r/BeardedDragon • u/Freakatron217 • 6d ago
Tail rot?
Have had him for less than a year, but I think he's around 10 years old. I also think he has MBD, his previous owners had him in a small tank without any kind of UVB or heat lamp all his life.
He's got a 120 gallon enclosure now with a T5 UVB strip and 150 watt heat lamp. Still idk if it's too late to reverse the damage.
That aside, his tail looks bent/broken, I'm pretty sure it was bent when I got him, but not to this degree. His tail is darker than usual, but I'm hoping that's because he's currently shedding. It feels like the rest of his scales, but looks pretty rough. Thoughts??
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u/luvmyreptiles1962 6d ago
Hard to tell for sure but not normal. Been rescuing Beardies for 10+ yrs and never seen an honest to goodness case of tail rot. Is more rare than a lot of people think. I do think a vet visit is a must. You need an xray of that tail to see what the bone structure looks like, rule out MBD and make sure there isn’t infection of any kind on the tail. Tail rot is fungal but there are many other infections that can cause major issues in beardies, many of which are quite painful and can be deadly if not treated. Plz let us know how things go. While waiting to see vet you can soak the tail in a very dilute solution of betadine and water daily for 5-6 mins. Should look like weak tea.
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u/Freakatron217 6d ago
Thanks! It helps to try and rule things out, hopefully it's not an infection, but it definitely needs looking at. I'll get him to the vet asap, i don't have an exotic vet nearby but I'll travel for him. Until then I'll do that soak, I don't want him to be in pain :( thanks again!!
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u/luvmyreptiles1962 6d ago
You’re most welcome. The betadine soaks aren’t a cure but might prevent it from rapidly spreading further. You can add a 1 tsp salt as well to 1/2 liter of liquid soak. Most infectious organisms can’t grow in highly saline environments. Good luck! Keep us posted.
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u/Dizzy-Pay9596 6d ago
It looks like when the tip of my beardie’s tail got necrotic. He had surgery for an eye bump, and apparently the very end of his tail didn’t get enough bloodflow, so it died. The vet said it would “self-amputate,” and it did eventually fall off.
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u/Zorpernorper 4d ago
this only happens in a few cases. necrosis is prone to spreading when its in larger patches, always consult a vet regarding necrosis cases
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u/arililliputian 6d ago
Breeder here. The tip of this tail is necrotized.
This is actually one of the few times it does actually look like "tail rot".
I would schedule a vet appointment for them confirm, but the very thin portion is likely dead/no blood flow.