BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I am not an expert on how he is breathing but he does have large gasps as if he is out of breath. I am hoping the nebuliser will work on that. As far as food goes he hasnt eaten in two weeks.

Do you remember specifically which antibiotics he was on?

Honestly I dont. Will have to call the vet and ask. Why?

You've never really mentioned what the vet's opinion is on this issue other than he doesn't know what to do. Has the vet mentioned the possibility of a respiratory infection? Your skink has been exhibiting signs of this issue for over 6 months with seemingly no improvement and now possibly even declining health with the refusal to eat, which could be related to the health issue or could be due to changing of seasons. However, I agree that your skink looks thin and I agree the humidity needs bumped ASAP. I'm just wondering if the vet has brought up any of these topics with you. If I was in your situation with a vet who is unable to help any further and your skink doesn't show marked improvement soon with a nebulizer, I'd seek out a second opinion and possibly another vet may have the answer.

He took an x-ray but couldnt find anything long with his lungs and other things. He did say that sometimes reptiles will simply "give up" and die. Now I know this is not the case with mine since he is still alive. I am hoping the nebuliser will work. I will live in Denmark so humidity is a big deal so maybe that could be a factor - also because of the cold climate. I will seek out a new vet after I get the nebuliser and fed him some carnivore care.

I know I'm late to this :

What UV is provided to this skink ?
and how is it set up ?
Lack of UVA can result in lack of appetite and other issues.

Anyone bothered checking to see of the nasal passages are open ? ( sometimes they can be blocked by dust or a poor nasal shed or an infection effecting the sinuses and nasal passages ) , could be an easy fix by a skilled reptile vet.

The skink has been on antibiotics , these can play havoc with a reptile's gut flora and make them feel really sick and uninterested in food , probiotics can help ( so long as non-dairy ).

Parasites may be at the root of the problem , resulting in a secondary bacterial infection that presents like RI.

I'd not hold off on finding an alternative reptile vet and getting to the bottom of this.

I agree with all the above. Definitely need to determine the root cause of why the skink is having such an issue. Is there parasites, is it just humidity, etc. What do know is that this skink needs proper care asap. Make sure temps are correct, humidity, UVB, diet. Using the nebulizer and feeding carnivore care will help. Did your vet not tell you all this???

Sorry for the delay - the nebuliser I got was the pari compact nebuliser

Cold climate should not affect your animal if he is in a heated enclosure. Does he have sufficient basking temps? At the very least 90? Should be higher for an obviously sick animal. BTs simply do not 'give up and die', and any vet telling me this would get the boot. Why was he given antibiotics in the first place without a proper diagnosis? This is just very odd for this type of BT and I'm thinking it is a husbandry issue. Lack of UVB would not cause this. Many breeders keep them in rack tubs for decades without, this is more than likely improper temps and dietary issues. In the past I did many rescues and have never seen this in a NBTS. If indeed a parasitic thing, where did he get this?

If the vet has ruled out a respiratory infection, I can only assume antibiotics were given for suspected septicemia? Septicemia is a common blood-borne infection that can present similar symptoms to a RI (difficulty breathing, lethargy). The basking temperature was listed at 36 degrees C, which translates to roughly 97 degrees F. I also agree to double check your temps and ensure they are being monitored properly. The heat will help keep your skink fighting an infection, if that so happens to be the case. Change out your substrate and ensure everything is clean.

mb606587 wrote:If the vet has ruled out a respiratory infection, I can only assume antibiotics were given for suspected septicemia? Septicemia is a common blood-borne infection that can present similar symptoms to a RI (difficulty breathing, lethargy). The basking temperature was listed at 36 degrees C, which translates to roughly 97 degrees F. I also agree to double check your temps and ensure they are being monitored properly. The heat will help keep your skink fighting an infection, if that so happens to be the case. Change out your substrate and ensure everything is clean.

Did the vet take a swab of any mouth or nasal discharges ?
Did the vet image the lungs to determine if there is mucus / fluid in them ?
Did the vet take a blood same to determine exactly what germ / s ( might be more than virus/bacteria causing this ) and to do a sensitivity test ( determine the most effective med or mix of meds ) ?

In addition to above by mb and other :

Remove substrate while the skink is sick , replace with very easy to replace absorbant (kitchen) paper towels , replace these daily , any pathogen or parasitic spores will not then get a chance to continuously reinfect the skink (which is what is likely happening while it's immune system is compromised).
F10 everything in site in the tank ( all surfaces ) DAILY , see above.

Temps, suggest run 40 degrees C in the basking spot and no less than 34 degree C elsewhere during the day, 16 hour per day , keep the skink warmer than 28 degrees C overnight ( will help keep it's metabolism ticking over, will help dry out the lungs , will help boost it's immune system overnight.

If the vet never gave you a check list including these measures , sack him as it seems to me he's done more harm then good for your skink and has been useless , I suggest you tell us who this vet is so others who come here who might be in your country will know NOT TO take their sick reptiles or to GO TO THIS VET , if you are on facebook, I'd be putting up a warning about this vet there too.
Find a COMPETENT REPTILE VET as a matter of urgency.

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