Why does Gus have a shark fin now?

[marisa]

Gus has a shark fin shaped casque (sp) now? This happened in recent weeks!! I have photos to compare and you can really see it:

Before (you can see that area has a lot of shed on it but is still solid)
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gus09-03-03.jpg">
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/2gus08-20-03.jpg">

This is what it looks like now:

<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gusnovember03.jpg">
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/2gusnovember03.jpg">

What's going on up there?! He looks crazy! Is it a bad thing health wise?

Marisa

[Trace]

Hey Marisa!

Two things I can think of:

1: Wiggle his casque in that area please. Does it move? There is a bone that runs up the front of the veil and if you can feel it move or it feels squishy, then you might have some slight MBD problems starting.

2: By looking at the previous pics, he may have had a burn or injury to that area and now he's sloughed that part. Now I know he was a freeroamer before you got him and his conditions weren't great so a burn seems unlikely to me, but anything is possible right. The shedding that you had problems with at the beginning is in the same area as that little dip.

Can you get a close up of that area at all?

Cheers!

Trace

[marisa]

Yeah the shedding problems have always been in that location but now there isn't any shed left on that spot so its obvious its missing a chunk, or something.

A couple more close ups:
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gushead.jpg">
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gushead2.jpg">

I just took these pics minutes ago....I felt all around his body, including his casque and nothing feels soft, or rubbery. He didn't appreciate it much but I felt his jaw too just in case, legs etc and nothing feels odd from what I can tell.

He is eating again big time (took a break for a couple weeks there but is going for crickets, mealies, some waxies and veggies) going to the bathroom and basking/drinking/climbing. So maybe its an older injury that took this long to heal up finally? His previous owner doesn't remember any injuries other than the two times he was caught behind a dresser. He got cuts on the sides of his face and legs then which are STILL shedding constantly at this point.

Marisa

[Trace]

I was inclined to think it was guess #2 from my original post and now seeing those close-ups it does look like he sloughed that area. It looks like it healed well and there is nice scar tissue on the area. I wouldn't put anything on it like Polysporin personally, but if you are worried it won't hurt.

As I said before there is a little bone that runs up the front of the casque. There are also 2 that run up the back of the casque in front of the occipital lobes. You may find, because he's missing a chunk of that front bone now, that his veil may start to tip over to one side because the support isn't there. It may not either. It may sink in the front. You may also notice that his casque get a little fatter in a way. Nothing to worry about really. You've seen the pics of my Bacchanal who was missing his casque because of burns, Gus's casque may (?) start to look like that, although not quite as hideous I'm sure.

Keep up the good work with him Marisa, he does look nice for an old guy. Scars and all.

Cheers!

Trace

[marisa]

Well I am hoping it stays up straight because I think he looks like a little shark now! lol. But yeah thanks for the advice, I won't put anything on it. It looks healed up to me now too.

Marisa

[J-Man]

very nice cham....