My chameleon's tail is rotten. How do I treat a tail infection?

You can monitor him and clean it daily with diluted betadine or chlorhexidine. I wouldn't recommend the triple antibiotic ointment as it may cause the tail to get dirty quicker. Without a physical exam, it is difficult to determine the exact cause. Monitor for any progression, keep the tail clean, make sure he continues to eat and drink until he sees the doctor.

By your description, it could be tail rot. Chemmy would need to be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles for confirmation. In the meantime, confirm proper environmental parameters and make sure he doesn't have shed skin strangulation the affected portion of the tail. You can soak the tail in a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution once or twice daily. Prescription antibiotics may be dispensed by your veterinarian if necessary.

Thanks for your question, and I’m so sorry that this is happening to you and Peaches. Tail rot can be a bit tricky to manage, and ultimately Peaches may need a tail amputation. Unfortunately, the tissue needs to stop dying before an amputation can be pursued, or else the tissue at the surgical site is at risk of dying as well. Due to this, for right now, you’ll need to monitor for spread of the tissue death. I recommend drawing a line at the area where the tissue seems to be shrunken, closer to the end of the tail, and another line around the area where the tail goes from a more normal orange to the white color. You can do this with a permanent marker. It may be advisable to consider a course of antibiotics as well, especially if the tissue death doesn’t seem to stop spreading. I hope this gives you a place to start, and that Peaches feels better soon.

Thanks for reaching out about Dina. The treatment depends on the cause, although systemic antibiotics are more likely to have a positive outcome, rather than topically cleaning the wound. Tail necrosis can also be caused by non-infectious causes including metabolic disorders (liver, kidney), inappropriate husbandry, cardiac disease, trauma, and others. If the necrosis is progressing quickly, a tail amputation above the affected area could help slow/stop the progression. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Smaug and including photos. The end of the tail appears to be necrotic. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. The environment needs to be kept clean so substrate should be removed and replaced with paper towels or fabric to lessen the chance of contamination. Review diet and correct as proper nutrition is important to recovery and long life. Good luck.

That is quite a serious wound. How it happened may never be known. Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. She likely needs antibiotics and possibly pain medication. She may lose the end of her tail. Increase tank temps temporarily to aid in recovery. Gently clean the area once or twice daily with diluted Betadine of chlorhexidine (Hibiclens). If she will eat more, increase the amount of food being fed. Between egg laying and trying to heal a wound, she will need significantly more calories to maintain weight and good health. Increase calcium supplementation as well.

Thanks for reaching out about Cheddar. Tail necrosis is not uncommon with iguanas and can be caused by an infection or trauma (if whipping tail). Most likely the tip will fall off on own, but if the necrotic area increasing, might have to be surgically amputated. Keep a watch on it. Good luck.