nose rubbing

[Rhetoric]

Will the marks from nose rubbing ever go away? Guru has a bright pink nose from rubbing it against the glass... Its a newer behavior, I let him out ALL THE TIME but as soon as I put him back he rubs and rubs and rubs. :huh::-/

 

[james.w]

It is usually a 50-50 chance of whether it will heal completely.

 

[Rhetoric]

Can I do anything to keep him from doing it? I've been skimming other threads on nose rubbing. It drives me nuts and it doesn't look like it feels very good.


*Is there anything I can rub on his nose to help it heal?

 

[Dirtydmc]

Mix some tea tree and jahjoba oil together. Works amazing on reptile skin. My snakes cuts are almost fully healed after less than a month of once a day treatment.

 

[Rhetoric]

where can I find that second oil

 

[james.w]

What size is the enclosure?

 

[turtlepunk]

Is your enclosure on the ground?

 

[Rhetoric]

7.5x3.5x3.5. He could use a bit more depth to be honest. He's about 3.5ft long. He's only been housed in this enclosure. The front of it, where he rubs, is all glass (except the frame). He'll do it for a while then go lay down or roam around, then he sees me and does it all over again.
I was hoping to do a new enclosure for him thats a little deeper but I'm having to re-do the other enclosure first because they're bending the plexi glass (pos).

---

Yeah his is on the ground and Gary/Rangos is stacked on top of it

 

[Dirtydmc]

When Dozer starts rubbing his face and clawing at the wall he asking to come out. So I listen. Makes him happy. As far as the oil. Zilla (i think) makes a reptile wound treatment that has those oils in it.

 

[Rhetoric]

Ooooh ok I'll look for it! I've seen reptile wound stuff but it didn't occur to me to try it... Smh.

 

[turtlepunk]

hmm because he's on the ground maybe he sees all that floor space that he wants to roam around on and therefore trying his hardest to do so?

 

[Rhetoric]

Maybe it makes me sad!

 

[Kebechet]

If this is triggered by him seeing you, maybe you should pin a sheet or something over the front of the enclosure so he can't see out. If that works, try leaving the setup like that for a bit, and then take it down. It's possible that he will have outgrown the behavior.

 

[Orion]

My boy Bob used to do it alot more but is slowing down. It was/is his way of asking me to let him out. My cage is on the floor in my office and the Tegus see me all day. Most of the time I just let Bob out when he wants out. But most people dont have that amount of time to watch their Tegu.
You may try getting a long piece of cardboard about and folding about 5 inches under the substrate running it along the glass about 12 to 18 inches high so he cant see out.

 

[james.w]

I would guess the same as others, he wants out. The enclosure is big enough IMO.