Sav losing claws :(

Razaiel · #1 (**permalink**) 03-19-2006, 11:36 AM

Tiny seems to be losing some claws - he's only about 6 months old and has lost a couple and now another one seems to be dark - we think it may go too. I wonder what could be causing this? Do they grow back?

He's on topsoil (no carpetlike stuff) and is eating mainly insects with a rat pup each day. We dust his insects with Neutrobal.

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #2 (**permalink**) 03-19-2006, 05:25 PM

Maybe a cause of low humidity. T is missing almost all of her nails and had almost all of them gone whern I got him. Even though he was cb he was still missing nails. I don't believe they grow back. Just consider it as a few less scr

atches on your arms from sharp nails.

Razaiel · #3 (**permalink**) 03-19-2006, 10:58 PM

Thanks, Jake

- It could well be related to that - when we first got her she had been kept on ordinary reptile bark if I remember - so probably she had the first 4 months of her life like that. She seemed to have been shedding very bittily too - lots of little dry bits that fell off like dandruff - since she's been on the soil though you could see it hanging off a bit more in strips. You know I was guilty of thinking about less claws less scratches ...

Bchildress · #4 (**permalink**) 03-19-2006, 11:19 PM

if they have shed around there toes I was told when I had mine that it would cut off the circulation and make there toe nails and possible even there toes cause when i had mine she was missing a few toe nails so after that I would put her in the tub like one day a week let her run around and that stuff

Dachande · #5 (**permalink**) 03-20-2006, 11:08 PM

if you have a screen top check if he's getting them caught in it.
if he's losing them quick then it may be from something like that.
but if it is taking a while and the nail deteriorates before coming off, it's a husbandry issue, most likely humidity.

Razaiel · #6 (**permalink**) 03-21-2006, 12:29 PM

He's in an ordinary viv - no screen top. But there was a bark half-log in there and our reptile guy said it could have been that. It could of course have been husbandry (where we got him from - not ours). He was kept on bark chippings I think there but we have him on topsoil now and humidity is about 50-60 and I keep stirring it up and it'll go up to 70 again.

Dachande · #7 (**permalink**) 03-22-2006, 11:18 PM

thicker topsoil is always good. it will alow him to go down to where it is more humid. how tall will the new cage be?

Razaiel · #8 (**permalink**) 03-23-2006, 10:44 AM

It will be 3 1/2 foot tall - and 8 wide and 3 1/2 deep. We've found probably the only place in the UK that will do vivs that high - in fact it's going to be two vivs joined together later. He will go in the first 4 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in a couple of weeks or so, then as he grows we'll get a second the same and join them.

Dachande · #9 (**permalink**) 03-25-2006, 04:20 PM

give it atleast 1ft of soil. laying large pieces of slate 1-2 inches under the soil will give it something to undermine when burrowing. structure like this helps encourage digging and reinforces the burrow from collapsing.
that's gonna be one nice set up when finished into the final enclosure.

Razaiel · #10 (**permalink**) 03-28-2006, 06:46 AM

Thanks, Dachande. I hope he'll like it - I want what's best for him (I never thought of slate but that sounds a good idea - I'll stick some in the bottom).

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