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Post by Emziedee on Apr 4, 2017 10:50:37 GMT
Just noticed something red on Garfs tail, thought it was something just stuck onto the tuft but it looks like a bit of bone sticking out?? Apart from they the whole tail seems ok? What is this   |
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Post by titchycatnipsandwich on Apr 4, 2017 11:36:23 GMT
Have they been fighting at all? It looks a little like River's tail did the first time he left it in reach of Zoe/Nyota back when they were fighting.
Will he let you touch it? Wipe at it with clean water (boiled and salted ideally) and see whether it comes away - small chance that it's a bit of fluff. Don't hold the tail, obviously, but a cotton bud or swab gently wiped over the area will show you what it is.
If it is tailbone, it will heal so long as it's kept clean. He'll just be a little bald in that area and it'll just heal into a white stump.
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Post by Emziedee on Apr 4, 2017 11:37:20 GMT
No they haven't been near eachother for a long while. Yeah I touched it and pulled it a little thinking it was something on the hair and he didn't seem bothered.
Will the end of the tail drop off then if this is the tip of the tail sticking out?
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Post by titchycatnipsandwich on Apr 4, 2017 11:46:54 GMT
I'm not completely sure, as River's was bitten clean off. From human experience, it depends whether the blood flow to the "skin" end of the tail is still flowing, which might keep the tissue alive. I'd suggest keeping it clean, and keeping an eye on it. Either the tip of the skin-tail will drop off, or new skin will form around the bone and he'll just look a bit strange at the end of the tail  It does look like a break in the skin though, so keeping it clean is really important to stop it getting infected. He's a degu, so that's kinda tricky to accomplish, particularly with a tail! Just wipe it down once or twice a day with boiled cooled water (with a little pinch of salt if you want) and keep an eye on it. If you notice a red/yellow/green swelling (heck, if it's blue or purple too, let's just throw all the colours in!) in the area, it's most likely infected and a vet trip would be needed to amputate that bit of tail - they shouldn't need to take the whole tail. I don't think the blood perfusion to the tail is brilliant, so antibiotics might not be entirely successful for a tail infection. |
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Post by Emziedee on Apr 4, 2017 11:59:49 GMT
Ok I just checked his cage for signs of blood and on one of the ledges there's quite a bit of blood so I'm guessing that Tibbs got onto the top book shelf somehow and has got his tail through the bars aaaaaaagggghhhh
Thanks for the advice titch, going to clean it now
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Post by ntg on Apr 4, 2017 13:28:13 GMT
I don't think the blood perfusion to the tail is brilliant, so antibiotics might not be entirely successful for a tail infection. It can be a long process but it's possible to get rid of a tail infection. We had Gandalf on antibiotics (marbocyl) for a year and a half because it kept recurring. Fingers crossed that's the last we'll ever hear of tail infections. It went in periods of thinking it was fully gone (no pus, wound healed over) and then another appearing a month or two later in the same area of his tail that had previously been damaged and got to the point where we just agreed to keep him on the antibiotics to keep it at bay for at least 6-12 months and then cautiously weaned him off them. Then again if it wasn't for his age and the fact he already only has a stump, I'd have probably gone for amputation when the antibiotics weren't clearing it. Garf's looks clean though, so I would just bathe and keep an eye on it for a while. A yellow scab was the first sign I saw though, his tail stayed the same colour overall but was swollen. |
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Post by Emziedee on Apr 4, 2017 13:41:18 GMT
It's just strange how it's poking out like that 😑 I felt the tip and the tip still feels like the bones still in that but then there's this bit sticking out, maybe splintered?
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 4, 2017 15:10:31 GMT
I'd say, observe, keep it clean, but leave it alone as much as you can. If you see swelling and you feel heat, or he starts to go after it, take him to your vet.
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Post by Emziedee on Apr 4, 2017 18:37:20 GMT
Yah that goes without saying. I'm less freaked out by injuries now but it looks so odd!!
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 5, 2017 14:27:29 GMT
I had an experience like this with one of our degus, and it is puzzling and weird, and I wanted to understand what it was in the worst way. I was so tempted to try and pull it out the tail, but thankfully did not pursue the impulse. Which is why a said the above, LOL! I hope you didn't feel like I was patronizing.
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 7, 2017 10:12:30 GMT
We've had strange bits of various stuff coming out of tails over the years on the forum. We've had weird stringy bits several times, which I presume must be tendons. Not sure about this though. Does it seem OK now?
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Post by Emziedee on Apr 7, 2017 11:00:10 GMT
The bit sticking out seems to have dried up and most likely will drop off?
The full tail is still the same and curls and bends like normal though so still unsure what this thing is.
DC I know at first I did actually try to pull it off 😷🙈😩
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It does look like a break in the skin though, so keeping it clean is really important to stop it getting infected. He's a degu, so that's kinda tricky to accomplish, particularly with a tail! Just wipe it down once or twice a day with boiled cooled water (with a little pinch of salt if you want) and keep an eye on it. If you notice a red/yellow/green swelling (heck, if it's blue or purple too, let's just throw all the colours in!) in the area, it's most likely infected and a vet trip would be needed to amputate that bit of tail - they shouldn't need to take the whole tail. I don't think the blood perfusion to the tail is brilliant, so antibiotics might not be entirely successful for a tail infection.
