Shedding mishap? (pics)

[Hijinks]

Ping started a shed yesterday, and now there's a bright white patch on his tail, like a BALD SPOT!

It started out small. This is from yesterday:


This is what it looks like today:





Anyone ever seen this? One thing to note is that around a month ago I noticed a tiny bump underneath his tail in this spot. It was two scales, and around a week after I noticed it they were gone. I thought maybe it was a tiny patch of stuck shed. Now you can see in one of the pictures there's an indentation under the tail where that bump used to be.
There's always something to worry about! I freak out about everything, but I didn't freak out about that little bump, and now it appears there may have been something to it.

[Drew]

looks like scales has been removed or something. ive seen this with snakes. bring him to the vet, he could have an infection or something that could start a gangrene with the whole tail.

[Lisa]

They can sometimes, through misadventure, rip the top layer off a scale. But that usually only occurs on one scale and generally in a place that has contact with something, and it is quite noticeable that a thin layer has come off the scale (because it looks a little pinkish underneath).

But that doesn't look like the case on Ping.
That's very strange. Does it go all the way round even underneath him? It seems so in the 3rd pic.

I'd be getting a good herp vet to look at that, because he looks very healthy otherwise. It almost seems like he's damaged the end of his tail somehow, maybe a broken bone, and that he's going to lose the end of it.

Strange how it's changing when he sheds. I've never seen anything like that and I have no knowledge or experience with scale rot or anything similar. If it were mine, I'd be off to the vet.

[Hijinks]

Oh man. He can't catch a break!
The poor little guy got off precautionary antibiotics a week ago, been in and out of the vet for checkups, and he's basically been living in a clean room. No clue what he could have gotten into. Just yesterday I finally figured our problems were over and I could put the STUFF back into his tank. I found the little cone-shaped piece of shed from the end of his tail that he lost today. It looks like it came off cleanly and left that weird unpigmented patch underneath. The patch does go all the way around the tail. I'll call them tomorrow.

[Lisa]

Maybe it's because of the drugs? It's certainly strange that it's affecting so many scales, and in a place that you wouldn't think would be easy to damage them.

This is what mine looked like right after he ripped the top off one:
It's a bit blurry because I've cropped it. He did it rubbing it on something. It was only one scale, under his chin and it basically healed and there's just a small crescent shaped mark there now.

Just to give you an idea of what it looks like when the top comes off a scale. From memory, it was slightly pink in colour and looked a little furry or rough to the touch.

[Drew]

where did the vet administered the antibiotic?

[SailleSkinklover]

I'm guessing he got his antibiotic injections nearer the base of his tail up toward his hips? I too wonder if it is a reaction to antibiotics. Ick!
I hope you can see the good vet that helped you last time! Please keep us informed! (Poor Ping-a-Ling!!!!! He'll be in my thoughts, sending healthy healing-tail vibes his way!)

[Hijinks]

The antibiotic injections were in alternating front limbs.

My poor little guy has had three seemingly separate issues... One was my fault (Reptisun UV damage), one was sort of my fault (panicked when I saw a tremor, rushed to vet, may not have had to), and the tail is just weird. I feel like this is where Judge Judy steps in and takes my custody rights. He's got raised platforms and he dives off of them pretty fast...maybe he could have hit his tail on the edge or something? Bricks were in there too...maybe he somehow pinched his tail underneath one? I saw him nibbling at his own leg to get shed off...maybe he bit himself some time in the past (but didn't bite it OFF as the other babies did)?

[Marie]

Do you know how to get ahold of your blue tongue's breeder? Maybe contact him and see if he has had similar problems.

[aggiegirl]

You should have called him "Ching" instead of "Ping." I can just hear the sound of the cash register every time he has some new issue...ching, ching, ching. Why don't you call the vet who administered the antibiotic injections and inquire if this could be related to the treatment. If nothing else, maybe they'll just feel sorry for you and charge a "recheck" fee. Just a thought...Good luck and keep us updated.

[Hijinks]

Yes, I'm calling them today. I don't think it's a problem with him or the antibiotics though. I'm the unifying factor in all of this. Nobody else has all these weird problems. If something happens to him I don't think I'll be getting another anytime soon. Wouldn't be responsible.

[JWSR]

Sorry to see this Amanda. I've never seen anything like this in a lizard of any species. I did some searching for you and did find some information that could possibly apply to Ping's problem.

