Tail discoloration after bloodwork

[CharlieWhiskey]

My panther just got bloodwork at the vet yesterday and now his tail is dark and he does t seem to want to use it. Is this normal?

 

[CharlieWhiskey]

Here’s another angle.

 

[MissSkittles]

Usually there is some bruising after having blood drawn. Definitely keep and eye on it and his ability to use it. If it turns black-black or he has no movement at all of it, call your vet right away.

 

[CharlieWhiskey]

Thank you! Is it normal for them not to want to use it after? I’m just over here freaking out . How long does it usually take to return to normal?

 

[Ghostbirb]

From my experience, it took a little for coloration to come back and my girl has just a little trouble using it right after the blood work, but she was usually back to normal after a few days!

I don’t have a great photo but her tail was a mix of black and mottling for a bit, but It cleared up over time. She had blood drawn multiple times over the last few years and I think it took a few days to maybe a week or two to go completely back to normal

 

[CharlieWhiskey]

From my experience, it took a little for coloration to come back and my girl has just a little trouble using it right after the blood work, but she was usually back to normal after a few days!

I don’t have a great photo but her tail was a mix of black and mottling for a bit, but It cleared up over time. She had blood drawn multiple times over the last few years and I think it took a few days to maybe a week or two to go completely back to normal
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Thank you! It’s good to know I’m not alone . I was especially worried about him not really using it but makes sense. I wouldn’t want to put pressure on a bruise either.

 

[absolutbill]

Like everyone else said it's normal. My old panther would bruise like this as well. Just think about how sensitive your arm can be after bloodwork, and then imagine if you used it to wrap your arm around a banister. That said, you should see improvement in how your chameleon uses his tail in the coming days though the bruise can take quite a long time to go away.

 

[CharlieWhiskey]

So update, Louie's tail still seems swollen and he won't really curl it anymore. We have been doing gentle P.T. when he's out with me. I attached some pics. The vet gave me some anti inflammatory meds (a crazy small amount) but it's SO hard to get it in his mouth(I do this when I feed him) and the dosage is so miniscule that the syringe is almost too small . At this point I don't know if there is something else I can do?

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

So update, Louie's tail still seems swollen and he won't really curl it anymore. We have been doing gentle P.T. when he's out with me. I attached some pics. The vet gave me some anti inflammatory meds (a crazy small amount) but it's SO hard to get it in his mouth(I do this when I feed him) and the dosage is so miniscule that the syringe is almost too small . At this point I don't know if there is something else I can do?

I administer oral meds when needed by gutloading insects

It works well just inject into his food with a syringe

 

[CharlieWhiskey]

Thank you I’ll try that! Does his tail look swollen? It’s so odd that he won’t curl it and instead holds it up? He really won’t use it

 

[MissSkittles]

Thank you I’ll try that! Does his tail look swollen? It’s so odd that he won’t curl it and instead holds it up? He really won’t use it

I was trying to figure out if his tail looks swollen or not and couldn’t decide. I guess I wonder what part you think is swollen. He has his prominent hemipenal bulge and then I don’t see anything else in all but the third pic. I can’t tell if that’s a swollen area or just a trick of perspective. I don’t know that I’d be doing any tail range of motion. I’d just leave it to him to work it out on his own.

 

[CharlieWhiskey]

I was trying to figure out if his tail looks swollen or not and couldn’t decide. I guess I wonder what part you think is swollen. He has his prominent hemipenal bulge and then I don’t see anything else in all but the third pic. I can’t tell if that’s a swollen area or just a trick of perspective. I don’t know that I’d be doing any tail range of motion. I’d just leave it to him to work it out on his own.
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Hello there! Long time no talk. It seems a little swollen after the prominent hemipenal bulge to me but . I managed to get a dose of the anti-inflammatory in him the last two feedings but don't really see a change in his tail usage. Not sure what else the vet could do? It's just a bummer because all his fecal and bloodwork was normal so now I am regretting even taking him in the first place. He didn't have this issue until after the bloodwork...ugh. Just can't figure out why he's holding his tail like that.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hello there! Long time no talk. It seems a little swollen after the prominent hemipenal bulge to me but . I managed to get a dose of the anti-inflammatory in him the last two feedings but don't really see a change in his tail usage. Not sure what else the vet could do? It's just a bummer because all his fecal and bloodwork was normal so now I am regretting even taking him in the first place. He didn't have this issue until after the bloodwork...ugh. Just can't figure out why he's holding his tail like that.

Well, I honestly don’t know. The only thing that I can think of is maybe a nerve got nicked with the blood draw. I would think the vein would have healed long ago, along with any muscle or other structural trauma from being poked. I doubt that there’s very much that could be done to remedy it. As long as it isn’t losing circulation or causing pain, it shouldn’t be a problem or affect him much.