Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted this is the crested gecko forum but haven't gotten much of a response, so I thought maybe someone here might be able to help?

I went out yesterday to get more plants for the my new tank, and when I was setting them up I noticed my crested C.J. is missing one of her back feet! I thought at first the other gecko I just bought bit her but it definitely looks burned. She has one toe, one that looks just gray (like ash)that is hard, and the others are completely gone. She can't use it. She can still crawl on the leaves and ok on the side of the tank. Should I just use burn ointment? I am using triple antibiotic to prevent infection. Should I do anything else? Their substrate is paper towels. I have a red bulb on 24 hours a day, and I think she might have burned her foot on the top of the cage (it was hot from the bulb). I feel terrible
-----
0.1 Bearded Dragon (Jax)
0.0.2 Crested Gecko (C.J. and Vegas)
0.0.2 Anoles (Angel and 50-Cent - my students named them!)
1.1 Red Belly Sliders (Hannibal and Starling)
0.1 Lab/Shepard Mix (Chloe)
0.1 Orange Medium Haired Cat (Shera)
1.0 Betta (Sydney)

It fine to use the tripe antibiotic initially, but I have found woulds to heal quicker when the would is allowed to dry. Make sure he is eating well his body will do the rest. I had a crested that escaped as a baby. I found her about two months later with no front legs. She had two perfectly healed wounds that were at the elbow. I assume that sheds got stuck and cut of circulation. Well, I still have her, she eats great and gets around fine. She has a big gecko heart. So why the red bulb? what kind of room temps do you have? Fluctuations? Room temp is fine in most cases for Rhacs.
good luck
-----
Bill DiFabio
Garden State Herpetoculture...website to follow...
Email Me
"If you don't have enemies, you don't have character." - Paul Newman

The temperature in my house is only in the mid 60's, so I have the bulb so the temperature for the geckos will be in the 70's. I won't use it in the summer.
-----
0.1 Bearded Dragon (Jax)
0.0.2 Crested Geckos (C.J. and Vegas)
0.0.2 Anoles (Angel and 50-Cent - my students named them!)
1.1 Red Belly Sliders (Hannibal and Starling)
0.1 Lab/Shepard Mix (Chloe)
0.1 Orange Medium Haired Cat (Shera)
1.0 Betta (Sydney)

Yeah well, It's an honest mistake. Maybe you can try to suspend the bulb off the actual top of the cage. I have the opposite problem. I use a space heater in the colder winter months in my reptile room just to keep it about 70. In the summer, I have to move my Rhacs out of that room, becuase it gets to hot.
good luck
-----
Bill DiFabio
Garden State Herpetoculture...website to follow...
Email Me
"If you don't have enemies, you don't have character." - Paul Newman

drying out is often the best....just try to keep it clean and dry .... things like that happen....I would try will Bill suggested and raise the bulb off the top so that won't happen again.

Let us know how she does.
-----
Tracey
Tracey's Beardies
www.beardiecrazy.com

Thanks everyone for the advice. She is climbing the walls, just with 3 feet instead of 4. She seems to be doing well...I'll let you know how everything turns out.
-----
0.1 Bearded Dragon (Jax)
0.0.2 Crested Geckos (C.J. and Vegas)
0.0.2 Anoles (Angel and 50-Cent - my students named them!)
1.1 Red Belly Sliders (Hannibal and Starling)
0.1 Lab/Shepard Mix (Chloe)
0.1 Orange Medium Haired Cat (Shera)
1.0 Betta (Sydney)