Bloody Scales and/or Cuts (Updated With Pics 8/31)

[JMiller24]

Hello everyone,

I've run into something new with Toothless lately and I am starting to get a little worried. I will be able to provide pictures tomorrow, but for now I just have a description.

1. A couple of weeks ago we noticed what looked like a cut under his chin. Upon closer inspection it looks like it is a single scale that is the problem. He often climbs the waterfall in his tank and then falls off trying to get down (or slides down it) so a cut under his chin wasn't completely surprising. I ran my finger over this and it feels like a scab.

2. Tonight we noticed that a scale on the top of his head looks bloody. We took him out and tried to wipe it off, but the blood appears to be under the scale, if that makes sense.


Any ideas what this could be? Again I'll try and grab pictures tomorrow, but in the meantime I was hoping someone might have some ideas.


Edit: Here are some pictures.

1. Top of his head

2 Top of his head 2

3. Top of his head 3

4. Scale on bottom of chin that sort of looks like a cut and feels like a scab. The extra brown spots around the scale are just bad lighting I think. Didn't see that on him in person.

5. It is hard to see in this picture, but his stomachead is always a little pink/red.

[Carnivale]

Obviously, pictures are important for the more experienced owners/breeders to recognize if something is amiss.

But personally, I wouldn't want there to be something in my skink's enclosure that she could fall off of and injure herself. Does the fountain or anything else in the enclosure have sharp edges?

[JMiller24]

It really isn't sharp. Once in a while and he tries to climb to the very top and then falls trying to get back down. That is just my guess to how he got the cut on his chin scale. This is the first time in probably 6 months of having the water fall that I've seen anything like this, and he really seems to enjoy it. Then again it looks like a single scale is messed up, so i'm not even sure that is a cut.

[Roarschak11]

That actually kinda looks bad. I would take the little dude to a vet and get it checked out and some creme to put on it maybe.

[Carnivale]

Ouch, yeah, I'd say go to the vet.

And I'd still encourage not having anything in the enclosure that your bluey can fall off of that's high enough that he could potentially hurt himself. I know they're sturdy animals, but that just seems like a bad accident waiting to happen, like broken toes or a leg, etc.

[JMiller24]

Thanks guys! I'll get him in ASAP this week do you think this is scale rot?

[JMiller24]

Yea depending on what this turnsite out to be, the waterfall might be going bye bye. He loves it, but if he is injuring himself on it...

[JMiller24]

Also, the one on top of his head doesn't feel any different. It is like the problem is below the scale.