Crestie bit his own tail and I think I have bugs, eek.

[LotusCorvus]

I know cresties can drop their tails, but my boy is missing just the tip. His cage is fairly simple - climbing vines, a hollow rock hide, and a potted plant. Substrate is reptiearth (?)- that brick of compressed dirt. There's not really anything he could have injured himself on, so my best guess is that he bit his own tail. Has anyone ever had their cresties do that?

I already put antibiotic on his tail, but while I was moving things around to get to him I saw one tiny silver bug burrow into the dirt. My room is in a basement so bugs aren't a surprise or anything, but I'm worried about if they might be harmful to my crestie. Especially with the tail injury I'm wondering if I should pitch the substrate and just use paper towels for now (but then what do I do with his plant? He really likes hiding in it).

[RichsBallPythons]

Bedding is known to have issues with mites and other bugs, which are harmless to the reptiles.

Its best to bake any new bedding if its a constant concern.

[EverEvolvingExotics]

If it's an open wound I would use paper towels until it heals up to decrease the odds of an infection. Just keep it clean and it should heal fine, then you can return to using the bedding.

[sleepygeckos]

If it's an open wound I would use paper towels until it heals up to decrease the odds of an infection. Just keep it clean and it should heal fine, then you can return to using the bedding.

Great advice - I would also point out that there is no harm in sticking with paper towels as substrate permanently. It is what we use and our little girl has even given up on nesting boxes so we throw crumpled up paper towels on top of a good layer of them and she has a blast making her own nests and a mess. (But it is also easier for us to monitor for mold, and would make it easier for you to monitor for bugs.)