Swolen Digit?? Need help!

[toph427]

I was checking on one of my geckos today and noticed something. One of her digits seems swolen, and very pink in appearance. She has only shed since I have had her one time and it was about a week or two ago and didn't seem to have any troubles with it. Everything else seems to be ok. She spends a lot of time in her moist hide which is a tupperware with sphagnum moss. Could it have something to do with the substrate, or the substrate being too moist?? I only spray it until its damp maybe once everyday or every other day. Thnks for the help in advance!

 

[fl_orchidslave]

A little bit of stuck shed on her toe is what it sounds like. You can place her in a small container with a little warm water to soak. Then, with a qtip and some baby or olive oil, gently to to remove it. It may be necessary to do it several times over the next day because the old skin in constricting blood flow and she will lose her toe if it isn't removed.

 

[toph427]

Sorry Ive been trying to post a pic from my phone but can't get it to work. So you're pretty sure its skin from the last shed?? It looks like she has a band-aid on, I just don't want to rub it off if its not just extra skin. Is there a reason this happened?? Do I need to change the substrate in my moist hide to like eco-earth or paper towels?
Thank you for the quick response

 

[toph427]

I got the picture to work. What do you think?

 

[fl_orchidslave]

It's a stuck shed. You've got to get it off her. She may still lose her toe, but she will be okay.

 

[roger]

It's a stuck shed. You've got to get it off her. She may still lose her toe, but she will be okay.

Hmmm to me it doesnt look like stuck shed.Can u see if it moves when u roll your qtip on it ??

 

[Jordan]

yeh looks very thick to be stuck shed, stuck shed is like a little sleeve or sock over the toe, that looks too thick to be just a layer of skin to me.
and whats that big shiny lump on her head lol

 

[Dog Shrink]

Worse come to worse a warm soak in luke warm water can't hurt. If it's just swollen from a mis-step then the heat will reduce the swelling... if it's a stuck shed the warm bath will aide in taking off the shed, either way a soak schedule is in order imo.

 

[toph427]

Sorry I've been busy with school (finals)...When I rubbed it with a q-tip it didn't seem to move, when she walks on the foot she isn't wobbling or not putting pressure on it. The shiny thing on her head is a water droplet from the moist hide. So ill just keep giving her warm baths and rubbing the area with a q-tip with baby oil.

 

[M_surinamensis]

yeh looks very thick to be stuck shed, stuck shed is like a little sleeve or sock over the toe, that looks too thick to be just a layer of skin to me.
and whats that big shiny lump on her head lol

I'm not offering an opinion one way or the other. I never do, online. Without seeing the animal in person it's negligent.

But, just on the subject in general...

Sheds can roll. Especially with softer skinned and fine scaled species. Rather than turning inside-out, they can begin to roll up on themselves. Then the skin, thin though it is, is creating a thicker and thicker "doughnut" of shed which can, potentially, end up constricting whatever tissue is underneath. Blood flows into the digit, or the limb (or the back half of a snake) and the constriction of the veins closer to the surface keep it there. That causes swelling, the ring of stuck shed gets tighter, the problem gets worse.

Less like a sock being turned inside out and more like... well, like how condoms are packaged, rolled up on themselves.

It's a pretty common cause of lost digits, the constricted tissue tends to die quickly if the pressure is not released and normal blood flow doesn't resume. Usually that is the end of it, the stub where the toe was heals up and the animal runs around without it. If it is not actually removed though, that is a problem- since it's a bit of dead tissue still connected to the blood stream and it is an open wound which is going to be prone to secondary infections. A vet visit is definitely not out of line when it is suspected, just to get it looked over by someone in person that can determine accurately if it is a stuck shed and the best way to go about caring for it.

 

[toph427]

She just went into shed, so hopefully she'll get it off with this one...if not I'll use the q-tip and babyoil

 

[toph427]

Thanks for the help everybody, after a few warm soaks and using the q-tip with baby oil, the stuck shed finally came off. Thanks again

 

[M_surinamensis]

You let it stay like that for eleven (or more) days?

Without taking corrective steps, without seeing a vet- a week and a half with a constricted digit... that's animal abuse. Plain and simple.

She still needs to see a vet. The shed may be gone but there's going to be necrotic tissue in the toe you ignored for eleven days, hoping the problem would go away. Necrotic tissue that's likely to cause secondary problems with localized and systemic infection as dead cells and opportunistic pathogens get working.

Simply un-goddamn-believable. I usually detest comparing humans and animals, but it makes me wonder how long you'd wait before going to the hospital if you were to cut off the blood flow and kill one of your own fingers. As it swelled up, as it turned colors, as every movement and contact and beat of your heart pushing blood into it and made it throb in pain. I'm betting you wouldn't just wait eleven days to see if it fell off. You're a real piece of... work.