Beard trim: vets amputate Ivar’s dragon tail

A bearded dragon has had part of his tail amputated in the first procedure of its kind to be undertaken at a Hampshire veterinary practice.

Clinicians at the Barn Animal Practice in Lychpit, Basingstoke were alerted to the 10-month-old, named Ivar, after his tail began to turn black.

Constriction injury

Vet Emily Winter said: “There was a constriction injury to the tip of the tail, likely from dysecdysis, which is an abnormality in the shedding of skin.

“He also had necrosis of his tail tip, leading to a spreading, necrotic infection that was extending up the tail.

“We operated to amputate the infected part of the tail, plus a further 2cm as a safety zone to ensure we had halted the danger.

“It is the first time this procedure has ever been undertaken here at the practice and everything went very well.”

No complications

Dr Winter, who led on Ivar’s care due to her experience with exotic patients, said the case had been a “fun learning experience” for many of her colleagues.

She added: “It was quite a quick procedure, around 45 minutes, and the main challenge was stitching the wound closed, as the skin of reptiles is not very elastic.

“There were no complications and Ivar was soon safely back home with his owner successfully medicating him with some oral pain relief and antibiotic injections every 72 hours.

“He’s healing very well, is behaving as normal again, so it is an extremely pleasing and rewarding result.”