BTS Not eating and eye issues

[Hrorick]

Hey, first post here.
My BTS has had some eye problems for awhile now (maybe 6 months ish) where his eye gets crusty and clogged up. I treat this with a warm steam bath to correct the issue for a few days and repeat every time it returns. I think it may have to do with a shedding accident where his eye lining came off as you can see in the pic attached. It has been more of a nuisance and seems to bother him a little bit. He also has not been eating much for the past month or so and as a result has become very thin. However, he is currently shedding which seems odd due to the weight loss. He just doesn't seem right and I've tried many different things to help out. I know I should take him to the vet but my parents are not willing to spend the money for his treatment. Any help is appreciated!

[alichamp]

How old is he? How long have you had him?

This poor guy is really in terrible shape, he is in extremely poor health and has been for some time. He NEEDS to go to the vet for treatment immediately. You are also likely to have to correct your set up as poor conditions and lack of treatment early has probably caused his condition.

What level of humidity is the enclosure?
How do you provide humidity?
What temperatures on warm and cool ends?
What substrate?

It is likely he will need serious antibiotics and possibly additional care. You need to explain this to your parents. He is not at all healthy and you and your parents have an obligation to the animal you have taken in your care.

Once you answer the questions above we can give you some tips on what to do with the enclosure while you get him to the vet.

[Hrorick]

Thanks for your reply,
I know he is in rough condition and I think I'll be able to get him to the vet soon. I don't use a special humidifier for his enclosure because it hadn't been a problem for the previous 6 years I've had him. He uses repti bark and the enclosure is around 80 at the cool end and maybe 90 at the warm end during the day.k

[starscream3232]

Not soon to a vet right now!! That skink is knocking on deaths door. Severely under weight and dehydrated. Meruakes need high humidity to thrive. If not kept humidity holding substrates like cypress and topsoil they will fail to thrive. They are also heavily imported and need vet checks to clear up parasites. Canned dog food is the best staple diet for them. Seriously this skink needs a vet now.

[Janella]

Hi, where are you located? Is there any way you can get him to a vet asap? As previously stated, the poor thing is in very rough shape. Depending on where you are located I may be able to help. I am at work all day, but message back and I will respond as soon as I can again.

[Hrorick]

Thanks for the replies.
He's going to the vet in a few hours. Like I said he's 7 years old and has had relatively few problems over that span. I was out of town for a lot of the past month and his condition severely worsened in that time. I'll look into some set up changes to help with humidity and hopefully he'll start eating and drinking again.

[Janella]

Great, I am glad to see you got him into the vet. Keep us posted on what they say.

[Hrorick]

I took him to the vet and got lubricant for the eye and they prescribed antibiotic injections for the next few weeks. I'll force feed him a bit to get his weight up so I think he should be fine. I'll look into adding humidity to prevent the shedding issues again.

[Janella]

Excellent news. I wish your skink the best.

[alichamp]

Add a humid hide for him, the details of how are on the FAQ section of the general discussion forum.

You haven't given the other details about the enclosure I asked for, but for now it might be good to strip out substrate and keep him on paper towel and keep the hot end a little boost (at least 100 Fahrenheit) ensuring you still get gradient down to the cooler end. What heat are you providing? A pic of your current set up would help too.

What are you feeding?

I don't want to be alarmist but I'm not sure you realise how sick your pet is. What else did the vet say about caring for him? Starscream has it spot on. You need to provide your best to care for him and hopefully to nurse him back to health - hopefully he will get better but it's also possible that he won't, and it's certain he won't if you are complacent about his care.

[Htnn]

Oh Wow, you can just see it in his eyes that he is having a rough go eh? Best of luck to your little guy.

[trex]

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying about keep up with the vet care.

Your story sounds eerily similar to mine:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=30122

My BTS died last week because of issues that are similar to yours. I hope your outcome is different. Take it from a first hand experience: the money spent at the vet for exams are worth more than the final cremation.

[Hrorick]

Yes I read your forum earlier, so sorry about your loss. So far I'm moving along with the vet care and he seems to be perking up nicely. But I'll be sure to keep a close eye on his condition.