BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hey everyone, I’m new to this forum. So let me start off by saying, yes I’ve seen a vet! A reptile specialized vet too. So my eastern blue tongue, Kova, has a toe that he walks weirdly on. It’s twisted and a bit swollen it seems. At first the toe nail was black too, I treated it with baths and some honey ointment which seemed to work a bit with clearing out the nail. Vet has told me its likely due to stuck shed in the past and that if it swells more, I should notify her. Then an amputation might be necessary. So my question is, does anyone have experience with this? Will it ever be corrected? It’s sadly been a while like this and he now walks on it completely sideways. I’ve also heard on here somewhere their toes can become like that when their nails are too long so I’m wondering. That’s why I’ve gotten paranoid about his nails and I clipped them, and one was cut way too short and started bleeding. I hope this one grows back. I have some slate and rocks in the enclosure and he’s on paper towel at this moment.

They will often claw and dig around and mess up their toes. At times a nail can be lost but to no apparent disadvantage to them. Just keep an eye on it, especially at shedding times. And yes, overgrown nails can be more prone to this. They can get them stuck on things and it's harder for all the skin to come away from an overgrown nail. I've also had this issue that in time corrected itself. Good luck!

splashy07 wrote:They will often claw and dig around and mess up their toes. At times a nail can be lost but to no apparent disadvantage to them. Just keep an eye on it, especially at shedding times. And yes, overgrown nails can be more prone to this. They can get them stuck on things and it's harder for all the skin to come away from an overgrown nail. I've also had this issue that in time corrected itself. Good luck!

Thank you! I’m gonna go to the vet again just in case, see what comes out of that. Hope something good!

I agree with Splashy07 on this one. The toe itself doesn't look to horrible other then the turning/twisting you are describing. I would just keep a good eye on it/work with your vet.

Maybe this picture shows the swelling a bit better. Tomorrow’s vet day

I forgot to update, maybe someone will find it handy in the future. So his toe’s just crooked, not actually really swollen. The vet squeezed in it etc. And he showed no bother. Its a healthy toe, just standing weird lol

Good news!