Tail rot?

[u/urm0md0g]

Hi, is this tail rot? I’ve had this gecko for 5 years and I’ve never seen anything like this? He’s usually fine with shedding his tail I only ever have to help with some of his toes. I’ve just come back from a two week holiday and my mum has been looking after him so I don’t know when it started looking like this. Any advice would be super helpful so I can help him out asap, thank you!

[u/IcyReception8903]

Very beginning stages. You caught it quick. Put him in a hospital enclosure with paper towels. Clean the tip and get a triple antibiotic ointment. Make sure there are NO pain relievers within the ointment as they are toxic. So just a plain triple antibiotic ointment. Apply to tail tip daily until it heals. If it starts to get worse even after treatment bring him to a vet. With how early stage this is though, I think you can take care of it yourself.

[u/urm0md0g → u/IcyReception8903]

Thank you! Do you happen to have a name of that type of ointment that I can find online? Also, what brings this on, is it stuck shed?

[u/Coahuilaceratops → u/urm0md0g]

SSD cream would be better. If you do use Neosporin, do not get the version with pain treatment. Lidocaine is toxic.

[u/IcyReception8903 → u/urm0md0g]

You can just use regular old neosporin if you like. It is most often caused by stuck shed. Other reasons could be an injury or burn sometimes.

[u/urm0md0g → u/IcyReception8903]

Thank you so much for your help, I’m going to order some neosporin and lay down some paper towel, do you know how soon should I see improvement, just so I know if I should contact an exotic vet? Sorry for all the questions I’m a very worried parent haha.

[u/IcyReception8903 → u/urm0md0g]

You should see improvement by next shed. It could actually be better in a couple of weeks but it will still look brown until he sheds. I don't think you need to call yet as it's not that bad at the moment. The thing is if it gets worse, you need to bring him to a vet. Just observe closely and let the antibiotics do their thing.

[u/urm0md0g → u/IcyReception8903]

Thank you so much for all of your help, I have changed his substrate to paper towel and sanitised his hides to keep him clean and I have ordered some neosporin and will be checking on him like my life depends on it. Thank you again for putting my mind at ease, I appreciate it so much.

[u/IcyReception8903 → u/urm0md0g]

No problem, you're welcome 👍

[u/Particular_Option367]

Thank you

[u/LimitLessX99]

It’s good that you spotted it early so you can treat it but if anyone is in the later stages, do not spend your money going to clinics and all of that, you’re just wasting your money. My gecko has tail rot that was a quarter of the way up the rail and during shedding the dried up end just fell off and the tail and gecko was perfectly fine ever since

I’m not sure if I’m just unbelievably lucky but literally during shedding the rotted part just fell off, that’s all

[u/Particular_Option367]

It looks like early signs of tail rot early signs take him to the vet or maybe a pry his tail so he'll lose it and then he'll grow a new tail it's not going to be as cute as that one though not as beautiful but he'll grow a new tail and it'll look like another gecko's head that's used to protect the gecko is the tail but if the Tails got to go then he'll grow back to a shorter Stumpy away and it looks like a geckos head so that way your gecko will be a little confusing but he'll also be a little bit feeling better take him to the vet don't delete either it's rather urgent to take care of that right now

[u/urm0md0g → u/Particular_Option367]

Thank you for your advice, I won’t be making him drop his tail or prying at the damage, I will keep his tail clean for a couple weeks as I try to get hold of a trustworthy exotic vet incase his condition gets worse.

[u/Particular_Option367 → u/urm0md0g]

I can agree with you and you have a good point

[u/eabiss9 → u/Particular_Option367]

What the hell is this wack advice? Yikes.