 3, 2018)

Go back and get regular cod liver oil or crack fish oil pills in the food. Helps a big lot.


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## Merlot (Nov 3, 2018)

Lol after all the staring at the cod liver oil I bought a bottle of 30$ scented stuff. I might just go get a bottle of regular ol fish oil pills to toss in the mix tonight if I can drag the wife to Walmart. Too bad our cable got fixed right away so I don’t have the excuse of a Redbox


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## Merlot (Nov 19, 2018)

So the vet got the test results. Merlot has CANV. CANV is an auto death sentence for bearded dragon and they don’t normally get canv. Beardies do, sister bought my nephew a beardie from petsmart, and after I helped them set up the enclosure and how to properly handle them, my tegu contracted this from in my opinion from the bullshit beardies they sell at petsmart n petco. The vet told me it was most likely from coming into contact with other lizards. She asked specifically if i handled any beardies when the symptoms arrived. I said, shortly before the symptoms arrived I Did. She said it was probably improperly bred and maintained and was a carrier and probably has it too. Has anyone hand CANV in a tegu and had successfully treated it and errradicated it? And could it/would it be contagious for life?. They said if it doesn’t go away she won’t last more than 18 months more at best case scenario. And I couldn’t put her through that.

Would you do?
Try a 200$ medicine compound treatment for 90 Days straight and take the risk of it not working ? And just stick it out wait. And possibly come home to my baby being dead in her cage after we’ve finally tamed her and make her welcome.
Euthanasia?(will break my fucking heart)

I need advice there^^^
And thoughts on treatment and continue on until a potentially devastating day coming home to my tegu no longer breathing. 

She has absolutely no signs of suffering right now, eating GREWT, active, calms down after 5 minutes of handling. Let’s me hold her upside down like a baby when that is not normal for a tegu


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## Merlot (Nov 19, 2018)

Pics for your pleasure


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## Walter1 (Nov 19, 2018)

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile-Health/Disease-Management/CANV-in-Reptiles/

This is a link to an article by Dr. Wright in Reptiles Magazine. Unless things have changed, the prognosis is poor in beating it, and the few lizards that have longterm other problems. Interesting that crowded unsanitary conditions are conducive to this lethal fungus. 

I don't know how long it can remain hidden before expressing itself. 

Well, doesn't sound positive.


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## Merlot (Nov 23, 2018)

So.... I’m sad to report that my baby Merlot, was definitely diagnosed with CANV and would only last 12-18ish months or so with the recommended treatment. Talked to a few reputable breeders and my friend who is a tegu / reptile expert, and I’ve held reptiles for 18 years. Said it’s incuraable and they tegu will eventually die and suffer. Me and my wife chose to euthanize her, she couldn’t have the life she could live fruitfully in spite of how well she seemed to progress trough the extenernal symptoms. She had a good short life of a year, and a great few days leading to her last day here. 


RIP Merlot. Was the worst thing to do. Never expected this before. Turns out my nephew bought a bearded dragon who had CANV cuz he wanted to be like uncle. And through teaching him to handle it, which I thought isn’t look healthy From the start, transferred to my
Tegu prob through my clothing. Because I always wash my hands. And my nephew lost his beardie. Contacted the asswhole breeder who sold my brother in law about knowingly selling an infected reptile to make a few bucks that was fatal to my exotic baby. 


Not to slid cold, but I disinfected my whole house top to bottom, clothing, jackets, carpets,
Everything.... and got my new baby tegu yesterday with an all new and improved enclosure. I still can’t belive this lesson learned. I will post pics and an intro to my male, I went with a beautiful male this time out of choice,was so beautiful and is already so gentle and friendly in just two days. I’ll think of the name soon. Was thinking of Rusty or Vinnie lol but that’s just the start. RIP MERLOT


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## Merlot (Nov 23, 2018)

Yeah I got a bunch and made a 2nd hide box with sphagnum and in his little extra hide log


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## AlphaAlpha (Nov 23, 2018)

Sorry for your loss but it sounds like you did the right thing considering your situation... good luck to the future ....* R.I.P MERLOT*


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## Walter1 (Nov 24, 2018)

You did right by him. 

R.I.P. Merlot


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