BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

My blue tongue skink was rubbing his nose against the tank so much that one of his scales came off his nose and was bleeding. I been cleaning it every day and watching him he seems fine but was asking if it is going to heal and will it always look like this or when he sheds next does a new scale come? Thank you so much for your help

It'll heal. Do as you're doing and keep it clean.

Ditto and try to prevent the glass surfing. It will heal.

mb606587 wrote:It'll heal. Do as you're doing and keep it clean.

I have been continuing to clean it but it has been getting worse it seems and I don't know what's wrong. Under the neighboring scales it has gotten red and I'm not sure what's wrong. Would love some advice thank you for your time

looks to me its just part of the healing process id say give it another week if it still looks like that consult a online vet.

Poor little guy. What are you cleaning it with? Is he still glass surfing at all? Is that a scab on its nose? Hard to tell from the pictures.

Janella wrote:Poor little guy. What are you cleaning it with? Is he still glass surfing at all? Is that a scab on its nose? Hard to tell from the pictures.

Cleaning with water then dry it then hydrogen peroxide and then dry it. Was guna try getting ointment and put it on his nose see if it helped. He is still rubbing his nose on the glass I haven't been able to stop it as he also digs in the substrate with his nose. It is a scab it seems with the red under the neighboring scales seems like blood below maybe dried I'm not sure. His scab seems to have some dirt in it but I have tried and can't get all it off so it is just stuck there as I can't tell if it's just how the lower scale looks after he lost the top part or not.

You may have to take out the substrate or move him into a different home until this heals. Use just paper towels or towels and like a single hide. If he keeps rubbing his nose on the glass, he won't heal. What is your setup look like now? How many hides? How deep is the substrate? You can apply a Triple Antibiotic Ointment, but if he keeps rubbing his nose, the stuff will just come off. I wouldn't use hydrogen peroxide. That can be damaging to the tissues. I would try dilute chlorhexidine or betadine. Is there an exotic vets in the area that are open and seeing pets still with all that is going on with Covid-19? It may be worth a check up.

Janella wrote:You may have to take out the substrate or move him into a different home until this heals. Use just paper towels or towels and like a single hide. If he keeps rubbing his nose on the glass, he won't heal. What is your setup look like now? How many hides? How deep is the substrate? You can apply a Triple Antibiotic Ointment, but if he keeps rubbing his nose, the stuff will just come off. I wouldn't use hydrogen peroxide. That can be damaging to the tissues. I would try dilute chlorhexidine or betadine. Is there an exotic vets in the area that are open and seeing pets still with all that is going on with Covid-19? It may be worth a check up.

No vets are open currently and they won't be until the end of the month unless they decide to extend the quarenteen. He has 2 hides an inch substrate on hot side and then 2inches on his cool side I open the glass as much as I can everyday to prevent the rubbing since that's how he asks to open it. I will go to the store today to try to find the betadine or the other one mentioned. He hasn't been rubbing too much since he just been sleeping all day lately. I don't have another place to put him except a plastic tub which is too small and wouldn't be able to put his lights over. I can remove all the substrate tho to put in the towels

Okay, I sounds good on your cage set up. