bearded dragon wound

Question
QUESTION: My bearded dragon is still pretty small, bigger than a baby, but not an adult. I had him in too small of a tank, so I know now the climate was incorrect for him and I think he may have gotten sick or drowsy because crickets ate his tale! Or least were starting to, there's a small wound on his tail, you can see bone, and it has sand incrusted in it. I put neosporn on it, do you think he could die over night from infection?

ANSWER: Hello Ashely,

Oh poor thing.  You don't leave crickets in there any longer with him, do you?  The crickets are very carnivorous so they do bite them.
He needs to have that area kept very clean right now, or it will get infected if it already isn't.  Try to get some betadine & bathe him in that, but dilute it until it looks like weak tea solution.  That will disinfect it.  Then, get some neosporin or polysporin antibiotic ointment to put on it two times per day.  
Take the sand out of the tank so dirt & dust & sand wont get into the wound & infect it.  
I would get a non toxic magic marker, & mark the area right above the wound underneath, & watch the area closely.  If discoloration begins to travel past that area, then, he is getting a tail infection & needs to get to the vet for analysis.  Hopefully, that area will heal up & just shrivel up & die.  Then the dried up area will just fall off.  

Is he eating right now?  What is your setup like right now?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I just bought a new size 30 tank and and sand that wont infect his wound. I bought some aplicare povidone-iodine solution. I was instructed to clean the wound with it. I finished bathing him as well. He's perking up. Small crickets for now only! Never to be left in the cage with him ever again unless during feeding time 2-3 times a day. I really hope this work. Thank you so much for your fast reply, I'm trying to be the rational thinker and find answers and help while my poor boyfriend is in tears over our poor lizard:( We owe you and our local reptile zone owner (check out his web, cool guy) http://www.thereptilezone.com/ all the thanks in the world! Thanks for giving us, more my boyfriend, a ray of hope. Your fast reply, within the hour, just fantastic!

Answer
Hello Ashley,

GREAT, I am glad to have helped.  I am sure he will be ok.  Just make sure that tail doesn't get infected & he will be fine even if the tip does fall off.  
Definitely use the betadine (povidone-iodine) only & never use hydrogen peroxide as it will kill the good cells on reptiles.
Just keep a close eye on things.  
Keep me posted on how he is doing.  So your boyfriend is upset?  I am sorry, it is depressing when something like that happens.  
I will check out the person's site.  :-))

Tracie