Shedding toes

[Lisa]

If you have a decent size tank, with plenty room and things in there that they can rub against such as rocks or logs or their hide, then you should not have a problem with shedding. As Leigh says but, it can take a week or longer to get it all off. It's when it gets retained over many sheds that it becomes a problem, so if they're still walking around with bits hanging off them after a week then that's ok.

I have no experience with indo lizards but would assume that being a high humidity area that a humid hide would be an asset, but for australian species it shouldn't be necessary.

If some is still stuck on the toes after a couple of weeks, sit the toe in a bit of warm water for about 5-10 minutes and then gently rub it off in the direction of their feet. Most scales elsewhere on their bodies you can remove by applying gentle pressure with your thumb in a backwards direction.

If you have an overall dry lizard, my vet recommended plain old sorbolene cream. My shingle was a bit dry around where his legs join his body coming out of last winter and I just rubbed a bit onto my hands and then rubbed my hands onto him. Seemed to do the trick.

[Zach]

Does Glycerin help with shedding? How about moisturizing cream? I know that antiseptic cream burns dogs - how does moisturizer go with reps?

My advice is to not put anything on the reps. Oil? Shed aide? Water will do the EXACT darn thing with tough sheds that are still stuck after weeks have past.

But like Leigh said, let them have a week or so to get it all off themselves....then, if there's still some left, usually on the head and toes, gently assist.

[Blotch]

If you have an overall dry lizard, my vet recommended plain old sorbolene cream. My shingle was a bit dry around where his legs join his body coming out of last winter and I just rubbed a bit onto my hands and then rubbed my hands onto him. Seemed to do the trick.

Ahh cool Lisa - So Sorbolene is good!

[mouseinamilkbottle]

Our guys pretty much shed fine on their own. We do have a bottle of a product, that we were given as a freebie when we bought a lot of stuff from the Hydroshop when we were setting up our second tank. It's basically a purified water based conditioning spray, with things like Aloe Vera and Glycerine in it to do the conditioning. It isn't greasy in texture and it doesn't smell strongly of chemicals or perfume - just a very faint "moisturiser" scent. It's an Australian product.

Brock, our friend who owns the shop recommended it highly for problem shedders. He uses it on his own herps - he has kept beardies for many years and recently adopted two rescue shinglebacks. He's very picky about what he keeps in his shop and what he recommends to people. He tests everything at home and does a lot of research before he stocks it, and if he doesn't like the product, he doesn't sell it.

The couple of times I've used it, I've just put a couple of squirts on my own hands, than gently handled and stroked the skink during regular handling time. It doesn't seem to distress them, and dries in under a minute, leaving no powdery residue or greasy texture behind.

It's definitely not something I use regularly - our guys just don't need it. But if there is a bit of scale stuck on tight, like on the top of the head or round the feet or tail tip, I've found a little of this on my hands makes the dead scales come off much quicker than just with water, with less fiddling and less stress on the animal.

This is the best description I can find of the product online. The company doesn't seem to have a website.

https://my.bizshop.com.au/reptiletrader ... cts_id=465