I read that an autonomous lizard, when injured in any way on the tail, without it actually being pulled off, will constrict the muscle and blood vessels anterior to the injury, beginning the process of autonomy. Even a slight cut from a jagged rock on the side or bottom of the tail can be enough for the animal to kill off the tail section posterior to the injury. The problem is not so much losing the tail section, but what will occur if the tail is left to fall off by itself without amputation. That is something called "dry gangrene." It says that the very end of the tail will become very dry and brittle and also turn dark because the tissue is dead or dying. This in turn will spread to the healthy tissue anterior to the injury if not amputated.

Was there any place in Ping's cage where he could have caught or pinched his tail? Between a basking ledge and wall? Between two rocks?

This is all something new to me, but what I've read seems to make sense. I hope you get him to a good herp vet to find out for sure.

Get well little Ping!
Keep us informed Amanda.

[Hijinks]

Thanks, everyone. The earliest I can get in with the vet I saw last time is Thursday. The other one isn't available at all. I still have some ceftazidime in the freezer. Wish I could get in touch with the vet that gave it to me. I don't want to go giving it to him on a whim, but maybe it would help prevent problems until I can get him to the vet..? If this is not a new injury, maybe those antibiotics were necessary after all. I am so confused. The end of the tail seems to still have feeling, and he can move it.

Yes, it's completely possible that he could have caught his tail on something in his tank! I never even considered this hazard.

[SailleSkinklover]

I would highly recommend against administering any drug or antibiotic without first consulting with a trusted herp vet!!!!
In the mean time, is it getting worse or holding steady, or even getting better now?
I'm hoping you and Ping can hold off until tomorrow when you can see your good vet.
Until then, sending good energies to Ping for a fast and full recovery!

[Hijinks]

Yeah...I won't. He is ACTING fine...ate a huge meal last night, and now I have a *live streaming webcam* on him so I can see if he is actually biting at it or anything. He woke up, took a drink, and now he's basking.

You should have called him "Ching" instead of "Ping." I can just hear the sound of the cash register every time he has some new issue...ching, ching, ching.

Oh yeah. I could have half a shingleback for what I have dropped on vet bills so far. But I'd much rather have a whole Ping.

[Leigh]

What JWSR says is true I had it on my beardie, the only thing is is that the area on your skink is WHITE and still flexible, not BLACK and brittle so I dont think its that. A lot of lizards get tail issues after having medication needed or not, the twatty vet that new very little could have taken hold of your buddy tightish by the tail and may have caused an injury to the scales pre-shed, last theory is he's had a major growth spert in the tail region as the scales look pigment less not infected or damadged, from the first photo to last it looks like he's getting some colouration on the scales as the days go by

[Marie]

It could always be a bacterial or fungal infections.

[Hijinks]

Vet appointment is tomorrow. Hopefully he's seen something like this before. But if a whole forum hasn't seen anything like it...hmm. My skink seems to specialize in weirdness.

Antibiotics leave them vulnerable to fungal infections though, right? My mom once had a horse that died from a fungal infection after it was put on antibiotics.

It doesn't seem to be spreading, or dead, but the white part is a little skinnier than the parts of the tail on either side of it.

[SailleSkinklover]

Hey, Hijinks,
I know that antibiotics can really lower the amount of "good" bacteria in the body, (specifically in the gut/intestines) and that weakens the immune system, making it more much more prone to yeast and fungal infections.

This actually happened to a friend of mine, she was treated with an outrageous amount of antibiotics for a mild sinus infection and she had severe yeast infections for the next two years, and there wasn't any Western doctor that knew what the heck was going on. She was constantly sick on top of the yeast thing, and is only just now, three and a half years later, starting to get better. No more antibiotics, Lots of natural yogurt and stuff with natural cultures helped, as did watching what she eats that is treated with antibiotics ( organic meats!).

I don't know how it can all affect reptiles, and I don't think you can really feed them dairy because they're not mammals so they don't really digest lactose, but I can ask my vet when I go Saturday.

Maybe you could also call and/or ask a zoo? Maybe because they've got such a range of critters that it might be something someone has seen before in another animal. Good luck, just one more day and Ping will hopefully be right-as-rain soon!

[Hijinks]

After a week of undigested veggies in the poo, I started giving him probiotics. Reptile/avian Bene-bac, and more recently Acidophiliz+. This is advice I actually got from this forum...the vet that gave me the antibiotics actually said they shouldn't have this effect!
It looks much better, but it's still not up to my discerning standards for poop.