Home

>

Reptile

>

When I got my Leopard gecko (Jupiiter) her tail was HUGE. But now it seems kinda thin but not seriously thin (Check image). Also I have a friend who has a bearded dragon and sometimes his neck/chin is black. Is that normal?

When I got my Leopard gecko (Jupiiter) her tail was HUGE. But now it seems kinda thin but not seriously thin (Check image). Also I have a friend who has a bearded dragon and sometimes his neck/chin is black. Is that normal?

Updated On October 23rd, 2017

Pet's info:

Image profile

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

The tail functions as storage for nutrients and water. It will shrink if she doesn't eat enough and she draws from her reserves. A bearded dragon's chin (or beard) will turn black when stressed. This is normal but the negative stimuli should be identified and then reduced or eliminated.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

See More Answers

Related Questions

left image

My dog has had a hard lump on his rear end just before his tail for over a year, recently I've noticed that it looks like it has been bleeding but just looks like a blood clot now. My boy is nearly 11 years old and I've recently had non cancerous cysts removed but I'm concerned about this as he is unable to reach that area to cause it to bleed himself

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Dexter. I agree, that is concerning that this hard lump is now bleeding, and this lump could be something serious. It could be a hemangiosarcoma (malignant) or hermangioma (benign), which are tumors that develop from blood vessels and look like a blood blister. Given his age, there is a chance it could be another type of malignant tumor, like a mast cell tumor, but it could also be benign. Unfortunately without seeing him in person, I cannot say for certain. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

Read More

I’m looking for advice with my 18 month old female Crested Gecko. This dark spot on her tail appeared after we came back from a vacation. Is this tail rot? Should I see an exotic vet or is there at home treatment I can provide?

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. The end of the tail looks to be a healing injury to me. The tissue does not look necrotic (dead). I think you can try to treat it at home with this product: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-small-animal-topical-spray ) Use as directed on the label. If after a week or so, it is not improved or if it looks worse at any time then take Autum to an exotics vet for evaluation. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

Hello, My 3 year old golden retriever has been gnawing at a spot on his lower back near his tail and has started to turn red and bleed from the excessive scratching

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. About 99/100 times if a dog comes to the vet clinic with something like this they also have fleas. If you don't have him on a good flea prevention then he is likely scratching this location due to fleas. I do think I see some "flea dirt" in the photo. I strongly recommend you get him to the vet for an exam. If he has fleas you need to get a good prescription flea prevention. Also, this type of lesion almost always needs oral antibiotics and some type of oral antiinflammatory to stop the itch cycle for it to heal. As long as he keeps scratching it, it will not heal no matter what you apply topically. If you choose to try and treat it yourself at home, you can use this hot spot spray gel 3- 4 times per day. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) You will also need to get some dog boots to put on his back feet so if he tries to scratch the area it won't continue to traumatize the skin. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=dog%20boots ) If you do this at home for about 5-7 days and there is no improvement or it looks worse at any time then he needs to see the vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

my dog has a big lump on his tail but I don’t know if it’s a tumor or something bad or it’s because he bites his tail quite frequently but regardless of what it is I need help

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Toby and for providing a picture of his lump, it's very helpful. That is quite a big lump, and he will be biting his tail because it's bothering him. This lump could be a cyst, abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately I cannot diagnose what it is without seeing him in person. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call now to make him an appointment. Until he sees the vet, I would put an Ecollar on him to keep him from biting his tail further. If you don't have one at home already, you can buy one at a pet store. I hope this helps!

Read More

I have a 6 year old corgi mix, 49 lbs, and has recently started avoiding steps going up or down, wont even walk over a pillow unless we move it out of the way. His lower spine right above his tail causes him to whine or cry out when touched to hard, and he lays with his hind legs both to one side and never underneath him. I fear he has hip dysplasia and I want to know what I can do at home or holistically to help with his pain.

Poor Ban Ban sounds like he is in a lot of pain! It could be he has a problem with his hips, but I worry that he has a problem with his back. Unfortunately, there is nothing holistic to help with this. He is in pain, and he needs pain medication from the vet. Also, he has to see the vet to get safe pain medication as many human pain medications are toxic to dogs and can be fatal to dogs. He needs an x-ray of his back and hips to determine if there are any skeletal changes causing his pain, and his vet can discuss pain medications and further treatments. There may be things you can do at home, such as swimming (great exercise that is low impact on the joints), but it is super important to get him to the vet so he isn't in pain any longer. Please give his vet a call now to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

Read More

I got my tortoise 2 months ago and I've been trying to find a vet ever since. Which has been difficult in my area. He is a horsefeild tortoise and has cracks in his shell and on his plastron. I want to know how heal them and are they from injury or parasites??

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. The damage to the plastron is most likely from either trauma or infection. I have never seen something like this due to parasites. You should really try to find a local veterinarian to examine him as he likely needs more in depth treatment than what you can provide at home with over the counter remedies. You may need to travel towards Green Bay in order to find a reptile veterinarian. I found a few in that area. Here is one of them: ( https://countrycareac.com/search-animal-reptiles/ ) ( https://countrycareac.com/medical-surgical/medical-surgical-reptiles/ ) While you are waiting to get him an appointment you can try using this spray on the affected areas once or twice daily: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/microcyn-manna-pro-ahwound-and-skin-care-spray-for-all-animals ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

right image
image

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored