Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am in awe of how well/fast monitors can heal. After keeping monitors for a couple of years I finally had an injury to deal with. On Nov 8 I posted about my Argus having a deep cut/bite on its back leg. I posted here asking for advice on what to do. Everyone that replied told me not to worry much about it. My wife and I did clean the cut and put Neosporin on it and put him back in the enclosure. For a few days the argus was not quite as active as usual. Pretty soon he was acing like he had never been hurt.

Today I noticed his scap had come off and there was a little scar. He had healed nicely and the scare will soon totally heal over.

It seems like monitors probably heal better than mammals. I know that if I had a cut that severe I would have needed medical attention. I can see why these animals have lived so long on earth and been so successful. It is a shame that human encroachment (and other reasons) is threatening their existence in some areas.

Pic of wound after scap came off 20 days later.

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Ed

There are chameleons, pythons, and monitors in my jungle room.

If you wouldn't have use neosporium, it would have healed much faster, with less scarring. FR

Why did using neosporin affect the time in which it took to heal? Why would there have been less scarring?

I would like to know.

Thanks,
Mike

As a fan of neosporium and someone how carries it around on a daily basis(always poking holes and leaking out). I have used it for many years. When I did not use it, the wounds on healthy monitors healed much faster. So experience.

Then a couple years ago, Rsg had a monitor get cut up, and took the monitor to a vet. The vet explained, monitors cannot absorb or process or breakdown, petroleum. And Sadly, neosporium is petroleum based.

The Vet recomended non-petroleum based ointments. Thanks FR

Thanks for the explanation.

Mike