BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

My BTS Java hasn't eaten in 7 days. He is a little over a year old. Up until now he's always wanted to eat & we feed him every other day. He did poo about 4 days ago but nothing since then again he isn't eating. He is moving around the tank but more so to find a place to rest. He usually hides in this rock cave but now has been out of the cave & resting on the cool side of the tank. His cage is in the normal temp range. I've started soaking him daily in the shower with steam. The last time we took him to the vet she suggested if he doesn't seem right to soak him once or twice a day for a a week. Today I made him a special treat of halo cat food with an egg (his favorite), with raspberries, & he stalked it, took a bite, then walked away. The only thing that has changed is the bulb on the cool side of the tank burned out & we replaced it with the exact same make & watt as before.
Anyone have any ideas on if this is normal? If not any suggestions on what I should do to get him eating again? Here is a picture of him this morning when he took 1 bite then walked away.

Many Thanks & Many Smiles, Geo

I forgot to say he did shed about 8days. He didn't eat for 3 days before the shed. Once he shed he ate but hasn't eaten since.

I'm pretty sure 7 days for a 1 year old skink isn't too bad. My skink had just stopped eating (8 months old) for 7 days, and he started again without much help from me. If you can find it, try Zoo Med can of snails. I couldn't get my skink to eat anything until I tried that.

Soaking once or twice a week seems like an interesting treatment protocol.

If the temps where you live are starting to drop because of season change it could be he is preparing for brumation.

Thank you so much. Am going to try & the find snails. The weather hasn't changed yet....it's been unseasonally warm here 82 today
Many Thanks, Geo

Just in case you are going to get the snails from outside, maybe keep the snails in a container with some lettuce for a few days or even up to a week just be sure they havent gotten to snail bait. Im always paranoid about poisoned snails, thats why i breed my own snails now

7 days isn't anything to worry about. Also I don't understand what soaking twice a day would do either.......like unless the dr is thinking the skink might be impacted which I VERY HIGHLY doubt.

* about feeding snails lettuce. it will reduce the nutritional value of the snail (its mostly proteins i suppose but a few extra vitamins dont hurt, but its optional since snails are kinda great by themselves). feed the snail what veggies a skin would like xD it still will not remove parasites or toxins, so pick with care.

a healthy one year old skink can eat once a week with no problem. i feed my skink once every 6 days all year round. sometimes (in particular before shed) he skips his food, and then i just wait another few days for next time.

brumation, or a few slow month, is approaching if its autumn and winter where you live soon. my skink is getting ready to sleep and has really slowed down the past 2 weeks.

soaking like that........id personally not do it. especially if the skink is healthy and trying to slow down for winter. but its up to you.

Linnea wrote:* about feeding snails lettuce. it will reduce the nutritional value of the snail (its mostly proteins i suppose but a few extra vitamins dont hurt, but its optional since snails are kinda great by themselves). feed the snail what veggies a skin would like xD it still will not remove parasites or toxins, so pick with care.

a healthy one year old skink can eat once a week with no problem. i feed my skink once every 6 days all year round. sometimes (in particular before shed) he skips his food, and then i just wait another few days for next time.

brumation, or a few slow month, is approaching if its autumn and winter where you live soon. my skink is getting ready to sleep and has really slowed down the past 2 weeks.

soaking like that........id personally not do it. especially if the skink is healthy and trying to slow down for winter. but its up to you.

I agree, I think the soaking idea won't help anything. Also it's true, yours might be less hungry because it's about time to brumate (perhaps even though the weathers been warm he senses its around that time. my animals have been slowing down too)

I also agree that feeding iceberg lettuce isn't the best choice. It basically just water and no nutrients really. It shouldn't be fed to any animal or invert.

Rani-May wrote:Just in case you are going to get the snails from outside, maybe keep the snails in a container with some lettuce for a few days or even up to a week just be sure they havent gotten to snail bait. Im always paranoid about poisoned snails, thats why i breed my own snails now

Thank you!

donkeybuff wrote:I'm pretty sure 7 days for a 1 year old skink isn't too bad. My skink had just stopped eating (8 months old) for 7 days, and he started again without much help from me. If you can find it, try Zoo Med can of snails. I couldn't get my skink to eat anything until I tried that.

Thank you!

donkeybuff wrote:I'm pretty sure 7 days for a 1 year old skink isn't too bad. My skink had just stopped eating (8 months old) for 7 days, and he started again without much help from me. If you can find it, try Zoo Med can of snails. I couldn't get my skink to eat anything until I tried that.

Thank you

LarissaLurid wrote:

Linnea wrote:* about feeding snails lettuce. it will reduce the nutritional value of the snail (its mostly proteins i suppose but a few extra vitamins dont hurt, but its optional since snails are kinda great by themselves). feed the snail what veggies a skin would like xD it still will not remove parasites or toxins, so pick with care.

a healthy one year old skink can eat once a week with no problem. i feed my skink once every 6 days all year round. sometimes (in particular before shed) he skips his food, and then i just wait another few days for next time.

brumation, or a few slow month, is approaching if its autumn and winter where you live soon. my skink is getting ready to sleep and has really slowed down the past 2 weeks.

soaking like that........id personally not do it. especially if the skink is healthy and trying to slow down for winter. but its up to you.

I agree, I think the soaking idea won't help anything. Also it's true, yours might be less hungry because it's about time to brumate (perhaps even though the weathers been warm he senses its around that time. my animals have been slowing down too)

I also agree that feeding iceberg lettuce isn't the best choice. It basically just water and no nutrients really. It shouldn't be fed to any animal or invert.

Thank you

LarissaLurid wrote:

Linnea wrote:* about feeding snails lettuce. it will reduce the nutritional value of the snail (its mostly proteins i suppose but a few extra vitamins dont hurt, but its optional since snails are kinda great by themselves). feed the snail what veggies a skin would like xD it still will not remove parasites or toxins, so pick with care.

a healthy one year old skink can eat once a week with no problem. i feed my skink once every 6 days all year round. sometimes (in particular before shed) he skips his food, and then i just wait another few days for next time.

brumation, or a few slow month, is approaching if its autumn and winter where you live soon. my skink is getting ready to sleep and has really slowed down the past 2 weeks.

soaking like that........id personally not do it. especially if the skink is healthy and trying to slow down for winter. but its up to you.

I agree, I think the soaking idea won't help anything. Also it's true, yours might be less hungry because it's about time to brumate (perhaps even though the weathers been warm he senses its around that time. my animals have been slowing down too)

I also agree that feeding iceberg lettuce isn't the best choice. It basically just water and no nutrients really. It shouldn't be fed to any animal or invert.

Thank you!

Rani-May wrote:Just in case you are going to get the snails from outside, maybe keep the snails in a container with some lettuce for a few days or even up to a week just be sure they havent gotten to snail bait. Im always paranoid about poisoned snails, thats why i breed my own snails now

Thanks! Good to know