Leopard Gecko Nose Wound :(

Hi All...
I am so glad I found this forum! Thank you to all the creators!
I am writing out of concern for my leopard gecko. I just noticed today what looks like a chunk of the end of his nose missing! :-(
It looks like a fresh yet raw wound. He is the only gecko in his enclosure. There were no crickets in his cage, so it wasn't an option that a hungry cricket gnawed at him. However, I did find a few oversized mealworms. They must have hidden at some point and have been surviving on the water and whatever particles/debris they could find in his cage. I panicked when I saw how big the mealworms looked thinking that they could have been the culprits behind our gecko's raw nose wound..:-/ Have you ever heard of this happening ? I know it's something to expect from crickets (gnawing on sleeping lizard)...but is it common for mealworms to do the same?

Another possibility: Our Leo also has a bogwood hide/climbing fixture that I felt the inside of and there seem to be sharp/rough edges within. I worry that maybe he was rubbing his nose after/before a shed and maybe that could have caused his injury?
How do you suggest I treat him? How best to keep him clean and free of infection?
Thank You For Any Help....
Lynn....

Just keep everything clean. It maybe the wood. My gecko did that, scratched his nose on a log removing shed. I didn't do anything. It went away in a few days.

Thank You for the quick reply Peach75! I agree that it was likely te "bogwood"...(it's actually a hollow log-like fixture made of a "stone" material). I felt inside this stone log after I noticed our Leo's injury...and felt a few sharp/jagged edges.. We have since removed that fixture from his cage!

NP. It's ok they are tough herps that as long as you keep them clean and warm they will be fine. We all worry alot at first.

Just an fyi, it'll likely look worse before it looks better but don't worry as long as its not weeping any fluid. You'll want to likely remove any loose substrait you might be using and replace it with paper towels for now to provide a more sanitary environment while your leo heals. You could also glue a piece of felt on the inside of that rough hide so your leo doesn't re-injure itself.

Thank You Kermit...for the Great advice!! I will definitely follow your clever suggestion to glue some felt inside that hide. I had removed it from his tank when I first noticed his wound, but am glad to know I can safely return it to him without having to fear re-injury! It's one of his favorite hang-out spots!
Also, thanks for the advice about the paper towel liner to keep things more sanitary during the healing process!
Thank you again for your help!!
~Lynn

Peach75!! Thanks so much for your words of understanding ! Yes, you are so right! We really do worry so much about these sweet little creatures. It helps to know I'm not alone in that, and to be reassured of how tough and resilient Leo's really are!
Thanks again!!
~Lynn

Happy to help keep us updated

This happened to one of my most valuable geckos (of course) and I freaked out! To make things worse, right after the wound scabbed over she shed and made the wound even bigger!

It took a good two weeks for it to heal, and it was a big scab until she shed again, and I watched her very carefully, but this time the skin under the shed and scab had healed over, thank god. It was still very pink, but at least it was closed.

It definitely looked worse than it really was, so expect that, but as long as you keep it clean it should heal fine on its own.

It also may be a good idea to raise your temps slightly to around 97-98F to aid in healing

Thank You So Much to everyone who has posted since my last visit! I've been checking my email inbox everyday for new post alerts, but haven't received any notice since the day of my actual post! I didn't realize there were new posts until just now when I decided to sign back into the forum!
Thank You Karagain for your recommendation on raising the enclosure temp! I've actually noticed our gecko--"Buggy"--seeming to be almost "sunning" himself under his light during the day since his injury. It seems as though they may be wired instinctively to seek out extra heat when undergoing any type of healing process.
Thank You Geckochick89 for your insight and for sharing your similar experience!
You are definitely right in that these type of wounds look quite alarming but that the reality of it isn't as bad as it looks! Thankfully! It can cause panic at first though...especially when you don't initially have an explanation! That is where this form is simply an invaluable resource!
And finally, Thank You Kermit for asking for an update on Buggy! He has healed beautifully ! I have been cleaning his wound with a q-tip and very diluted betadine daily. His nose looked drastically better after just a day or two of this treatment... The raw appearance had gone away and the wound itself appeared to have filled in almost entirely. I'm am still administering the diluted betadine daily for safe measure ...but it doesn't look like he will require it much longer!
A near complete recovery in a matter of a week! Thank you again to ALL who offered your help and reassurances!!!!
~ Lynn (&Buggy;)