Trust issues! Please help!

[Logancrook]

I left for vacation on the 13th and before I left my skink was tame and I could pick her up easily. I was gone for a week and now she's even worse then when I got her. I can't even open her cage without her hissing. I took her out once when I first got back and she was a nervous squirmy mess. I know my sitter for her only fed her and switched her water. She tried to keep it to a minimum. What can I do to get her to trust me again? I feel bad now that I left because I know that she'd be ok if I wouldn't have left. Please help me!!

[Linnea]

make sure your skink is not about a week from shed they are easily annoyed at that time, and better left alone.

skinks usually do not change in such a short amount of time unless something happened.
might be a good idea to double check temperatures.

[Logancrook]

She shed about a month ago and she is a year old. I can't believe I didn't think of that. She may be coming close to shed. I gave the sitter strict instructions and I'm comfident she followed them. The temperature is fine now and was while I was gone.

[Coomassie]

Give her a couple of days. Hang out around her tank and she will get used to you again. I remember beardie owners saying something similar happens when they go on vacation. I can't say I've had the same experience. Coomassie is usually the opposite. He knows my apartment-sitter and is very aware that she isn't me. He usually comes out to greet me when I get home. It makes me think Linnea may be on to something with a shed. Also, can you safely handle her? Maybe she hurt herself while you were gone and that is why she is acting defensive?

[Logancrook]

She hisses when I try to grap her but I can still take her out and handle her. She gets squirmy though which she didnt use to do. I didn't want to overwhelm her the first day I got back so I just let her eat in her cage ( I don't usually do this but the sitter had done it all week). When I put her bowl in she snapped at it. This is the first time she had ever done that. Maybe I just scared her because it was touching her tail but it surprised me (didnt discourage me though.)

[Fatal_S]

Is she hissing, or huffing?

[Logancrook]

Is she hissing, or huffing?

Both. Usually starts with huffing then goes to hissing pretty quickly. She did the same thing when I got her at first but it wasn't as persistent.

[Fatal_S]

Suggestion - when she first huffs, freeze for a moment and wait for her brain to kick back in. Basically they go from looking a bit freaked to a bit curious; I even like to see them flick their tongue at me. Then I move again, repeating if needed. When doing this I'm trying to give them a moment to get over their initial start at being approached, and go into a more receptive attitude.

[Scotts1au]

I just pick them up and try not to get bitten, generally they settle in a minute or two, unless you have a psyco one. Some of mine are like that, some just poo on me. Generally they get over it and are none the worse. :-) Generally I've found that even psyco ones settle with people after a while if exposed such as having their enclosure where people are coming and going. I also find that if their enclosure feels wild (some would say enriched) to them ie plants etc then they tend to act more wild.

[Lea]

I have the same response from my shinglebacks after brumation. I always feel a bit put out that they won't immediately love me like they did before, but I have to give them respect and a bit of space. They need to know they can trust the big ugly people again. I think they have a certain amount of instinctual fear kick in, but once they understand you aren't something to be feared, they settle again.

For my shinglebacks, it usually takes a week, after they've had a good meal and some sunshine and I generally have few issues after that.

Try not to worry. It'll feel like you are starting again, but your skink has been through the upset of a seeing new face, smelling a different scent and facing a different demeanour when handing out the food and topping up the water- it's probably a scary time having all those different stimuli. Once you are back in your routine of feeding and handling, things should rapidly improve.

[Logancrook]

Suggestion - when she first huffs, freeze for a moment and wait for her brain to kick back in. Basically they go from looking a bit freaked to a bit curious; I even like to see them flick their tongue at me. Then I move again, repeating if needed. When doing this I'm trying to give them a moment to get over their initial start at being approached, and go into a more receptive attitude.

I will definitely try that, thanks

I just pick them up and try not to get bitten, generally they settle in a minute or two, unless you have a psyco one. Some of mine are like that, some just poo on me. Generally they get over it and are none the worse. :-) Generally I've found that even psyco ones settle with people after a while if exposed such as having their enclosure where people are coming and going. I also find that if their enclosure feels wild (some would say enriched) to them ie plants etc then they tend to act more wild.

I did that when I very first got her but she didn't seem to help the way she felt about me. I then started trying to use tactics to get her to trust me. The tactics seemed to work. I don't want to just grab her now because I don't want to loose any trust she did have with me.

I have the same response from my shinglebacks after brumation. I always feel a bit put out that they won't immediately love me like they did before, but I have to give them respect and a bit of space. They need to know they can trust the big ugly people again. I think they have a certain amount of instinctual fear kick in, but once they understand you aren't something to be feared, they settle again.

For my shinglebacks, it usually takes a week, after they've had a good meal and some sunshine and I generally have few issues after that.

Try not to worry. It'll feel like you are starting again, but your skink has been through the upset of a seeing new face, smelling a different scent and facing a different demeanour when handing out the food and topping up the water- it's probably a scary time having all those different stimuli. Once you are back in your routine of feeding and handling, things should rapidly improve.

I'm persistent and just want to get her back to normal. I don't want to stress her out or scare her either though. If need be Im willing to start all over.