Interesting shingleback rescue: distressing photos

[Lea]

Warning, some of these pictures might be distressing.

Over the years, I've had many rescues, a lot of happy and sad stories, but this one in particular I found to be of interest as it looks like she came out of brumation quite a sick skink and probably deteriorated rapidly as the weather warmed up.

She was found in someone's garden, after their dog started barking and getting excited, but thankfully, it didn't try to attack the little shingleback. Apart from being lethargic and anorexic, with little interest in her surrounding, she's completely emaciated, as you can see from her flat, sunken tail and skinny legs and after an examination, I found an abscess in her mouth, plus her eyes are all cloudy and weepy from an infection. She also looks anaemic, from the pale colour inside her mouth and her gasp like breaths.

We went to the vet last night and she's now on daily ceftazidime injections and gentamicin eye ointment. It looks like she may have gone into brumation slightly deconditioned and underweight, possibly already with an abscess forming and has emerged very sick and frail. She may also have a respiratory infection, which the ceftazidime will help treat it if there is.

She's unable to see much at the moment and is very weak, so I am syringe feeding her a 1/4ml of fluids every 3 hours and to try to bump up her energy levels, she's also having a 1/2ml of puréed watermelon via syringe, twice a day. She's not capable of taking solid foods, because she is so weak, so the watermelon seemed to be a good alternative to solids as she's good at swallowing fluids and it's easily blitzed to a liquid and she's taking fluids well.

Anyway, here are the pictures. Hopefully I'll be able to post an update next week with an improvement.

[NickBrahz]

She has some gorgeous patterns on her, really hope she gets better seems to have gone through the ringer and back, shes in good hands now.

[Susann]

Oh, sweet precious!

My heart aches for the beautiful little girl; bless YOUR heart for helping her!

[alichamp]

I second Susann's comment. All the best for a good recovery.

Lea, do you work/volunteer for a wildlife rescue group? I'm just curious about how you spend some of your time as you are obviously experienced in helping out rescues. Do you, for example, go out and pick up injured animals when a call comes in, or maybe the group calls you when they need bts help?

[Nae]

Poor baby <3 Hopefully she gets better soon - Good on you for helping her out!

They have been waking up here also, Im on the lookout for any who may need any help~

[Lea]

I second Susann's comment. All the best for a good recovery.

Lea, do you work/volunteer for a wildlife rescue group? I'm just curious about how you spend some of your time as you are obviously experienced in helping out rescues. Do you, for example, go out and pick up injured animals when a call comes in, or maybe the group calls you when they need bts help?

Hi, alichamp. I used to volunteer at a native animal rescue in the Adelaide Hills, but have since moved so no longer go there. I get the odd call for help with lizards, but mostly now, it's word of mouth. This particular lizard came from one of my patients at work, whose wife's friend had found her in their garden at home. They knew I keep and rescue, so she brought her in hoping I'd take her. I had an empty hospital tank, so of course she was welcomed! Sadly, most the rescues are from cat and dog attacks. If one is sick in the wild, I think it usually goes unnoticed, unless the person who sees them happens to know a little about them. The person who found this little girl knew something was up when she just lay there with the dog barking like crazy around it.

[Lea]

Hi Nae!

[El Lobo]

Good luck with her Lea, she surely is emaciated.

If the ceftazidime doesn't cure the mouth abscess Depocillin injections may help, I had fairly good results with it when treating one of the buns. Efficacious with both aerobic and anaerobic.

[splashy07]

Dear God, Lea, you are a Saint. This has brought me to tears and I am at work...!! Thank the lord I run my own department and am by myself! Best of luck with that sweet thing, I know you will save her. Darn, there's mascara in my eyes...so glad that sweet little girl found you. We need more like you on this planet.

[Dood]

Bless you for giving this little one another chance

For the Australians, I'm curious as it looks like she is missing toes on her front right foot, is that common in wild skinks? I thought it was more of a captive skink problem due to bad sheds?

If it is uncommon then is it possible she was an escaped (or released) pet who couldn't adapt to the wild and went downhill?

[NickBrahz]

Bless you for giving this little one another chance

For the Australians, I'm curious as it looks like she is missing toes on her front right foot, is that common in wild skinks? I thought it was more of a captive skink problem due to bad sheds?

If it is uncommon then is it possible she was an escaped (or released) pet who couldn't adapt to the wild and went downhill?

In the pictures looks to be missing a lot of the front toes and few of the back to me.
Nah it is common in the wild, they are more likely to lose them in the wild because if they have a bad shed there is no human to step in to soak them and get it off, especially bobtails because they live in dry arid places.
Also rival predators can take a nip at them and might take a toe or 2.

[Nae]

Hi Nae!

Heeeyy

Dood - I have found lost toes in definitely wild (as in I lived on a large farm out in the middle of no where wild so this many could not have come from somewhere) shingles to be somewhat common - Including ones with nothing but pads and/or stumps. They can get quite rugged looking thats for sure!

[splashy07]

Awwww.....and I would give a few of my toes just to have one....

[Richard.C]

Nice one lea,looks to have battled through brumation and gotten through it,get the odd eastern in a similar state here,all skin and bone and weakened,usually riddled with mites,i tend to spray them with mite spray and leave food for them and most stick around and come good,some just go off elsewhere though

Hopefully with some tlc you can get this guy back into shape

[Lea]

Yes, there are quite a few with digits missing in the wild ones, especially in the more rugged areas. Not so much in the sand dunes, near my house, the softer terrain is much kinder to their tootsies!

She seems to be doing fairly well, a bit more active today, wandering around her enclosure and was a bit more resistant to me cleaning her eyes up, which is a good sign that she has a bit of fight back in her. Early days yet, but I've got a lot of hope that she'll pull through. She's had some enriched gravy earlier today, which she managed via the syringe and also excreted a good sized urate which made me very excited If things are coming out as well as going in, she must be working pretty well on the inside.

Thankfully no mites, Richard, although I treated her anyway to be on the safe side and only one tick, lurking in her ear, which I removed and stomped on really well!

[NickBrahz]

Thats great to hear, with any "luck" the damage to her is only on the outside and not internal issues.