I have a Leo named Eartha, who I've had for approximately 6 years. She's always been health an active. Over the last 8 weeks or so, she's shed three times where she couldn't completely get the skin off her toes. I've tried to help her, with mixed sucess. I've tried moistening the skin to make it easier to come off. Her last shed her skin was stuck to her head and eyes. I did my best to remove it gingerly, but there still appears to be a small piece in her eye. Over the last week, she shed again, and much skin was tightly on her feet. I tried misting her and rubbing the skin, but it wasn't coming off and I was afraid of being overly agressive. Her tail has deflated (not sure how to describe it) and she has shown no interest in food or water. After a good bit of research, I decided to put her into a shallow dish of water for about 15 minutes while I used a cotton swab to try and loosen the skin on her feet. a good bit came off and she became active again and was helping to remove the skin from her feet. However, she appears to be missing part of the toe on one of her front feet. I'm very upset that I let her get to this state.

I took her out of her bath when she started behaving like she was stressed. Although, she was licking the water in the bowel and I was able to get her to lick a bit of calcium powder off my fingers. She's now back in her Vivarium with a warm, wet paper towel to try and loosen her skin further. She also had not been opening her eyes much, but they were wide open for a while after her "treatement", but she showed no interest in food (a variety of meal worm sizes." Now, she's sleeping on the warm part of her cage.

I don't know how her state deteriorated so quickly and how I failed to notice, but I feel awful. I left a message for my vet this evening, but don't even know if she treats reptiles.

Would anyone please let me know what you think about my treatement? She still has some skin about her toes. How often can I put her into a wet bowel to loosen her skin. Is there anything else i could be doing?

Thanks!

Hi, know bout the guilt thing, I lost one of girls 6 weeks after i got her, One minute i.m noticing she is poorly, the next she'd gone... Still think was it something i did or didn't do!

On a brighter note, my viv does not have great humidity so i do bath my girls one of twice a week. They do seem happy! Any way i have the moist hide box in the warm side of the viv and bathing. Also foung this stuff 'Repti shedding aid' made by Zoo med at local rept shop. It's just natual oils you rub in.

Good Luck.

Thanks. My partner picked up a few items today--Shedding aid, Flukers electrolyte spray, and something called Repta Aid by flukers. Its basically a force fee powder you mix in water and inject with a syringe. I wasn't able to force her mouth open, but I held her whilst my partner applied the formula to her mouth and she licked off about .25 ccs of it. We keep applying it to her nose and she walks about for a bit and licks it off or at least some of it. At least she's getting some nutrition, but she still shows no interest in live food in her bowl. We also added a bit of the Fluker's electrolytes to her water and food bowels and sprayed her feet down with the shedding aid. They are MUCH improved from yesterday, but still have some dead skin on them, though it appears looser.

I've applied fresh wet paper towels to her Viv floor and I could swear her tail appears a bit plumper and she definately appears more active. I guess I'll keep this regimine up until she starts eating again.

So, on the third day of force feeding her, today Eartha was voluntarily licking up about .25 cc's of the feeding solution. I'm taking the return of some appetite as a good sign. I also managed to get about 1 cc into her and she is starting to plump back out. The damage to her feet doesn't seem as extensive as I first though, though she has definately lost the tips of two toes. I'm still treating her feet with shedding aid to get the last little bits of skin off and to keep it loose and moist. The bit of skin that was still in her eye is also now gone and she appears more alert. Looks like she is well on her way to recovery!

Hi there guys. I got m first leo's on thursday. One started shedding late yesturday. He's done pretty good but again like many of you have said he has bits around his toes, although his eyes are fine. I bathed him in luke warm water until he decided to climb out himself, Iused an old cricket box. My reptile shop keeper told me about this method. But however, how long does a normal shed take? Is it hours or days? His skin around his feet is starting to come off now and i may well try the bathing method again tonight.

another good thing for shedding problems around toes and eyes is a (wet) warm q-tip, rub gently on the unshed skin and used a pair of tweezers and gently pull the shed off, note if the leo starts moving viscously you are most likly hurting him so e GENTLE

Originally Posted by leogirl15

another good thing for shedding problems around toes and eyes is a (wet) warm q-tip, rub gently on the unshed skin and used a pair of tweezers and gently pull the shed off, note if the leo starts moving viscously you are most likly hurting him so e GENTLE

Whats a Q tip?

im not sure but i think its a cotton bud

u know those things you use to clean your ear out? those are q-tips

[axel]

in answer to redkaya74 i think if you can i would still visit a herp vet shedding in quick sucsession and refusing to eat and skinny tail can be a sign of parasites and a feacal exam would show this .Be very careful when putting liquids into her mouth dont force as it can go into lungs and kill .hope all turns out well and oh keep up the luke warm baths