Question about BTS tail

[Shaggraa]

Hello. After Ziggy's last shed he has some skin on the end of his tail that wont come off. I was thinking about soaking him (again, as i always give him a soak when he is shedding) and trying to get the skin off, but I don't want to injure him. Basically I am asking if his tail will come off if i try to help him out with this? I have included a picture. Thanks

ziggy tail.jpg

[Linnea]

first, no panic. especially if your bts shed less than ~4 days ago.

you have to help him with this if he cannot manage it, or the tail-tips bloodflow will be restricted and die. so it will most definitely come off if you do not help - if that helps to answer your question....>.<

first, gently touch the tailtip with your finger to see if the shed comes off easily. be gentle and do it in the direction of the scales. if its stuck hard then try to soak for 20 mins and gently rub it with a towel or the like.

although....i would recommend to leave your pet to shedding by itself for 2 days before attempting soaking or helping. but that might be just my opinion and not something good to do >.<

i hope everyone else will fill in the info i forgot >.<

[Shaggraa]

Thanks. I think it has been about a week since he shed. I waited in hopes that it would come off itself, but it hasn't. I just wasn't sure if my trying to help would just make it worse. Here is a pic of Ziggy. He is 6 months old.

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[Richard.C]

beautiful skink,you should be fine to assist in removing the shed,normally it comes off easy,but if not dampen the stuck shed as it can help loosen it making removal easier

[Bird_Brain]

Welcome! Beautiful indo! You may find that the Carefresh bedding maybe too dry of a substrate for him if he continues to have shedding issues. Some skinks do great on Carefresh, others need something that doesnt dry out the tank as much. Only time will tell for you, but just something to consider.

[Shaggraa]

Welcome! Beautiful indo! You may find that the Carefresh bedding maybe too dry of a substrate for him if he continues to have shedding issues. Some skinks do great on Carefresh, others need something that doesnt dry out the tank as much. Only time will tell for you, but just something to consider.

What would you suggest besides Carefresh? I started off using Repti Bark, but i did not like it. It was very dusty, and also very hard to see fecal matter in it (although as he gets bigger it becomes easier to see >.<).

[Bird_Brain]

I suggest you use whatever works best for you and your skink. I personally use cypress mulch. But again if carefresh is working for you, I see no reason to change it.

[bella3]

What would you suggest besides Carefresh? I started off using Repti Bark, but i did not like it. It was very dusty, and also very hard to see fecal matter in it (although as he gets bigger it becomes easier to see >.<).

I personally believe that no substrate is necessarily right or wrong. There are some that people find work better than others. I personally find Aspen works well for me, but you might have luck with other brands. Hope that helps a bit. And as ReptileKing said if carefresh works for you, than no need to change it.

[Jeff]

If the Reptibark was dusty, it just means that it was too dry. You need to mist it occassionally to keep it from drying out. It is pretty much the same with any substrate. The thing with Carefresh or aspen shavings though, is that you can't really keep them damp by misting.

Each species is different, and each housing situation is different, so you need to figure out what works best for your skink in your setup. For an Indonesian species, I would prefer somthing that can be misted rather than the dryer things like Carefresh. I like cypress mulch a lot for gigas BTS, but that can get dry too if you don't mist it. It is generally not as dusty as Reptibark thhough.

Since your tail tip is being bent by stuck shed, I would definitely get it off. It really should come off pretty easily. If you can't just gently rub it off, I would hold a wet cloth on it for a few minutes until it loosens up.

[Bowdoin55]

A dab of olive oil works well in these situations, too (I occasionally resorted to assisting a tegu with stuck shed on his tail before I adjusted my husbandry parameters to nip the problem in the bud).

Lovely skink!

Cheers,

David

[Shaggraa]

Thanks all! I rubbed the skin with a warm damp cloth after I gave him a bath. Now I am starting to think he just has a crook in his tail? If that is even possible. He has never had an issue with shedding. I bathe him once a week, and he has fresh water daily that he can soak in if he wants.

Is there a preferred brand of cypress mulch?