Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well, probably for the last month helga's tail has been slooooooowly peeling. at first it was coming right off with no problem. lately it has been at a standstill. i give her soaks and help off the little stray pieces. today i noticed that the middle pieces of a row were ready to come off but the side pieces were holding it all on (her skin is really really think from not shedding properly) so i gently helped her and two of the spikes were damaged. one was just the tip broken off (no blood) and the other one was bleeding but i could not tell why.
what should i do for those spikes? just neosporin and no soaks for a while?
and do you think all that skin is harming her tail and i should take the rest of it off. it definitely looks ready, i just didn't want to be over agressive.
-----
vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Milo's tail has been doing the same thing. I am just soaking Milo every so often because he does not like to be soaked too much (he throws a fit sometimes its like trying to give a cat a bath). I know that it is not good to pick dead skin off even it looks like it ready.

Lance

well, the damaged spikes were under the pieces of skin that were floppyish in the middle of the tail but being held on by the side pieces.
i wouldn't be so concerned but she has lost most of her back toes to improper peeling from when she was not taken care of.
i would hate for the same thing to happen to her tail
-----
vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

mineral oil works wonders for stubborn shed.

I would not pull or help peel any of the skin. Some times it is not ready and you can cause a sore spot or little infection.
Not worth it.

Just put a dab of mineral oil on, and see how fast it softens.

I keep in it my lizard arsenal, hehehehehe
-----
____
----
Eve / PHEve