Tough decision to make... Tail Rot + Amputation

[nye]

Hey guys,

This is my first time posting on here. I'm usually just the type to read through the forums, but it's come to the point where I have to make a difficult decision for my Bearded Dragon.

His name is Pump and he's probably around 5 years old by now. No idea exactly since he was rehomed to me. He has a case of tail rot which two Vets have recommended amputation for since it has progressed past just treating with antibiotics.

I'm having a tough time making this choice because Pump also has MBD from his previous home and struggles to use his back legs. He depends heavily on his tail for balance and I'm not sure how great his quality of life will be without it. Any advice or thoughts? I don't want to make the wrong decision.

 

[Skybug]

Hey guys,

This is my first time posting on here. I'm usually just the type to read through the forums, but it's come to the point where I have to make a difficult decision for my Bearded Dragon.

His name is Pump and he's probably around 5 years old by now. No idea exactly since he was rehomed to me. He has a case of tail rot which two Vets have recommended amputation for since it has progressed past just treating with antibiotics.

I'm having a tough time making this choice because Pump also has MBD from his previous home and struggles to use his back legs. He depends heavily on his tail for balance and I'm not sure how great his quality of life will be without it. Any advice or thoughts? I don't want to make the wrong decision.

Welcome to the forum, im sorry that your having to deal with this , can u you possibly picture his tail? Ive seen tons of beardies without tails and they live happy lives, how much are they wanting to take off? I think his quality of life could still be good, but i also personally wouldn’t allow my pets to suffer :/ ive had lots of pets put down,… some that weren’t even ours, its never easy and only you can make the choice…

 

[nye]

Welcome to the forum, im sorry that your having to deal with this , can u you possibly picture his tail? Ive seen tons of beardies without tails and they live happy lives, how much are they wanting to take off? I think his quality of life could still be good, but i also personally wouldn’t allow my pets to suffer :/ ive had lots of pets put down,… some that weren’t even ours, its never easy and only you can make the choice…

I'll attach a pic below (he thought he was hidden underneath the wire haha). The red line is where the vets are estimating how much has to come off, but they won't know for sure until they actually get in there so it's possible that the whole tail might need to be amputated. You can also see the necrosis at the tip of his tail (try zooming in).

 

[Skybug]

Can u get a close up please.

 

[Skybug]

It doesn’t look that bad in my opinion, unless its dead further up, kinda hard to tell, and you’ve tried betadine already?

 

[nye]

It didn't look too bad to me either but I got it checked out anyways. I have been soaking it with betadine but I'm not sure if its working or not since I just started. but due to the kink in his tail, the vet estimates that the necrosis has progressed pass just the tip of his tail. This pic is from 4 days ago.

 

[Skybug]

It didn't look too bad to me either but I got it checked out anyways. I have been soaking it with betadine but I'm not sure if its working or not since I just started. but due to the kink in his tail, the vet estimates that the necrosis has progressed pass just the tip of his tail. This pic is from 4 days ago.

Well,….. for how much they want to take off, its not that much, he’ll have to learn to balance again but will still have a good portion of his tail, and i will say its a little odd it’s black in between his scales , either way something has to be done, if a full week of betadine doesn’t do anything then id have the amputation done if that’s what you think is best for him, he can still live At least another 5-7 years of happy life

 

[nye]

Well,….. for how much they want to take off, its not that much, he’ll have to learn to balance again but will still have a good portion of his tail, and i will say its a little odd it’s black in between his scales , either way something has to be done, if a full week of betadine doesn’t do anything then id have the amputation done if that’s what you think is best for him, he can still live At least another 5-7 years of happy life

He’s in a bioactive tank so that could just be dirt between his scales. I’m more so worried about if they have to take off more than they anticipated. He doesn’t have much mobility with his back legs so I’m not sure if it would be cruel or not to keep him alive

 

[Skybug]

I think u should wait a little bit and keep up with the betadine (dilute it in a ratio of 1part betadine to 4 parts water) his tail tip might fall off, if and when it does immediately put a bandaid over it, DO NOT let it get dirty again, and you might want to rethink his bioactive in the meantime, put a towel over all the dirt so he’s walking on that and its more sterile for him, manuka honey is supposedly really good for healing wounds and keeping it clean, highly recommend getting some of that.

 

[Skybug]

If his tail doesn’t improve in 2 weeks maximum, then you need to make ur call, if it was looking worse id say have him put down, but he doesn’t look that bad in my opinion, maybe some other forum members that are more knowledgeable will comment..

 

[nye]

Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll put him in a separate quarantine tank probably for now just for the extra caution. Do you think it would be a good idea to keep a bandaid on him for now in between treatments as extra precaution while hes in his tank? I was thinking to do that and let him roam outside of his tank for a few hours each day without the bandage to air it out. Thanks for the advice

 

[Julee1971]

Hey guys,

This is my first time posting on here. I'm usually just the type to read through the forums, but it's come to the point where I have to make a difficult decision for my Bearded Dragon.

His name is Pump and he's probably around 5 years old by now. No idea exactly since he was rehomed to me. He has a case of tail rot which two Vets have recommended amputation for since it has progressed past just treating with antibiotics.

I'm having a tough time making this choice because Pump also has MBD from his previous home and struggles to use his back legs. He depends heavily on his tail for balance and I'm not sure how great his quality of life will be without it. Any advice or thoughts? I don't want to make the wrong decision.

We rescue & rehome!! Tail rot is from shed not falling off, baths 2 times a week and more when shedding. This does not look like tail rot; u need a new reptile ver asap. Rite now the issue u need to focus on is the MBD. He needs to be in his tank and under UVB & Heat asap. Please get him the Reptisun 10.0 T5 (UVB) long tubular bulb ASAP!! Make sure it’s the 10.0 and T5; It’s a long tubular bulb, the length u order should cover 70 percent of the tank & try and mount it on top starting at the hot side & place it in the center of tank or along the back so when he basks he gets Uvb; make sure it’s 10inches or more away from him. Also replace this UVB every 6Mnths. Many people don’t use the proper UVB bulb and don’t switch it out every 6 mnths so the beardie gets MBD/very sick with brittle bones but u can help & semi reverse it. Also a zoomed heat lamp for heat; it’s a clear bulb. Keep both on for 12-14hours in the summer more like 14 and 10-12 in the winter more like 10. He needs lots of calcium powder but repcal from petco do this 5 times a week once per day sprinkled on the feeders. Lots and lots of calcium also crickets and Dubia roaches and always a fresh plate of greens and veggies he needs lots of yellow squash that has lots of calcium; beat everyday ones u shoidl do 2-3; mustard greens are great, also collard greens, dandelions, yellow squash, butternut squash, green beans & snap peas are the best everyday ones. Fruits 2toles per week; blueberries, mangoes and papayas. But for now proper UvB & heat and lots of calcium/protein ASAP. Also make a fluffy comfy basking platform get a medium animal pillow and fluffy soft cloths and build a platform so if he falls or struggles he doesn’t hurt or break his bones I’ll semd u a pic of one of mine with MBD that recovered dramatically. Be creative….

 

[nye]

We rescue & rehome!! Tail rot is from shed not falling off, baths 2 times a week and more when shedding. This does not look like tail rot; u need a new reptile ver asap. Rite now the issue u need to focus on is the MBD. He needs to be in his tank and under UVB & Heat asap. Please get him the Reptisun 10.0 T5 (UVB) long tubular bulb ASAP!! Make sure it’s the 10.0 and T5; It’s a long tubular bulb, the length u order should cover 70 percent of the tank & try and mount it on top starting at the hot side & place it in the center of tank or along the back so when he basks he gets Uvb; make sure it’s 10inches or more away from him. Also replace this UVB every 6Mnths. Many people don’t use the proper UVB bulb and don’t switch it out every 6 mnths so the beardie gets MBD/very sick with brittle bones but u can help & semi reverse it. Also a zoomed heat lamp for heat; it’s a clear bulb. Keep both on for 12-14hours in the summer more like 14 and 10-12 in the winter more like 10. He needs lots of calcium powder but repcal from petco do this 5 times a week once per day sprinkled on the feeders. Lots and lots of calcium also crickets and Dubia roaches and always a fresh plate of greens and veggies he needs lots of yellow squash that has lots of calcium; beat everyday ones u shoidl do 2-3; mustard greens are great, also collard greens, dandelions, yellow squash, butternut squash, green beans & snap peas are the best everyday ones. Fruits 2toles per week; blueberries, mangoes and papayas. But for now proper UvB & heat and lots of calcium/protein ASAP. Also make a fluffy comfy basking platform get a medium animal pillow and fluffy soft cloths and build a platform so if he falls or struggles he doesn’t hurt or break his bones I’ll semd u a pic of one of mine with MBD that recovered dramatically. Be creative….

Hi,
I know you mean no harm, but there's a reason why I didn't ask for help about his MBD. He was an in a neglectful home previously that did not provide him UVB, heating, or greens. I have worked hard to stop the progression of his MBD. He's currently under a reptisun 10.0 UVB tube which spans along his entire 75 gallon tank, basking temps are at 101F. Both lights are set on a timer for 12 hours a day. He gets calcium and multi every week with the occasional bee pollen. His diet consists of dark leafy greens and for protein I feed him Phoenix worms, super worms, and occasionally crickets. Blueberries are his favorite treat and he gets them 2x a week. I will attach a picture of his setup, but I love my boy and have changed his setup significantly from the shithole he was in before in his old home.

Thank you for the concern. He's a very spoiled guy

 

[nye]

He was also extremely underweight and dehydrated on top of that. It was disturbing. But I've fattened him up, forced him to eat his greens after had a diet of only protein, and now he's a happy boy. The tail rot is from stuck shed though.

 

[Julee1971]

Also forgot to mention after u find a new reptile or exotic animal vet because his back legs are in such bad shape he needs calcium shots from the vet alongside the tons of UVB with the Reptisun 10.0 T5 & lots of protein that I mentioned!!!

It didn't look too bad to me either but I got it checked out anyways. I have been soaking it with betadine but I'm not sure if its working or not since I just started. but due to the kink in his tail, the vet estimates that the necrosis has progressed pass just the tip of his tail. This pic is from 4 days ago.

when u

 

[nye]

Also forgot to mention after u find a new reptile or exotic animal vet because his back legs are in such bad shape he needs calcium shots from the vet alongside the tons of UVB with the Reptisun 10.0 T5 & lots of protein that I mentioned!!!

when u

I've had him for 3 years now and his MBD hasn't progressed. I'll see if I can find a photo of him from the first day I got him to show you how much better he's gotten