Reptile & Amphibian Forums

He's been VERY jumpy lately, like he wants to jump and run and play but can't decide which. He's been hanging by his fragile little toes from the screen lid, then he'll jump down and land on his dirt with a (soft) THUD. Everything is fine in his enclusure, yes. He has climbing areas, yes. Many many places to dig and hide. But, this isn't my problem. See, about two days ago I noticed something very wrong with Tobias's front-left-middle digit. The knuckle has a large black mass on it and the digit is bent upwards. He can't move it. I have three pictures, but whenever I post them in the forum they don't work for me. So, I'll give you three links... PLEASE look and tell me what is going on! I'm so worried I could cry.

http://www.deviantart.com/view/8778224/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/8778261/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/8778296/
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~Shopunke

It definitely looks like an abscess. Abcesses in reptiles are GENERALLY relatively simple to treat, unless of course the abscess is deep or around a critical area. In your case it is not only isolated from more critial parts of the body, but being a reptile abscess, it is completely enclosed; they don't really spread. On the other hand, they are painful and if not treated, it COULD explain behavior such as the one you describe. Minor abscesses can be opened, flushed, disinfected, and sometimes the animal can be given antibiotics to help rid of the infection.

Although simple abscesses can be done at home (using betadine) if you're careful, I'd still recommend a vet's assistance.

Fabian

Fabian thank you so much, I was worried he may have broken it. But I have a few more questions...

We can't really afford a vet right now for such a simple task. Do you think you could give me advice on how to treat it at home? I understood what you said already, but I was wondering if I could have a little more in-depth information?

Also, he has a few black "spots" on other knuckles on his hind feet. They're not swollen like the one I showed you, but they look like little bruises. Any ideas?

I feel so guilty, I feel as if this is my fault. I'm sorry he's in pain from it. Man. I honestly thought his behavior was just due to boredom...
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~Shopunke

Boredom... and it could be; I can't say, you know your lizard. The black tissue could be necrotic, but again, a vet would have to see it. I would hate to encourage you to treat it at home, but if that's your only alternative for now (not to say that you're not capable; many vets are not herp-qualified), then you could try a few things.

I was unable to see the second picture, but from what I saw, there seems to be a swollen part (the possible abscess), and the necrotic tissue (black). If that is in fact the case, you could try puncturing the abscess with a STERIL needle just enough to go through the skin. Then you could apply pressure. An abscess would produce a thick substance (whitish with perhaps green, black or yellow). If you see that, continue to apply presure until no more comes out. Be very careful, the digits are delicate. You are now ready to flush it, or in this case rinse it, with a product such as Betadine. A vet would probably use a topical antimicrobial flush such as ChlorhexiDerm, but Betadine should work well for now. Other keepers on the forum may have other suggestions such as over-the-counter topical antibiotics (?) but I'm not a vet and cannot advise on that. This only applies for the swollen area. The necrotic tissue complicates it all. If it's too far gone, the digits may have to be amputated. This wouldn't be a problem for the lizard and might save you "recurring abscesses." This is obviously something that a veterinarian would have to do, and without seeing it, I can't think of anything else you could do to alleviate the situation.

If you do decide to take care of the abscess, make sure to keep it clean (perhaps remove the sand and use paper towels temporarily?) and keep applying the Betadine. The digits will never look normal, but you may be able to eliminate the localized bacteria. Herps are tough, just keep it clean... at least until you can get to a vet.

Hopefully others will have other suggestions. Keep us posted.
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Fabián Aguirre
Zookeeper/ Freshwater Aquarist
Department of Herpetology and Freshwater Biology
The Dallas World Aquarium
(214) 720-2224
fabian@dwazoo.com
www.dwazoo.com

Oh man. This is creepy. I'm tempted to give that number of your's a call and talk to you over the phone about it. See, I'm only 16, and I'm more used to frogs than lizards. (Tobias is my first) Could you please tell me what "necrotic" means? It's not like cancer, is it? Oh man this is no good, no good at all.

I tried to get a few better photos. It is, indeed, very black swollen tissue. Is it any clearer? (If it says "Not found", hit refresh)

http://www.deviantart.com/view/8782080/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/8782115/

I'm probably going to have to ask my parents if we can pinch up enough money to take him to a vet. Although I know quite a bit about animals and how to treat wounds and injuries (I'm aspiring to be a vet tech), I don't want to risk this. He's my first lizard and I love him dearly.
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~Shopunke

...

Okay. I did what you told me to do. And guess what?
...
It turned out to be a freaking scab. A SCAB! *shakes head*

There is still some minor swelling where the skin is still healing (It looks like he rubbed it raw on something), but other than that his digit looks fine now.

Actually, it's still bent upwards a bit, but not as bad.

Thank you so much for your time!!
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~Shopunke

That's great. But the tissue is still swollen, and it might be infected. You may want to apply Betadine anyway for a few days...

Good luck.

Fabian

Sorry, I just realized you were referring to its hind feet when you mentioned the black spots. I was referring to the area around the swelling in the pictures. That could be necrotic.

Can you get pictures of the hind feet? In lizards such as chameleons and day geckos (Chamaeleonidae and Phelsuma), abrasions can create "bruises." For example, it is common for female chameleons to develop black scratches after the male has released her from mating. In lizards such as those, chromatophores (color-changing cells) are so sensitive that they turn black when stimulated. Day geckos and some iguanids will present similar characteristics after mating. The point is that the skin, although tough, is relatively sensitive; and rubbing against objects, scratches or bites may produce "bruises."

I'm not saying this is the reason for the black spots, it's possible. Bacterial infections on the skin might cause the area to turn black as well.

I apologize if I'm being too generalistic, but I cannot do more unless I see it; and even then, a qualified vet could determine something very different.
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Fabián Aguirre
Zookeeper/ Freshwater Aquarist
Department of Herpetology and Freshwater Biology
The Dallas World Aquarium
(214) 720-2224
fabian@dwazoo.com
www.dwazoo.com