Snow gecko - toe

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

Our snow gecko shedded about 3 days ago. I noticed yesterday that one of his toes is missing skin all around it. It has bled and sometimes still bleeding if he tries to eat it because it itches. Is there something we can put on or do? I have a friend tell me maybe to spray polysporin, but, I'm scared it will harm our lizard.

We took him out of his original tank(because it had dirt and I didn't want an infection to happen) and put him into another clean, no dirt one.

ANSWER: Hello Natalie,

The retained shed can cause some trouble!
The neosporin or polysporin cream/ointment would be fine to use to help with any infection.

Do you have a moist humid hide/cave to help with shedding?  You can put the hide on top of the undertank heater to help release moisture into the air to help with shedding.
Great, keep the substrate to either paper towels or non adhesive shelf liner to cut down on dirt.

Do you have a water dish in his tank, too?
Do you have any pictures of the toe?

Tracie



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

QUESTION: Hello Tracie,

We do have a moist cave to help him with shedding. We also have a water dish in his tank and spray the tank daily.

He shedded before and this never happened. I do not have a pic of the toe.

ANSWER: Hello Natalie,

That is great you have a moist hide for him.  Do you have the undertank heater below the hide to help with increasing humidity?  
Continue to use the antibiotic ointment on him daily to help keep that area from getting infected on him.

Let me know how he is doing.  Is he eating pretty well right now?

Tracie

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

QUESTION: We do not have the undertank heater (as we were told it is not good for them) below the hide. But we do have lamps on top of the tank.

yes, he is eating well. We think that he might loose part of his toe. We cannot touch the toe without him squirming (wich is unusual for him).

Answer
Hello Natalie,

The undertank heaters are great as long as you have something in between that & your gecko.  They need belly heat to digest plus it helps disseminate the humidity with heat from below into the environment easier.

I am sorry about his toe!  Just try to get any antibiotic ointment on the toe that you can & hopefully it will heal up or he could lose the toe but it shouldn't get infected if you keep it clean.

I am happy to hear that he is at least eating.

Let me know how he is doing.
Tracie