Injured tail on a hatchling

[CatJ]

Hi, I need advice please.
I've accidently injured a tiny hatchling and am in bits. Have I broken him/her? Will they be ok?
I opened the doors to feed them then closed them up as normal. But I didn't see a tiny baby on the bar and trapped its tail, and possibly foot, in the closed door. Poor little thing couldn't get out. I immediately opened the door and picked him up. He's walking, climbing, using both the foot and the tail but the tail and ankle joint are black. He's only 2 weeks old. Will he heal? Do I need a vet?
I'm so sorry

 

[Beman]

Uggg well at this point tell me is the baby doing a full tail curl and able to use that leg that has the black discoloration? IF so this would be a really good sign as it would signify bruising rather than a fracture in either section. If not then the concern is how it will heal which becomes a wait and see game.

Risk here also would be if there was damage to the tail to the extent of it starting to die off so if it is not able to curl it back up this is what you have to watch for. Do you see any areas where the skin appears to be broken? This would be another risk factor for infection.

There is really not a lot that can be done especially at this size other than to watch and wait. So I am not sure I would rush off to a vet just yet. Even with a reptile specialist this baby is so small not sure if they could amputate the tail safely if needed.

 

[CatJ]

Uggg well at this point tell me is the baby doing a full tail curl and able to use that leg that has the black discoloration? IF so this would be a really good sign as it would signify bruising rather than a fracture in either section. If not then the concern is how it will heal which becomes a wait and see game.

Risk here also would be if there was damage to the tail to the extent of it starting to die off so if it is not able to curl it back up this is what you have to watch for. Do you see any areas where the skin appears to be broken? This would be another risk factor for infection.

There is really not a lot that can be done especially at this size other than to watch and wait. So I am not sure I would rush off to a vet just yet. Even with a reptile specialist this baby is so small not sure if they could amputate the tail safely if needed.

Thank you for your reply. I've checked on him/her repeatedly all day. I've seen him use all 4 feet and hold the tail straight out for balance as well as poke it through the mesh to hold him up on the ceiling while hunting. Hes eating and drinking too. He's now asleep and has the end of the tail curled around the stem while his body is on the leaf, so the mid section of the tail is straight. But I have other babies sleeping like this so hopefully this is ok? I can't see any broken skin. There's a patch that looks a bit grazed, but not actually broken (I don't think but its hard to see cos hes so small). Keeping a very close eye on him tho.

 

[CatJ]

Ps what does uggg mean?

 

[MissSkittles]

Ps what does uggg mean?

It’s an exclamation sound. While I think the meaning is unique to each person, for me it means ‘oh no’ or oh crap’.

 

[CatJ]

Update this morning guys; babs is still using the foot and tail absolutely fine. Doesn't seem to be in pain or even bothered. Black mark on the foot and the whole tail are very much still there but I think (hope!!) he's gonna be ok.

 

[MzLaurie]

Well that’s a great sign. Please take photos as it heals and post the progression of the healing. It may be that the black diminishes with molts. Thankfully he is young and will molt a lot. Just make sure when he does there is no stuck shed on either the tail or foot. He can’t afford any blood flow restrictions. Please please keep us updated. And don’t be hard on yourself. It was an accident and we are all only human.

 

[Beman]

Just keep an eye on it. My worry would be if the tail is damaged and can not do a full tail curl. Now you can see this when they are first injured as well but then it will properly curl as it heals. The bruising will slowly go away.

And yes Uggg for me is just a "oh crap" and "I hate that this happened to you" type of expression.

 

[CatJ]

Just taken this pic of little one sleeping....what do u think?

 

[CatJ]

Just keep an eye on it. My worry would be if the tail is damaged and can not do a full tail curl. Now you can see this when they are first injured as well but then it will properly curl as it heals. The bruising will slowly go away.

And yes Uggg for me is just a "oh crap" and "I hate that this happened to you" type of expression.

Thankyou. I will keep a very close eye on it.
I thought uggg may stand for something I needed to know or do! honestly I cried when this happened. Then cried again when my partner got home and I told him about it. Absolutely gutting but just hope he's OK.

 

[MzLaurie]

Just taken this pic of little one sleeping....what do u think?

I thInk it looks good. Its not curled tight but that will resolve. I honestly dont see any break. Whew. Lucky tough little guy you got there!

Knew a person who had a cham and he closed the cage door on the tail. It broke it and the cham just let it hang till it healed. He could use it but it never curled right after that. You got an adorable tiny baby there. If you have him in with his siblings, make sure he gets enough to eat while it heals. He may not be as fast as the other little ones.

 

[CatJ]

I thInk it looks good. Its not curled tight but that will resolve. I honestly dont see any break. Whew. Lucky tough little guy you got there!

Knew a person who had a cham and he closed the cage door on the tail. It broke it and the cham just let it hang till it healed. He could use it but it never curled right after that. You got an adorable tiny baby there. If you have him in with his siblings, make sure he gets enough to eat while it heals. He may not be as fast as the other little ones.

Thank you. I'm so relieved he seems to be ok. He/she is in with siblings but I specifically look for him several times a day and watch from a distance to make sure he's eating. Will absolutely continue to look after them as best I can, and have another viv set up ready to go in case of any issues. All advice is really appreciated, thank you so much