Diet change and underweight skink

[xmangotart]

Okay so I recently got a skink from my uncle cos he wasn't able to take care of him properly so right now I'm doing the best I can to make him healthy again.

So his past diet consisted of roaches and meal worms and very little veggies, which I found weird since they are supposed to have very varied diets. I was trying to slowly move his diet to a more varied one So today when I tried to feed him some roaches, he hated it! He flinched every time the bugs went near him! (maybe that's why he's so skinny...) so I gave him some veggies and cooked chicken and he loved it! Always gobbles up most of the food in his bowl so will this sudden diet change harm him in any way?

And another question I have is how can I get him back to a healthy size? he's very skinny, like he isn't round just more flat and his hip bones are visible. I'm already feeding him veggies and cooked meat daily, anything else I should do or is what I'm doing enough?

Thanks in advance! -xm

[timisimaginary]

make sure to supplement with calcium + d3. also some herptivite or other reptile vitamin supplement once a week can be helpful if you have that available.
his stools may change color or consistency with the change in diet until he gets used to the new foods he's eating.

[Dakota]

While feeding veggies is recommended, babies benefit from having more protein in their diet. Offering roaches is very nutritious. I'd switch from meal worms to super worms. There are also other form of protein such as baby mice/rats, snails, etc. Please note that feeding minced meat from the market is not a healthy option to feed as a staple, if this is what you are referring to. Since it appears to be afraid of bugs, your best bet is offering wet dogfood. Also note, you will have trouble feeding it veggies even as an adult. Tiliqua gigas aren't a fan of veggies most of the time. You will have better luck feeding it wet dogfood, which contains veggies, meat, supplementation, etc. I either feed bugs, mice, snails, or dogfood. I rarely ever put any additional veggies. All to there own, though. The more sufficient protein they get, the more sleeker they grow up to be. And like stated above, please make sure the calcium has D3 added.

It seems to me that your Uncle was doing everything just fine, other than not cleaning his cage. While it is thin, it is not dangerously thin.. The Indonesian complex are slimmer than their Australian cousins. With it being young, that was probably due to him being starved while being imported there. From the picture I seen, it should just take a few good feedings and that thing will be perfect.

Has his grey started turning brown yet?

[xmangotart]

Ah okay I'll make sure to buy some wet dog food soon! Hopefully when he's more calmed down I can also feed him some roaches in the future. And good to know that he isn't dangerously thin! I'm not too sure on how he got to my uncle but I can tell he's been with for a while from his incredibly dirty box.... As for his color, no not yet, but hopefully soon! I would love to see his beautiful colors!

[xmangotart]

make sure to supplement with calcium + d3. also some herptivite or other reptile vitamin supplement once a week can be helpful if you have that available.
his stools may change color or consistency with the change in diet until he gets used to the new foods he's eating.

Yeah I got some calcium however no one sells reptile vitamins here sadly, hope that's alright. And good to know the sudden change in diet won't hurt him! Thanks so much for helping me out!

[joan]

I got mine to start eating bugs by first killing them and mixing or topping them on the dog food. make sure the bugs are eating nutritious foods and they'll pass it on to your skink. Now mine will actually go after them too.

[xmangotart]

I got mine to start eating bugs by first killing them and mixing or topping them on the dog food. make sure the bugs are eating nutritious foods and they'll pass it on to your skink. Now mine will actually go after them too.

Oh cool ill definitely try that! btw just curious, can they be healthy without insects? Like the staple would be different kinds of meat, i heard somewhere that they dont need insects, this true? Or are insects just the healthiest for them? Im actually terrified of bugs but i face my fears for my beardie!

[Dakota]

They can absolutely thrive without insects! I was trying to convey that they were a healthy choice. If you don't go with insects, I would go with wet dogfood as a staple.

[xmangotart]

They can absolutely thrive without insects! I was trying to convey that they were a healthy choice. If you don't go with insects, I would go with wet dogfood as a staple.

Ah okay that's great then! Thanks so much for helping me out!