BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi all, I purchased an Eastern Blue Tongue a few weeks ago, and all has been well until I recently noticed it looks like something could be going on (infection or damage) with his nose. It's kind of separated a bit on the right-side, and if I place a drop of water into the separation, I can see the water moving - as though the separation also leads into it's nasal cavity, and it's breathing slightly through that separation. Has anyone else seen this kind of issue? I took the following photo about 10 days ago, and the separation is visible:



Now the next series of photos is from today (showing other side for comparison as well):







He's about a year old. I think he may have had the separation from the day I got him, but have really only noticed now as it seems to have gone a little pink/raw looking. He has got a habit for moving around occasionally and rubbing his nose against the glass (although this sounds relatively normal for most blue tongues). It also looks like a scab type thing has formed towards the top of the separation (you can see it's larger in the most recent photos vs. the photo from 10 days ago). He still sneezes occasionally, about the same as when I first got him, and it's not putting him off rubbing his nose against the glass even today. Any advice on how best to treat this most appreciated

when are you booked in to see the vet?

I looks like it was burned or cut by something. Do you feed live mice?

more than just a burn or a cut...it could be a small cut that got infected by a nasty bacteria that makes the wound bigger.

i may not know much about diseases for skinks, but it looks like a vet could be needed.

I would be getting him into a vet. Cuts do not get bigger by themselves unless there is something else going on...IMO, not an expert here though.

I agree, he needs to see a vet.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm booking him in to go to the vet for later today. I was having a look through some older photos, and I managed to find one from the 10th of May (1 month ago), and at that time it looks like he had dirt crusted in that same area. Had I known, I certainly would have taken him to the vet then as it now looks like that wasn't really normal either. Here's the photo:



I haven't fed him any live mice.

I'll report back on the Vet's suggestion. Perhaps an antibiotic cream is what they will suggest?

Thats what I would assume. I would put him on paper towels to prevent an infection if there isn't one already.

Let's not make any assumptions please, be it about burns, cuts, mice bites.... If we aren't sure it is better not to say anything!

Definitely take to a vet and follow their recommendations. Good luck, hope it heals quickly!! And welcome to the forum Deano. Please keep us updated.

Ok, back from the vet, and have some antibiotics. Imflamol gel (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory) to apply to the "cut", and Baytril to give orally once a day. The vet couldn't really determine what it was - it does appear to be a cut rather than a burn. They said if improvement can't be seen in 2 to 4 weeks, to go to a more specialist reptile clinic.

I know he likes his burrowing, but I'm guessing I'll be better off removing all his aspen bedding and replacing with paper towels while it heals? If so, is there anything else I would need to remove?

The other issue of him rubbing his nose on the glass occasionally probably doesn't help either, so am wondering if I need to put up a black backdrop or something so he can't see out so easily? Don't want to make his life too depressing though

Here's a pic of his enclosure as it is at the moment:

Good to hear that it is nothing ominous. Sounds like you are taking good care of him!

Great to hear you are working hard on this llittle guys recovery. Hope all goes well

I doubt that the glass rubbing will have any real effect on the cut, and unless you put a backdrop over everything so he can't see out at all he will just rub on the glass he can still see through.

Just thought I'd update this thread in case anyone else has ever seen an issue like what Chopper had with his nose. Following the directions of the vet I gave him the antibiotics and applied the gel. The antibiotics made him quite sick in the end with vomiting on a regular basis

Today though the "cut" has not really ever healed, and doesn't appear that it ever will, but is looking better nonetheless. For the last couple of months I haven't seen any redness return, and he seems a happy lizard. He has also shed twice in the last couple of months and I think this may have helped at least heal the "hole" that had gone through to his nasal cavity.

I wonder if an exotic vet might be in order? If it's not healing, certainly get him to a vet, but I wonder if it might be a birth defect?

The crack looks quite deep, but not necessarily inflamed from what I can see, but to be sure I wouldn't use any small-particle substrate. I would either just use paper towels, or regular towels, at least until hopefully the crack receds.

What was the dosage of the Baytril and do you know approximately how much your bluey weighs?

It seems an odd reaction to Baytril.

Yes - it is very odd. Blueys don't have diaphragms so they can't throw up (i.e. spit up food from their stomach). Was this water coming back up after he drank? Sometimes that happens if they are handled after a drink. I'm not questioning you, just curious!

It is a very odd reaction to Baytril.

Thanks for the replies. It's looking like it is healing, albeit very slowly, but have not seen the pinkness in that area and a big difference was that the hole that had gone through had disappeared - so definitely some progress.

Dosage of Baytril was 0.1ml daily. He weighed about 300 grams at the time.

He seemed to be throwing up larger food items - such as snails. After changing his diet to mainly veg mixed with Pedigree Beef dog food, he seemed to do ok while he was on the Baytril.

I am very intrigued by this. Did the hole use to go through all the way to the roof of his mouth?! Because, WOW!

If it is healing then we're probably not talking about a birth defect.

Where did you get him? Is there any chance you could get in touch with wherever he's from? (I'm sorry, I don't remember if you've said where you got him.) I wouldn't be asking questions in any kind of accusatory way, just as interested in knowing, and trying to find the right way to care for the sore.
...just a thought.

I would expect a crack or cut of that magnitude to take quite a while to heal. But it should be getting better with each shed as long as infection and inflammation are kept at bay.

I hope you are recording this with pictures? It would be amazing once he's all healed (let's be positive) to be able to look back at the process and time frame of his care and healing.

Best of luck to you and to Chopper

Depending on the strength of the oral Baytril that is a low dose and should not have caused a problem. If it ceased after the snails it could be they had been eating something disagreeable to the bluey, such as oleander. Although BTS don't have a diaphragm they are capable of disgorging something recently swallowed.
Merck Veterinary Manual suggested reptile dose for Baytril.
5-10 mg/kg, PO, every 24-48 hr

Blueys contained by wire mesh will push their heads at the wire attempting to get through, to the point of causing themselves damage. Maybe it is an injury caused by similar means before coming into your care.