# Help! - Bearded dragons tail dark, tail rot? (pictures)



## Jamisgec (Apr 7, 2009)

Hi Guys,

I had someone look after my dragons while i was away for a couple of days. They left a few crickets in the cage over night. I think they may have eaten a few of the dragons tail tips.

Now two of the tails have gone quite hard and dark in colour. One actually has been bent at an angle

Has this turned into tail rot? Should I get them amputated? 

Also will this cause any problems later on, say with shedding?


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## Kirby (Apr 7, 2009)

another dragon has bitten there tail. this isnt from crickets. 

you should seperate them. 

use an antiseptic ointment and if it gets worse, take them to the vet. he may need to amputate a section of the tail.


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## dixilizards (Apr 7, 2009)

It could well be Cricket damage, or it may also possibly a dragon or 2 has gotten a little mistaken and thought the end tail looked like food.

I wouldn't say amputate but I would say keep an eye on it, try some Betadine on the injury sites and keep the food and heat up to these guys, seperate anything that looks to be slowing down and give lots of TLC.

Shedding maybe an issue down the track but warm soaks can alieviate that as an issue.


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## JasonL (Apr 7, 2009)

Being a tail tip, I'd say it was far more likely a bite from another dragon. Tail tips are quite tough, and crickets usually feed on the soft folds of the neck and on the dragons back, freshly shed dragons are at risk the most. Other dragons usually bite tail tips, the enlarged toe on the rear feet, or the front feet all together. The dragons need seperating.


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## JasonL (Apr 7, 2009)

The tail tip will fall off, use an antiseptic to help prevent septicemia.


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## Lovemydragons (Apr 7, 2009)

I had the same thing. One of my girls already had a tip missing off her tail and the other girl decided she'd munch her stumpy tail. It was quite flattened and munched pretty bad. 

Just keep it clean, and use iodine. The damaged part it will probably fall off, but as long as you keep it clean and keep using the iodine the infection shouldn't get in and the wound should heal. You may need to separate, as my naughty girl kept seeing the brown and red end of her tail flying round and kept thinking it was food. So she had another go. So I separated till it healed. They are fine now. She just has an even shorter tail than before.


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## Jamisgec (Apr 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone for all the advice. Ill keep them clean and a good eye on the tails. Ill have to seperate them out so it doesnt happen again.


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## Emmalicious (Apr 8, 2009)

Hmmm Yeah I don't think a cricket would do that mate!


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