Wrinkled Faced Scale...what is it???

[DianaBlueTongue]

So about 2 months ago I took in a juvie meruake that was in TERRIBLE shape. Totally emaciated, huge dent in it's back, mangled front feet, horrible infestation of mites, and at least 3 full layers of unshed shed. Needless to say, she was in pretty rough shape.

I'm very happy to report that my little Renny (Dakota helped me with the name, it's short for "renaissance" meaning rebirth or renewal) is doing FANTASTIC. She's put on a ton of weight and is currently deep in her third shed in less then 2 months. The mites are gone and her hands are healed and she's a total sweetheart.

When she came to me all the scales on her head were "wrinkled". I thought it was from complete lack of humidity and it would clear up after she shed but two full sheds later shes still just as wrinkled as the day I brought her home.

What causes a blues head scales to wrinkle like this? Is it permanent? All her temps/humidity are spot on, her last shed came of in only 3 big pieces, that's the last pic. She's on a eco earth/cypress mix and gets a daily diet of chicken hearts, livers, premium grain free organic wet dog food, collard greens/mustard greens/dandelion greens, and a variety of fruits as well as an occasional raw egg and pinkie mice.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[DianaBlueTongue]

This was the day I brought her home...

[Richard.C]

Shes improved imensely,good job,not sure what causes the wrinkled scales,as ive never seen it per say but a diet to low in protein xan give them a rough scale look,so could be the result of poor diet and conditions from previous owner,keep doing what your doing and in time it may improve,at worst it shouldnt get worse or affect it in any way

This skink is a good example of what can happen when u put a crook looking skink into good conditions/care

Medicine and vet care can help,but if conditions ect arent fixed thats just a bandaid remedy

Often times getting conditions corrected is of way more benefit than medical treatment,but both are important ,people just often neglect the fixing the conditions part of treatment which is usually the cause in the first place

[Roarschak11]

I actually posted a question similar to this just a while ago! viewtopic.php?f=4&t=25270 the pet store I got mine at fed him nothing but baby food and greens when he's was from 1-7 months old so the protein thing makes a lot of sense.

Also, awsome job with the little one! I'm rehabbing a schniders skink right now and it makes me happy to see how well he is improving everyday! Stories like this always make my day

[DianaBlueTongue]

Yeah, I actually never ended up taking her to the vet. The pet store I got her from had told me she hadn't eaten on her own in months, that he was force feeding wet cat food/water through an oral syringe. I had seen Renny every couple days cuz this pet store is where I was getting all my feeders at the time and she was there for a solid 6 months in HORRIBLE conditions. I finaly managed to talk him into giving her to me cuz he figured she was way beyond saving but until the moment I took her home she was still for sale in the condition of the above photos for $89.99.

Right after I took the pics I gave her a nice long warm soak, peeled off 3-4 full layers of unshed shed and put her under a warm basking light. An hour later I offered some wet dog food and she literally ate every drop of it right out of my hand.

It really is amazing how much just improper heating, lighting, and cage size can make a bluey deteriorate. And how much the correct conditions can bring one back from the brink. I only use vet care if it's the last resort, it's been my experience that medicine and vet care can sometimes be to harsh or stressful and make the situation worse. Most things will clear on their own with just a little TLC and correct species requirments.

I'm so grateful she did make such a turn around. She's doubled in size in two months and is currently on her third shed in as much time. And for being through so horrible treatment she came out of it with such a wonderful temperament. I have a feeling we'll be best buds for years and years to come

[Richard.C]

One prob with some pet shops is they skimp on heating them properly,they dont plan to house them for long periods,they want to sell them asap ,thankfully not all shops are like that,theres a few like that here ,one in particular use probe thermostats under one low watt bulb,so cages turn off at a pretty low temp ,like 25 and the basking spot ,which makes you seriosly wonder

[Katrina]

Lots of blueys I've gotten have had this - it is related to poor diet, it takes more than a couple months to fix but after a 6 months to a year it should be much improved.

[Tom]

This is a great thread. Very inspirational and full of good insight.

Thank you all.