Damage to Puff's Nose

[YouSureSkink]

Sorry if this question has been answered elsewhere. I did some searching and couldn't find anything that matched.

A few weeks ago I noticed this spot on the tip of Puff's nose. It looked a little raw but after he had completed shedding it looked fine. I noticed today when checking on him, that his nose looks raw as before, except this time worse.

My only guess is that it could be from shedding and him rubbing his nose on his rocky hide that he likes to stay under. Maybe i need to get a hide that is less abrasive? He's used the same one since I got him last summer with no issues though. He is also shedding normally everywhere. I haven't noticed any stuck shed, except for the little bit in this picture on his nose (which I'm guessing he was trying to get off). I gave him a warm bath to help remove that piece from his nose.

Thanks everyone!

[Dood]

To me it looks like he has stuck shed on the top of his head as well but cannot reach to rub it off

How are you maintaining humidity? Do check it regularly?

[YouSureSkink]

Thanks Dood. The one thing I don't have is a gauge to check humidity. I do mist his substrate occasionally and give him baths if I notice any stuck shed. He also has a large water bowl which I thought would be good enough.

I guess with the colder air it does make sense that with the colder weather the humidity would drop as well.

Any suggestions? Maybe a different substrate that holds humidity better? I'm currently using Asepen.

[JoshChimera]

You could use cypress mulch, I pour water in a water fall that is dried up and my bts drinks from it. The cypress mulch stays wet underneath my dried up water fall.

[Bluish]

When i had northerns i found it pretty common for the head scales to be the last to come off. Not necessarily a humidity thing, he just needs something to be able to rub on or have a friendly human to assist. The scuff near the tip looks like he's been rubbing in something. One of my male meraukes rubbed his nose really raw by wedging it between the 2 panes of the sliding glass doors of his enclosure. If he is rubbing you should locate the source before he does more damage. Assuming that it is a fresh scuff.

[YouSureSkink]

Thanks everyone. I'll give the mulch a try. Should be able to pick some up when I swing by the pet store this week. I'll keep a closer eye on his nose.

I haven't noticed him wedging his nose anywhere in particular. He's mostly been spending his winter in his warm hide, which is a rocky hide. My guess is that the rough surface on the hide is a little too hard.

[Bluish]

I didn't know how my skink was doing it for a few days because he was always in his hide when i got home from work. I discovered it in a saturday. He only did it for a few minutes but over the first few days he had managed to do a good bit of damage.