Help?

[Lsck]

Hi, I've had my bluetongue since December, and she has been mostly fine. Aside from her not liking to be handled, she seems normal. Except her sound. When I have her our, I can hear her breaths, louder than I would expect to be Normal. Even when in her tank i can hear a slight squeak/whistle from her.
Just a few moments ago, she made a few strange sounds, as if a large sneeze, or as if she were clearing her throat. I have never heard her make such sounds before, and it worries me. Could this be harmful? Could I have set up the tank incorrectly? I just wish for her to be fine.

[Logancrook]

My skink sneezes all the time and its normal. When I hold her I can hear her breath but not when she's just in her cage. Maybe she just breathes very loud.

[Lsck]

She sneezes too, this was not one.

[Dakota]

You can sometimes hear wheezing either after a good meal or after they have been buried which leads to something in the nose to make the noise. Sneezing usually clears the noise.

[Lea]

They do sneeze, as the others have said, but there are signs to look out for when a sneeze might be something more serious, like a respiratory tract infection.

Weepy or discharging eyes, runny nose, rapid, shallow or laboured breathing. Wheezy noises can be normal for your skink, but can also be signs of an impaired airway, so you need to know if this is outside the norm for your animal. Skinks lack a diaphragm, so don't really have a cough, as such, but can give the appearance of try to clear the throat with muscular contractions of the body. Excess mucous around the nose, in the mouth or frothy sputum, are all more signs of an infection. Along with changes in behaviour like lethargy, malaise, disinterest in food or water or even drinking to excess, are all indicators of a sick skink.

If you are concerned this is more than a few sneezes, your only option is a vet who will prescribe antibiotics. They deteriorate quickly, so the sooner you see something is wrong and seek help, the better.


Hopefully this is just as the others have said, a few sneezes to clear dust or even excitement! But you have some pointers to look out for, too, just in case.

[donkeybuff]

Sneezing and slight squeaking or whistling is okay. When you hear continuous popping/cracking, see discharge from the nose and eyes, or hear/see actual labored wheezing, then you have a problem. Skinks burrow and can be excited eaters, so it is normal for them to get stuff in their nose and sneeze it out.