Hello, I noticed last night that my crestie has a mark on his back leg. It looks like a scab - I never saw any fresh blood or anything. I believe it is a wound he must have gotten by scraping against something in his enclosure. I’ve added a picture of him.
I’ve started booking a vet appointment, it just needs to be processed (not sure if one is necessary i just want to be safe rather than sorry). This is the first time i’ve ever run into anything out of the ordinary with Charmander so I just want to make sure I’m covering all the bases and get some opinions from more experienced people!
My plan currently is to monitor his scab everyday and take daily pics to see if it gets any better/worse. I’m also cleaning his tank to avoid him developing an infection. Should I clean the area despite it appearing to be a closed wound? I don’t want to damage it further or irritate it. If so what should i clean it with? From the research i’ve done it sounds as though he should heal on his own, but if there is any sign of it getting worse or an infection starting then i’ll immediately take him to the vet.
Please let me know what you guys think. I really love him and i want him to be okay!
If you can get ahold of some betadine you can dilute it with 10 parts water : 1 part betadine, soak a q-tip in it and gently just pat the q-tip over the area. It is a closed wound but that doesn’t mean it can’t get infected so the betadine will help prevent new harmful bacterial growth.
Do the betadine treatment 1-2x a day until the wound has fully healed. I should also clarify that this is not a full proof treatment for an active infection, only a preventative. If you do notice the wound regressing then definitely book that appointment.
Keep an eye on the area if you catch him shedding anytime because the shedding process may cause the scab to fall off or there may just be some residual stuck shed that will slowly come off on its own around the area.
I would just keep an eye on it, have the betadine and vet ready if it seems off, but in my experience constantly touching them only makes the healing process take longer. They heal just fine on their own 99% of the time. If the gecko is just left alone and not stressed their immune system will do its job.
