BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

So this local fish store ended up with an IJ who was in a bad way. They tried to nurse him back to health, but when I saw him I knew he needed more help. He was cold as ice when I touched him, and very lethargic. The lamp and setup they had wasn't keeping him warm enough. They were feeding him increased amounts of calcium because when they first took him in he was having seizures. As far as I have seen, he hasn't had any. I will be taking him to a vet soon.

They were feeding him Repashy Bluey Buffet mix, with some fruit as well. They didn't mention feeding him any greens when I asked. I've switched him to a premium, grain free wet dog food, mixed in a blender with a tablespoon of calcium powder, collard greens, and a few hardboiled eggs. I feed him about two tablespoons once a day. I'm not really concerned with obesity at this point, more with getting as much nutrients into him as I can for the next week or two. I plan on feeding him a few times a week when he's more healthy. He isn't underweight either. I also am going to get some different vegetables as well, but he seems to do okay with the collard greens.

He seems to be an adult, though they didn't know the age. He has no fingers on any of his feet. His front left leg is a stump at the end, and doesn't even have a palm like his other feet. He does have some trouble moving around, and is still sluggish. They said he hardly moved around ever, but I've caught him lounging under the basking lamp and he comes out to see what I'm doing sometimes, so I think the heat increase is helping. He is inquisitive and turns to look at me when I talk to him.

His eyes were cloudy and had a milky discharge when I first brought him home. With proper heat, it seems to have mostly cleared up. He's also got a pink belly, so I imagine he's about to shed, so I've got his humidity around 70%. I need to buy another bulb, but using a room heater and the UVB one that I have, he's at about 90 degrees in his basking spot, which I know probably should be even higher. His colder spot is about 75. I live in the middle of nowhere, so I'm having the new bulb shipped to me.

I've only had him a few days, but I'm already attached to the little guy. He closes his eyes when I give him chin rubs. He's not very used to being handled, and I've kept it to a minimum since he's adjusting to the new environment.

Any tips or advice? I've worked before with sick reptile rescues, mainly snakes, so I'm familiar with some of the care. This is my first skink though. I've helped care for a tegu in the past, as well as iguanas and geckos. I just want him to get better.

Yeah thank goodness you got him. Poor guy. The stumpy hand could possibly be an injury being that it's probably a wild caught animal but more likely a sign that he has been housed with inadequate humidity. Without adequate humidity, the skin does not shed properly, builds up on the toes, and constricts the blood flow eventually leading to amputation of the digits. Is quite common. He was lethargic because the temperatures were too low. Now that, you're giving him proper heat, he can actually regulate function in his body. I agree with you that providing a bit more heat on the basking spot is best, but everything else you're doing is spot on. A vet trip is a good idea, the vet will probably give him some vitamin injections and most likely have you inject some more at home. They might even give you critical care formula to syringe feed if they feel he is that malnourished. The silver lining in all this is that these skinks are extremely hardy. Many have been able to survive and recover when found in this condition and after proper conditions are provided.

Mb said it all, and bless you for giving this poor sweet thing a home for Christmas!
Happy holidays and a healthy, prosperous new year to all!

mb606587 wrote:Yeah thank goodness you got him. Poor guy. The stumpy hand could possibly be an injury being that it's probably a wild caught animal but more likely a sign that he has been housed with inadequate humidity. Without adequate humidity, the skin does not shed properly, builds up on the toes, and constricts the blood flow eventually leading to amputation of the digits. Is quite common. He was lethargic because the temperatures were too low. Now that, you're giving him proper heat, he can actually regulate function in his body. I agree with you that providing a bit more heat on the basking spot is best, but everything else you're doing is spot on. A vet trip is a good idea, the vet will probably give him some vitamin injections and most likely have you inject some more at home. They might even give you critical care formula to syringe feed if they feel he is that malnourished. The silver lining in all this is that these skinks are extremely hardy. Many have been able to survive and recover when found in this condition and after proper conditions are provided.

I didn't realize inadequate sheds could cause a loss of fingers. I'll definitely keep an eye out on his shedding and mist the tank more if he has any trouble. If they do give me some stuff for injections, that shouldn't be an issue, thankfully, as I've given them before to sick snakes, so I feel fairly confident about it as long as they give me good instructions. I'm glad to hear they're hardy too; he definitely isn't doing the best, but I feel like the little bit of improvement already means he might just keep improving if I'm careful and keep his environment how he needs it. Thank you for the feedback! I've just never had a skink before and wanted to make sure that his care was adequate and see if I was missing anything.

splashy07 wrote:Mb said it all, and bless you for giving this poor sweet thing a home for Christmas!
Happy holidays and a healthy, prosperous new year to all!

Thanks! Enjoy the holidays. I'm sure he'll get better if I keep working at it.

Bless you for taking on this poor baby. Breaks my heart that people leave them in that condition. I am sure your new little friend will love you for life. He definitely knows who saved him. Keep us updated ok.