# red tegu looseing nails! help!



## F69erFred (Dec 13, 2009)

Is that a good thing or bad thing. How can I get her to stop looseing them. I was playing with her in my bathroom and she was jumping around and then I saw her nail hanging off and blood. What should I do!?


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## mr.tegu (Dec 13, 2009)

I have never heard of an animal just droping its toe nails.. thats some crazy stuff. Are they just falling off or getting pulled off?... and ahhh yes this is a bad thing, this is a real bad thing goerge. (of mice and men movie,hahaha)


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## txrepgirl (Dec 13, 2009)

Yes, it's a bad thing. The wound can get infected if it gets dirty. Do you have anything in your bathroom that your Tegu can get his nails stuck on like a rug or towel ? or your Tegu could off maybe jumped up and landed the wrong way and broke it off. Her is some info for you to check out. Hope that helps. Please keep us posted on how she is doing. While the wound is open like this I recommend to take the mulch out of the enclosure and clean it the enclosure so no dirt can get on the wound.

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## cornking4 (Dec 13, 2009)

You mentioned earlier that your tegu was shedding for the first time in quite a while so this is probably the result of the skin sloughing off in dry clumps and taking the toenails with it. Follow the link previously posted (it's written by Melissa Kaplan, she writes the best online articles) and get her to the vet asap. You'll need to soak her frequently because bad sheds can lead to lost toes pretty fast. 

keep us updated


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## F69erFred (Dec 13, 2009)

What does it mean when they loose there toe nails?


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## cornking4 (Dec 13, 2009)

It means that she's having shedding issues and her toenails and/or toes are coming off with the shed skins. It's a serious health problem that should be corrected by increasing humidity and soaking her more often. For now, do what the link said and dress the wound. You need to soak her and gently massage the remaining skin off of her toes to prevent any more toenails from falling off. This is a health problem for your tegu and needs to be corrected.


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## mr.tegu (Dec 13, 2009)

cornking4 said:


> It means that she's having shedding issues and her toenails and/or toes are coming off with the shed skins. It's a serious health problem that should be corrected by increasing humidity and soaking her more often. For now, do what the link said and dress the wound. You need to soak her and gently massage the remaining skin off of her toes to prevent any more toenails from falling off. This is a health problem for your tegu and needs to be corrected.


 the toe nails are falling off, not losing digits due to ringing.. ringing takes months and when the digit does die and release it self there is no bleeding. i think his tegus (toe nails only) are falling off.


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## F69erFred (Dec 13, 2009)

Ya only his toe nails nuthing else.


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## cornking4 (Dec 13, 2009)

The same could still apply in this case since he was talking about chronic shedding issues with this tegu. Ringing can restrict blood flow to toenails and weaken them... The problem is that it's difficult to tell without actually seeing the lizard in person. Where you go from here is to dress the wound and take her to a vet to give a proper diagnosis.


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## mr.tegu (Dec 14, 2009)

cornking4 said:


> The same could still apply in this case since he was talking about chronic shedding issues with this tegu. Ringing can restrict blood flow to toenails and weaken them... The problem is that it's difficult to tell without actually seeing the lizard in person. Where you go from here is to dress the wound and take her to a vet to give a proper diagnosis.


 im not seeing anything on chronic shedding issues with this tegu, am i missing something?.. unless im missing info on a pior post of his then your comment is :bs ringing takes months and several sheds to be a factor. i bet he hasnt even had his tegu long enough to be losing digits/nails due to ringing. i think its another kind of health problem.(maybe) or just rough play and nails getting stuck in his bath towels.


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## cornking4 (Dec 14, 2009)

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Apparently this tegu's had several bad sheds and retained a shed for a couple of months... SInce he mentioned that it's the only thing I can really think of as a major contributor. My best guess is that it was a combination of both ringing and trauma, or just his lack of "vitamins", but I'm sure his bad sheds played a part. It's just too unusual for a nail to get ripped out without it being weakened first.


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## F69erFred (Dec 14, 2009)

I think it might just be ruff play because I was running her acroos the bathroom with is carpet and she was jumping everwhere. So could the carpet just cause it to get pulled off?


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## cornking4 (Dec 14, 2009)

That can't be the only factor... It takes a lot of brute force to dislodge a nail. Just think of them in their natural habitat: running, climbing, and digging all day long. Their nails snag on worse things than carpet in the wild and, as far as I know, herpetologists in the field haven't reported many wild tegus with missing nails. It was probably trauma that pulled it out but that has to have been supported by another factor.


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## F69erFred (Dec 14, 2009)

That you all for telling me what you guys think that makes me very happy I hope all of yor have the best xmas and same for my lizard(lucy)


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## cornking4 (Dec 14, 2009)

And the same to you! You might just want to speak with the vet again to ensure there isn't a more serious problem.


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## F69erFred (Dec 14, 2009)

I am taking her to a reptile store to see what they say tomorrow and the wensday I am going to take her to the vet to make sure everything is going be alright.


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## cornking4 (Dec 14, 2009)

Sounds great. Let us know what the vet says... I'm guessing he'll prescribe antibiotics and maybe suture the toe a bit depending on the severity. Just keep us updated! :-D


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## F69erFred (Dec 14, 2009)

I sure will thank u for your help.


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## txrepgirl (Dec 15, 2009)

Did you take him to the vet yet ? you have a very good Christmas and a Happy new Year, too. I still think it could off been the carpet. Do you see any dried on skin on the toes ? I know a member on a nother forum whos tegu's nail got stuck in the screen top and the nail got pulled out ( from jumping up and down ). When I first got one of my blue/ red hybrid Tegu he was a hatchling and he had a nail missing. But he never had any shedding problems. A few days after I got him he shedded every thing off for except the tail took a few days longer.


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## mr.tegu (Dec 15, 2009)

I agree..it does not sound like a shedding problem. i would leave out the towels next time until he/she simmers down a bit for you.


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## F69erFred (Dec 15, 2009)

I think it was the carpet to guys?


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## cornking4 (Dec 16, 2009)

Any word from the vet yet? We obviously can't diagnose anything on the forum so we'd like to hear what the trained professional has to say.


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## F69erFred (Dec 16, 2009)

The vet said " she/he proably snaged it on the carpet when she/he what's jumping but other then that she looks good"


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## cornking4 (Dec 16, 2009)

Good! I'm glad there weren't any underlying issues. Have a nice holiday!


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## F69erFred (Dec 16, 2009)

You to. How your xmas is great!


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