Stuck Shed

[Lizardess]

Hello Everyone,

I would like some advice please. My yearling female black and white Argentine tegu seems to have shedding difficulties sometimes. If the shed isn't coming off on its own, I worry that it may lead to circulation issues and amputations down the road.

Of course I don't want that to happen, so if anyone can please make suggestions to help her slough off that dead skin, I would really appreciate it! I have tried bathing her daily, giving a gentle scrub with coconut oil and a soft toothbrush, and increasing her humidity to 90%.

I'm just worried about her. What suggestions can the community offer to try before I take her to our new vet? I will certainly take her to the vet if need be, but if there's something that I can trt and perhaps just didn't think of, I'm all ears! If this has been asked before, I'm sorry. I'm new to this forum.

 

[Walter1]

Hi Lizardess- the tail is often the part that has shedding trouble. Moist, not damp, sphagnum in her hide box can help a lot.

 

[Lizardess]

That is exactly where the stuck shed is too. I'll give it a try and update in a couple of weeks. Thank you.

 

[thatoneguy]

Sounds like you are doing everything right, my tegus tail is always the last to shed.

 

[yumeze]

I have a 8lb Chacoan and have been trying to get 2 or 3 layers of stuck shed to come off tail for 6 months now. I have tried everything on the internet. What I have done to fix it.....I keep him in a hide with 6' x 2' filled with 2' eucalyptus mulch with 4" in coconut mulch at the bottom. The cage is kept at 90% humidity with his light only coming on 5 hours a day (this is temporary). I also take him outside for about 3-4 hours of natural sunlight. I bathe him daily and rub coconut and mineral oil off and on after the tub. I then have a soft brush that I bought from the feed store that is used on barn animals for grooming. I use the brush after the tub and before I rub the oil on. It helps separate the dead shed from the new skin but soft enough not to harm him, then I rub the oil on. It seems to be working. The pieces are coming off in tiny bits not rings, so I'm feeling a little better that he wont be losing any more tail. He's lost 1/2 to 1" so far.

 

[Lizardess]

I just took Cuddles (my big red boy) to the vet not too long ago and got some ointment that may help. If it does, I will pass along info. I think I am going to bring them both with me to work tomorrow and make them soak for a while. They can huff about it if they want to, heh.