PDA

View Full Version : A very sad day :( that turned out ok..


Dark_Angel_25
02-03-04, 10:26 AM
Last night Draco got out. he managed to somehow(not sure at all) lift up the swire mesh (weighted down with a tank and some tools) and got free. Kenn came into the bedroom at 3 AM and woke me up saying he got free. We have 3 cats... not a good prognosis...

Anyway we searched around lik med people, and Kenn found his tail. things were looking grim... Finally Kenn mentions maybe one of the cats took off with him when he came in on them playing with Draco, so I go to the spare room and lo and behold I see Draco and Peanut (my s**t disturber huner cat) eye to eye... Draco isn't moving... my heart drops.. I go to pick him up, and he scurries under the Lazy Boy

HE'S HERE!! HE'S ALIVE I call to Kenn, who comes running, we throw all the stuff outta the way, and I retieve Draco from under the chair. he seems fine except for a little scratch on his leg. I take him in the bathroom and wash his tail wound (where it dropped) and his scratch, he walks fine gets along great, no broken bones... I apply polysporin to both wounds and just hold him, to make sure everything is ok.

Finally put him back in his tank, put a plank over it until tomorrow, when Kenn will build something better. it is now 5 AM... I have to go to work in 2 hours...

I take the tail from Kenn and look at it, really cold, and pretty gross, but at the same time, I am fascinated by how it detached.. the top end looks like someone cleanly clipped it with peaking shears.. (the triangle scissors) I have to admire that thesefragile creatures deelopped such an ingenious way to defend themselves.. him dropping his tail although sad, very well saved his life.

So now Draco has no tail. I am dissappointed, but exstatic that he lived, what's a tail compared to living? Kenn is making a better top, the first one we made obviously doesn't cut it... I know this one will. Stubby's have good lives too, and they are still cute...

my question... his tail came off right at the butt.. will there be a stub at all, (as I've seen on other pics of cresties who drop the tail) or will it heal flat?

Anyway, he is doing fine, this morning in his usual hiding spot, nice and lightly colored, and doing fine. we will be cleaning and putting the polysporin 4-5 times a day until it is completely healed. any ideas on how it will heal would be appreciated..


P.S. if you have a stubby, can you post your pics? and if it lost the tail while with you, can you tell how it happened??

Dark_Angel_25
02-03-04, 11:10 AM
Does no one have any stories or even pics of stubby's to post to share with me? I just am not sure how the wound usually heals, and if how I am treating it is right... any suggestions would be a great help...
Thanks,
Tracy

Rebecca
02-03-04, 01:11 PM
Their tails grow back. A bit odd and funny looking but they do grow back.

Rebecca
02-03-04, 01:12 PM
Never mind I thought for some odd reason you were talking about a leopard gecko. Sorry.

D Healey
02-03-04, 01:25 PM
Hi when i get a chance i will send a pic as i need to do it from a diffrent computer however he will get a little nub for a tail it go's into a little point on the end but as you well know male cresteds like to lick their male area so i would refrain from putting polysporin on it as it is quite natural for them to heal fine without it.

Dark_Angel_25
02-03-04, 01:57 PM
should I just clean the wound daily then, and not put anything? is there no product I can use?

D Healey
02-03-04, 04:20 PM
I wouldn't put anything on it if you go check out the gallery section under user name youkai there is a section called doug's gecko's i think i have a male posted there without a tail.

CDN-Cresties
02-03-04, 06:49 PM
I would just let it heal on its own after one intial cleaning. Also try using papertowel as a substrate (if you dont already :) ) because something like coconut husk or a substrate thats similar may infect the wound. Best of luck :)

-Steve-

P.S. Can you post a pic of his stub?

Dark_Angel_25
02-04-04, 11:00 AM
Hi CDN, well he doesn't really have a stub yet, but Iwill get a pic maybe tonight, I have a herp meeting (if weather permits the drive) but If I don't go, then I will get some pics and post them here.

Thanks guys!

Cedille
02-25-04, 08:25 PM
My male (we call him stumpy) has a tiny tiny little nub of a tail left.

You can just barely see it in this pic!

http://members.rogers.com/ontarioherpers/images/Male2.jpg