Monitor toes fell off!

[dragon lady]

A lady just rang me.....said ide ask brainstrust.....YOU!

2 toes have been looking wobbly...bent....
they just fell off....in bathing.... no bleeding....but sensitive to touch...

forgot ...in a accie male 2-3 yrs old ...

any ideas?
any vet to recommend close to Mt.Barker S.A that is experienced with monitors?
Public holiday today!

 

[Chris.j]

They need to be kept dry as does their enclosure. If their enclosure is humid or they are being bathed then they end up with problems shedding leading to constricted toes and tails. Keep the water source at the opposite end of the enclosure to the heat source, provide plenty of ventilation.

 

[dragon lady]

ive seen her habitat...all good.....doesnt bath very often.... maybe every 2 months....for a quick clean...thats it
i asked how often she baths...dont think its the problem

what would stop toes circulation...that much that they would fall off?

 

[DragonKeeper]

The old accie at Reptile City lost it's foot and half it's tail due to old age... but I suppose 2-3 years isn't that old...

 

[salebrosus]

Skin restrictions brought on by poor shedding. Failing that i would suspect something bacterial in which case requiring veterinary treatment. Does it share an enclosure with any other ackies or is it on its own? Could have received bites on the toes from another animal causing the blood flow to the toes to cease.

What substrate is used? Are there rocks etc in the enclsoure?

 

[Tristis]

monitors need humidity belive it or not. post pic of there set up, with out pics it could be anything.

 

[krusty]

very interesting.

 

[Tristis]

monitors live for years 15 -20 + depends on species.

 

[kasey]

Wow

Thats interesting ive never heard of that

 

[vadnappa]

if the basking spot isnt hot enough it can leed to probs shedding, especially tip of the tail and the toes. old skin doesnt come off constricts the blood flow and the digit falls off after awhile. ackies need a roasting hot basking spot. mine have a basking stack on the top it can get 80+. just make sure there is a temp gradient you dont want the whole enclosure that hot of course. mine goes from 35 hot end 25 cool end.

 

[dragon lady]

Cant post pics...im not computer friendly....also not mine to post pics...sorry
i said that ide post thread in the brilliant forum im in to see if i can get advice

temps are fine....as Richardsc & Sdaji recommended .... ive passed her on the details long ago...
variant is great....

accie is housed by itself in a 4 ft mdf habitat

im thinking it may be calcium?....would low calcium .....liken to brittle bones...cause it

bacterial...?..... possible
what vet best near MtBarker..S.A?

 

[Aslan]

Dragon Lady - It has nothing to do with calcium - the answer has been given a dozen times! This is quite common in small Monitors when they do not shed the skin completely off their toes and often tail - if the old skin is nt removed it cuts off blood flow and the appendage drops off...it's that simple...

 

[itbites]

Yes definately a shed problem...does she have enough branches/cage furniture? I've seen ackies loose toes because the owner didn't have any braches for the li'l guy to rub against

 

[anguskennedy]

So wait, with monitors are you saying that higher humidity and bathing causes shedding problems? (Chris.J)

 

[Tristis]

branches has nothing to do with it, they need to be hot and they need to have some where humid they can get.
all the pygmy monitors will burrow if give the right set up. burrows are humid.

 

[itbites]

Oh ok then well my ackie must have been special because he always used to rub against his braches/slate to remove the loose skin ..In saying this he also used to try and mate with my black rock skink...lol

 

[anguskennedy]

Yeh, unless ackies are different to almost all other reptiles, i think you will find that humidity, and bathing, WILL help with shedding.

My young lace monitor had constricted toes, I only noticed them just in time (the constricted area was only 1-2mm thick, whereas the rest of the toes was probably 5-6mm thick) and spent every day for a week bathing him and trying to scratch the multiple layers of unshed skin off (he wasnt very cooperative!). Very painful (for me!), but once the skin was off the constricted areas filled out and now he is fine.

 

[Tristis]

my monitors would eat anything i put in there, rock skink wouldnt last 2 seconds. try turning the heat up and see how long the skink lasts

 

[itbites]

Tristis not ALL animals have the same personality.. the heat was always at 50-55 degrees in the basking spot and he was an adult as well, i have video footage of the ackie trying to mate the skink and also they lived together for at least 6months so i guess that blows your theory out of the water LOL

 

[Tristis]

turn the heat up to 80, if the heat dosent kill the skink the monitor will. its like keeping live mice with a snake, if the snake is cold the mice will live in the tank once the snake is hot good bye mice.