licking wounds?

[Renee]

do lizards lick their wounds like a dog would? I ask because I noticed the other day that cosmo had a bloody spot with no scales behind his leg and he was looking at it like he looks at food and I cant tell if he was trying to lick a wound clean or bite himself. He could have gotten the wound when he was frantic when he had mites or what I think is he bit himself when he was itchy with mites(which are now gone). Ive been cleaning it every day with a child safe antiseptic wash. I was just wondering if anyone had heard of or experienced their bluey licking and or biting themselves.

[Lea]

Hi renee. My post just got deleted when I wrote a reply! I hope I remember everything!

I've had a few rescues, with lots of wounds and in my experience they do lick their wounds occasionally, but not to the extent of the "lick lick lick" that dogs and cats do. One eastern, in particular, had her tail ripped off by a cat. The stump was cleaned and stitched by the vet, but she continually bit and scratched at the healing stump until she bit the end off. I don't think she liked the stitches, but they aren't really necessary for tail stumps anyway. But, she did bite her tail stump off a couple more times before it was too short to grab in her mouth and it eventually healed up. As wounds heal, they can itch and tighten, causing discomfort and can be so irritating. A skink will have a limited understanding of why it feels discomfort and will therefore try to rid itself of the bother- by removing it. Not all skinks will do this, but it can happen and I believe the same irritating feeling encourages them to lick their wounds.

Other skinks, with side or head wounds, can rub themselves against rocks, glass of vivarium etc, to remove the discomfort felt in the wound during healing or an infection.

What sort of antiseptic are you using? Even a child safe one can be quite toxic for small reptiles. I usually dilute with 10 parts water for open wounds. If you've been using it a few days, I suggest stopping it and observing. If there isn't a sign that it's healing up by now, then I would see your vet for advice. If you notice a smell or the wound is weepy/discharging, then make it ASAP, especially since you are unsure what caused the wound.

I hope this answers your questions. Feel free to ask anything else. I'll be home later, with access to my photos, if you'd like to see the stumpy eastern tail wound photographs and how it healed up.

[Lea]

If you can post pictures, it will help if you need to cover the wound to prevent him biting at it, since I'll be able to assist you with how to do it.

[Renee]

Thanks so much for your help. I took him to my local herp expert who said it looks great and it will heal the rest of the way on its own. I think im just a bit of an overprotective mommy with my first lizard lol What type of antiseptic should I use next time? I was using the cvs brand no sting antiseptic wash (being a health professional student I never use peroxide on anything) I use it on the dogs and myself it has aloe and its .13% benzalkonium chloride and 2% lidocaine hydrochloride so it doesnt seem too concentrated. What else would be good? Thanks again for the help.