golden geckos

Question
Dear Thea,
  I have a problem with my golden geckos. I have two of them in a pretty nice sized tank and the male(opposed to the female) is having a problem. On his underside, between the back legs, it looks as though he has a giant nickle sized burn. Also it looks as though the skin is pealing away and a couple of black specks are forming. (like a human planters wart). Any info you know can help. The sooner the better please. Thanks a million.
                         Sincerely, Jeremy.

Answer
Hi Jeremy, I feel that I may not be of much help to you on this one. I'm experienced with all the usual husbandry and diet related problems that befall reptiles but this seems to fall outside of that realm. Lizards, like other animals can be host to a variety of infections incuding bacterial, fungal and viral. I can't even speculate on what the black wart like things may be. Obviously a vet is the best option.  In the meantime I would treat it as an infection, if it is not infection based it will likely become infected. I know Goldens aren't exactly thrilled about being handled but if it were me, I would apply something to the area daily to see if there is any response. I prefer to use Betadine solution (povidone iodine) which has a much broader spectrum of activity then some of the other topicals. It should still have some affect if you are dealing with a resistant bacteria like Pseudomonas and has anti-fungal properties as well. Make sure you use the solution and not the cleanser which contains a detergent, I would "paint" the affected area with a dipped cotton swab. Betadine also comes as an ointment but that would be a lot messier considering where the lesion is and would likely causet substrate to get stuck to it. Good luck.