how nasty is leg rot?

[VesAn]

I've a centipede that has a slight case of leg rot. He was recently in a very humid enclosure, but I have since changed the substrate and now the enclosure is dry (but with a water dish).

My main question is, is this good enough to stop the leg rot, or would it continue on? It's pretty slight, with the very tips of some legs being black, and the one worst leg missing a bit of its tip.

 

[Wade]

The dryness should take care of it. I've always thought leg rot was fungal in nature and it may be possible to treat it topically. Betadyne has been used to treat fungal infections on tarantulas, but I'm not sure how you'd apply it to a centipede! You'd only want to get it on the leg tips themselves, avoid getting it on the mouth or spiracles.

Wade

 

[8 leg wonder]

The dryness should take care of it. I've always thought leg rot was fungal in nature and it may be possible to treat it topically. Betadyne has been used to treat fungal infections on tarantulas, but I'm not sure how you'd apply it to a centipede! You'd only want to get it on the leg tips themselves, avoid getting it on the mouth or spiracles.

Wade

the only problem is that pedess are obsesive groomers and would end up getting it in their mouth anyways

 

[Wade]

Good point! Not sure it would be harmful anyway, but probably better not to chance it unless the dryness fails to stop it. Even then, watering it down may be advisable.

Wade

 

[Mister Internet]

In my experience, the dryness will simply prevent the leg rot from getting worse... in this way, it acts sort of fungal as Wade said. It does not go away once you remove the source of the fungus being able to "feed", though, and in this way it's not quite like a fungus. Most likely is a low-grade or topical fungal infection that requires almost constant contact with moisture, which is why only the tips of the legs seem to be initially affected.

However, I've never really noticed a regression of the condition once the environment was made drier... usually, they either lose the legs in question, or they simply stay attached, albeit dead and useless for all practical purposes. Either way, it always appears to clean up at the next molt... legs that break or fall off are always replaced on the next molt, although they will be shorter than normal. Legs that manage to stay on, even if they are rotted, seem to regenerate at about normal length.