Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A week ago my monitor scratched himself on something in his viv and left a bit of a wound - it seemed nothing much and wasn't even bleeding. It's just that it is now still there - I moved some of his hides around a bit to give him more room to get in and out but I think he keeps catching that bit on something. I've now taken out the actual hide in his cool end and left him a bunch of foliage.

I let him have a large bowl of water so he can submerge himself in it if he wants and he enjoys that - but I wonder now if I should not let him have so much water so it can dry off a bit - but then there's the topsoil - I think that keeps getting into it too because his wound and surrounding skin is soil color. There's no swelling around it but it just seems to be taking a while to heal. I read somewhere else that it's best to just let the wounds be and not put anything on them as monitors heal really fast.

Should I take him to a vet? (which I think would stress him)

Cool end - 82-85
Hot end - 90
Basking spot - 125-130
Humidity - 60%

Apologies - can't edit my post - but should add he is the same as always, lively, eating like a pig and doing all the normal savannah stuff

A healthy monitor heals very very quickly. Not any monitor or all monitors. A healthy progressing monitor may not need medical intervention. (any treatment or a vet)

So, your task is, you must determine if your monitor is healthy or not. And Only you can decide that.

Lastly, being is your asking this question, I would take the monitor to a vet. Most/some/find one that does, vets let you see what they do, after that, you can then decide if you want to treat this type of injury yourself or not. Cheers

... he basks and the wound dries up - I guess the crux of my questioning is:

1) Am I slowing things down by allowing him to bathe (wound gets wet frequently then the soil sticks to it) (have now removed bath size water tub). How long does it normally take for a wound to heal?

2) does it matter if the topsoil gets on him (or should I get rid of it for the time being and use paper) I guess this is a bit daft now I come to think of it as in the wild monitors get into all kinds of stuff

I think I shall leave soil in, keep bath out and wait longer.

I am 100% positive he's a healthy monitor - and 99.9% certain that I am paranoid about anything slightly wrong with any of my reptiles

Thanks for your reply!

To tell if your monitor is healthy is to measure how long it takes to heal.(in this case) If your monitor has an impaired immune system, it may take a long time to heal, or not heal at all. Also consider, a monitors can feed and run around and still have an impaired immune system.

Also, only you knows what is going on. As this second post shows, you added stuff that was not in the first post, the reality is, there is much more that is not being mentioned here.

This is why a vet "examines" your monitor, and questions the keeper, in order to determine what, if any treatment is necessary.

For someone to give you medical advice without knowing(to examine) would not be of help to you, your monitor, or the person giving advice.

Remember, your decision is possibly a life or death decision. So make with careful consideration. Try finding some books on reptile medicine. Cheers

Not knowing any more of this situation than anyone else here does,and knowing even less about monitors in general, I have a question for you. Is there any sign of infection??? If not, I wouldn't be too overly comncerned. I'd certainly still keep an eye on it but don't fret too much.JMHO and just my two cents.

Quig

Thank you for your replies. I am going to take my monitor to the vet on Monday so he can have a look and evaluate it. I was hoping that after a week it would be starting to heal, but am not sure if it is the immersion in water plus leaving hides in for him to scrape himself against is prolonging the healing process. But I intend to get it sorted to my lizard's benefit.

Great, that is a very good idea.

I have had monitors with huge bleeding cuts, heal over, that is completely scab by the next day. They are also not taken out of their cages and the cage is not changed. That is, same dirt,leaves, water, etc. I hope it heals well, Cheers

That is certainly quick. Yesterday evening I got him out and rinsed his wound with cooled boiled water and applied some tamodine the vet had given me for a corn I rescued who had a wound. Before that I touched the wound (clean fingers!) and there was some clear fluid on it. How do I know if it is infected? Would it be red and/or swollen? I'm still going to vet though because, as you said, with monitors it should be healed by now.

You don't need cooled boiled water. The wound is below the scales, obviously. Is it down to the fascia (yellow fatty tissue) or can you see muscles or other structures? If it is just an abrasion below the scales and mid-skin and subcutaneous tissues, let it heal over. No sticky ointments. Don't take away his water,etc. IF you need to clean the wound to see thru the dirt on his back use saline solution (cheap/sterile and used for contact lens wearers). Infection has a rotten smell, pus or drainage that is not clear (almost cloudy or milky), the tissues are red,raised,tender to touch and sometimes tissues crumble away if you gently swipe it with moist gauze. a little clear,odorless drainage is normal...like in a blister on a human. just go to the vet and let him/her evaluate the lizard. and like FR said, you can ask a million ?s and remember for next time.

Thank you for your reply - it's very helpful. Yes, I think it is just below the scales and mid-skin (some odd scales are missing) - it's just pink where the scales are missing. He does still have water - just that he can't get in it (I thought if it was kept dry it would heal quicker). No rotten smell, pus or cloudy drainage (just a little and it was clear) so sounds normal. Just abnormal is the fact it seems to be taking a long time than it should to heal (first time this has ever happened to him).

Monday today so I am ringing the vet and hopefully get an appt today. I am going to ask him to do a fecal float (if he produces one for me today) and run bloodworks to see if there's any reason for the slow healing process (i.e. like Frank said maybe, possibly an impaired immune system).

Thank you very much to you guys for your replies to this.