Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK let's start here! I know to call a Vet and deal with them if a pet has a health problem. I have seen 3 (specializing in reptiles) and no luck. I am asking some other serious collectors if they have had this problem. I have a Crocodile Monitor for over a year that started loosing sections of it's tail from the tip working it's way up torwards the body. I had some amputated and stitched back up. I then gave it shots of a well known antibiotic called batryl and kept it in a very clean quarintine type set up. All started to look good and guess what! It is back and travelling up it's tail again. This has been on-going and soon it will most likely cost me a very nice Croc Monitor. I believe this might have started in shipping. I had it brought in by one of the airlines that ships reptiles, you know who! They lost it in cold country and I recieved it thinking it was dead. After being on the phone with the airline management for almost 2 hours it's eyes opened while it was on the counter. I won't get into the whole story, but I think it might have just got some frostbite in the tip of it's tail. Any Ideas you have other than euthanasia, I would like to hear. Plus, I am worried about the rest of my collection. I have it segrigated and deal with it seperately as far as food and cleaning. But the concern is still there. Help me please no one else seems to be able too....

The segregation, a good idea

Some thoughts on your predicament:

First, keep working with the vets, it's often tough, but they just have more resources then us. Ask if they have VIN (veterinary information network), if so, there's some monitor guys on the reptile boards.

The amputation... won't work unless it's done above the furthest reach of the problem, which is oftem much further up than what's visible on the outside, or even visible on X-rays.

The drugs... Baytril is a pretty good antibiotic. There's a lot of other good antibiotics as well. The decision on what drugs to use should actually be based on the infection and what is is susceptible too. I would suggest some bloodwork to first confirm that this is infectious in nature, and then, via a blood culture, grow any pathogens into colonies and then test what antibiotics will kill them best. Bloodwork will also see if this is related to organ failure, dehydration, or parasitism; all of which can cause the symptoms, and be related to him being frozen in-leui of transport.

Good luck with your monitor!

Ian

2 were bitten by cage mates one which sounds similar to yours was a bosc monitor which tail whipped a table leg for some unknown reason repeated attempts to get it away. This animal had the tip of his tail die, for reasons Im not completely positive, but my guess was stress, and possibly other health problems combined it went necrotic, then as it fell off more went necrotic, the vet removed the dead part, cauterized it chemically, gave him a shot of baytril, and sent him on his way. Afterwards about 1/2 inch more died then it stopped. All said and done this bosc lost 3 inches of tail (he was 54 inches long after a bit more growth).
A good friend has a big whitethroat male, he was in a hissing tail whipping fit when he was a hatchling. The tip of his tail died the same way, a little bit at a time over around 2-5 days or more. I told him to let him recover, dont stress him any for a few days, see what happens. This lizards tail stopped dieing and healed, hes doing great to this day. All said and done Im not sure exactly how much he lost but to this day his STV length is the same as his tail length.
Its amazing how much it can help, stress kills, if you let them go about their business and do the minimum amount you have to in their cage and with them when theirs a health problem is heals faster.

I appreciate your comments! My croc was around 7 feet long and has been going through some serious tail loss. It started with a few inches at a time. When it lost it's first few inches I kinda blew it off as minor. Then small rings started forming farther up the tail. As these rings got deeper into the flesh I started worrying. I then seeked some vet assistance. It just kept moving up the tail, a ring shows up as if a rubber band was placed on it for a while then removed. Then a necrotic look and smell arrives, next it falls off or is amputated by the vet. I try to get it cut well above the infected site to ensure that the bad area is removed. It just keeps coming back! I have quarantined it in a large easily cleaned cage with good temp range and basking spots. It has a nice hide box and it doesn't seem stressed. I understand that lizards might not show it as well and may have serious underlying stress problems. When it was in it's healthy days it would come out of the cage and crawl up my leg an rest with me. It was never scared of me or showed any signs of cage stress. I keep humidity up, good areas of substrate, various hide spots, plenty of climbing areas, and great basking areas. My monitors have always done well and to tell you the truth I have not had any real issues of health with any of them. Some defensive and internal stuff, but nothing disease or infection related.
To add more about the infection. I was told by a Vet I know in Tucson it is an infection that enters the blood stream through a cut or injury. Amputation and antibiotics are the only way to help it. It will eventually kill the lizard once it gets to far along. I moved back East (well Mid-West) temporarily and can't seem to find a good Reptile Vet. Everyone seems to be dog and cat vets. I showed it to a reptile Vet here and he didn't even know what a Crocodile Monitor was. WOW! Reptiles are not a common pet here I take it. I am moving back to Arizona next month. I hope My lizard can make it that long and take the trip. All in all I now have a 4 foot or less Croc Monitor. I don't think I am going to save it. I just hope the rest of my collection never gets this horrible infection! I still have many at home. Thank you for your comments and anyone else with info on tail loss please fill me in. I want to learn more about this. I have had many reptiles but none with this sort of problem.

www.arav.com for reptile vets. There are some good ones in the mid-west, where are you?

Perhaps a full tail amputation is the next step, with drastic septicemia protocols. Either way, it's the vet's call; hope you have luck one way or the other.

Ian