Tail dropped :(

I had my first incident with a tail drop eariler today. It makes me so sad. It happened to the first gecko I ever hatched and she had such a beautiful tail. I was just wondering if there is anything I need to do with the wound. I am worried about it getting an infection. Thanks for any advice.

Aww.
If she isn't already, put her on paper towel so it stays clean and nothing sticks to it. You really don't have to do anything to it, it should heal and re-grow nicely by itself but you can put a little bit of Neosporin (no pain relief) on it to keep it moist and clean. She should be fine though, poor girl.

above post is right wet paper towels but that sucks I hate when it happens but it does and she will still be pretty

Thanks for the response!
The tail drop was so gross! It kept flopping around like a fish out of water long after it fell off. Creepy...
She is on paper towels right now. The only substrate is the moss in her moist hide, which she did go into when I placed her back in the tank. She still has a tank mate, because of a lack of space. Is that okay, or will that just stress her out even more?
I guess I will just keep an eye on it. About how long will it take to grow back, or at least heal?

If it makes you feel better, you can put a little Neosporin on the end of the tail (NOT the kind with pain relief in it.) It will grow back on it's own.

Do you happen to know why she dropped her tail? If it was a result of aggression by the tank mate, then it might be better if you could find her more private accommodations. ;)

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Originally Posted by kk1020man

I guess I will just keep an eye on it. About how long will it take to grow back, or at least heal?

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I am not sure about leopard geckos, but I have had a few lizards drop tails on me.

Usually took a few days for the wound to heal over, and within 2 weeks I could see the beginnings of a new tail forming.

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Do you happen to know why she dropped her tail?

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Well, I was cleaning out the tanks last night and I removed her and placed her in a container on the floor and then I removed her tank mate and placed her in the same container, which was fairly large. When I put the tank mate in, she (the mate) FLIPPED OUT! She went physco, I don't know why. The other one got positioned with its tail in front of the spastic gecko who quickly bit it and it fell off. It all happened before I had a chance to react and I feel so bad about it.
She seems to be doing alright today, just hanging out in the moist hide. Thanks for the advice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kk1020man

Well, I was cleaning out the tanks last night and I removed her and placed her in a container on the floor and then I removed her tank mate and placed her in the same container, which was fairly large. When I put the tank mate in, she (the mate) FLIPPED OUT! She went physco, I don't know why. The other one got positioned with its tail in front of the spastic gecko who quickly bit it and it fell off. It all happened before I had a chance to react and I feel so bad about it.
She seems to be doing alright today, just hanging out in the moist hide. Thanks for the advice.

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Oh my goodness! I'm sure she'll heal up just fine. I'd 2nd the advice given already.

Because the tail loss was a result of cage mate aggression, I'd recommend that you separate the two. She'll heal faster and do better that way. Just my two cents. ;)

She seems to be doing okay. She has been hiding a lot more than usual, but she is still eating. I just fed them a few minutes ago and she munched happily on some mealworms. The wound seems to be okay as well, although I don't really know what I am supposed to be looking for! It is still very pink but seems to be closing in. I might be getting a rack system this weekend, so they would have been seperated anyway. If I don't get it, I will get a heater for a spare tank I have. I think moving her out would be the best option over all. Thanks for the advice. It still makes me sad to look at her little stump.