Toe Loss - recurring problem (with pics)

[NickC]

Hi Everyone,

Looing for advice. If I'm doing something wrong let me know.

I've had this skink since he was little. I've read a lot and tried to do my best, but I'm concerned.

When I first had him, about a year in, he lost a toe during a shed. After he lost his first toe, he had another difficult shed, so I added a large moist hide, which I keep full of moss, and that really helped. So we had a couple of years without problem. He sheds without my intervention. Now its happened again. and the toe beside doesn't look good and I'm concerned.

One of the problems is I don't get him out as much as I used to. I still clean his cage monthly, and feed and change his water regularly, but I don't have him out and interact that much, I don't even think he shed recently, so could he have lost a toe without a shed? Also, I live in the Toronto area, and we don't have AC so the air hasn't been dry all summer.

For more info, I keep him on a bedding of cypress mulch mixed with coconut fiber. I have a lamp on the hot side and a large humid hide with sphagnum moss on the cool side. He definitely uses the moist hide, especially when he sheds.

Attached are pictures. Advice welcome

If I should take him to a vet, Mississauga recommendations would be great.

[SmaugTheBluey]

I think a larger waterbowl with easier access would help, but I would also try giving him a lukewarm bath. The bath should help get off the stuck shed; What's the humidity level in the tank, I'm thinking that's a meruke bts and I know those need a higher humidity level to maintain scale health.

[Kurt]

It might be worth thinking about removing the substrate and replace with clean paper towels while the toes are healing.

It'd be interesting to see the actual humidity levels in the tank. If possible, if you could get a humidity gauge and report the range that might be helpful to the forum. Just a thought.

[NickC]

Hi,

I took the temp/humidity gauge out a while back because he kept knocking it off its mount. Its like he took some specific pleasure in doing it because he went out of his way.

Anyway, I put it back in, left it for a couple of hours and it register 55%. Its 70% in the house, so its drier in there, probably because of the lamp I would imagine.

I can definitely mist it in there on a regular basis. Would that be a good solution?

I'll clean the cage tomorrow to try to keep his space clean while his toe is healing. Any other suggestions? any immediate actions I should take?

[SmaugTheBluey]

Misting would definitely be a good solution, otherwise he should be fine. Btw he's a beautiful skink good luck

[Dood]

I am in the Halton area and keep my Northern x IJ skink in a similar set up, I believe Meraukes would require more humidity.

48" tank
Lamp with a flagstone for basking
Small water bowl
Humid hide - but i think mine is bigger (18x12) and has 3/4" of water in 1" gravel with moss on top, my gal will rest in there for her shed and so far her skin gets nice and elastic and I haven't had any shed issues (knock on wood)
Cypres mulch bedding - but mine is 3 inches deep so she can burrow into it and I add water to it to dampen the substrate if I notice her hanging out in her humid hide too often and during the week before her shed.