BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hey guys for some reason my bts has crusty stuff in her ears it does not look like substrate any ideas? bad shed maybe? i have a video on you tube check ot out


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2oy-Ufp ... re=related

i cant tell you about the infection, but the information you were given about sexing on the youtube comments should probably be overlooked.

my bluey got some shed stuck in his ear too once, but it wasnt red+swollen or had any liquid coming from it - if it is then you need to visit a veterinarian. check in the skinks breathing too.
if its just shed, leave it be until next shed. you wouldnt want to damage the ear by mistake, and its not really dangerous for the shed to be stuck there for one shed period.

if you want more information from the more experienced skink owners on this website, then you have to take a closer image, because its near impossible to tell anything from your video, other than that your skink has got a good appetite and table manners.

( dont forget the veggies, mix them in with the cat food. she needs lots of proteins since shes been on baby food, but still needs a lot of other vitamins and fibres too )

BTS normally have an ear bag in there - it is normal. They may have issues shedding that layer, but if you are concerned about it make sure it isn't the normal, healthy layer first. Don't use tweezers or anything like that - it is easy to injure them.

From the video I see nothing out of the ordinary. A close-up video or picture would be necessary for help here on the forum if you are not able to take him to a veterinarian.

A thin membrane is always visible in their ears, like a thin piece of a grocery bag way in there.

If you are concerned but not able to get a closer image of it or a vet look at it, and as long as you don't see any redness or liquid, then wait untill you see the first signs of a shed starting, and watch the "bag" come out of the ears. Then you will know for sure what the normal membrane in there looks like, without any doubt of anything being stuck.

It is generally very easy to pull leftover ear bags out of the ear if that is what it is. There is really nothing in the ear opening that you shouldn't pull out, other than the auriculars. At least that is what I think the two half round "flaps" that are attached to the front of the opening to keep debris out are called. As long as you are not pulling on those it is fine to gently pull on on other skin or debris that is sticking out of the ear.

It's one of those things where once you do it one time, you never give it a second thought the next time you need to do it. Just be gentle and use common sense the first time.

yeah i understand but i ise the phone to video tape this but its more of a crusty look. Just wanted to get a 2nd opinion before i go to the vet.

It's never wrong to go to the vet, but I certainly wouldn't rush off to get the skink checked until I made sure it wasn't just common ear bags.

Alright, I hope you forgive the quality of these, not the easiest thing to take pictures of, but this is A NORMAL EAR. This is what it looks like AFTER shedding, when there is nothing left to remove.



I hope that helped somehow.

Susann, could you possibly clarify that that bag is NOT the one to try removing?

Fantastic pictures of a normal ear

Blueys don't generally have problems shedding out their ear bags, but do have a neat little trick if needed. They can flick it out with the toes on their back leg like a dog scratching an ear. I have only ever seen it once with my male blotchy a couple of years ago. He curled his body hard to the left side as though he was going into the doughnut shape they will do when resting, tilted a little to the right for balance and then two short flicks with the back left leg and out came the bag. It was all over in a split second but incredible to see.

El Lobo wrote:Blueys don't generally have problems shedding out their ear bags, but do have a neat little trick if needed. They can flick it out with the toes on their back leg like a dog scratching an ear. It was all over in a split second but incredible to see.

Someone caught that on tape, I know I've watched a video of that.

The thing to stress here is that they EXTREMELY RARELY need ANY help with their ears. You really do not need to worry about the ears with shedding. Fingers and toes: YES. Tip of the tail: YES. Ears: really NO.
I don't want people to start digging in their blueys' ears; there is no need.
If you are uncertain if the shed came out of the ears, then try to catch them on the next shed. If they are scratching at their ears, if they are rubbing the sides of their head alot, then maybe take a look.

Couple of times ago when Joey was shedding it just looked like edges of shed around his ears that made me suspect he hadn't gotten those out. I put him to soak in the tub. I took a wash-cloth, wet it, and draped it over his head. Left him like that for about 10 min. Then lifted him out, and with the wet wash-cloth wiped at the opening, and sure enough, out came the bags!
He probably would have gotten them on his own, I don't know. But that's the most I've ever had to do on the ears of my 3 skinks.

Thank you Susann Again, fantastic pictures as a reference for what the ear normally looks like! I can see these getting used again and again in the future.

I have to say in my experience, it is not uncommon for BTS to retain ear bags after they finish shedding. It is not a big deal, or anything to worry about, but I frequently pull them out for my guys. Every time I do, they look up at me with a look of genuine gratitude.

Chances are, they would be just fine if I left them alone, but I really think they are much more comfortable with those dang things out of there.

The photos were nice examples but what I'm talking about is a I can see the inside of hoa ear at all its all packed in with flakes ill,post picks

Gary90 wrote:The photos were nice examples but what I'm talking about is a I can see the inside of hoa ear at all its all packed in with flakes ill,post picks

Oh my! Please do post pictures! That does NOT sound good...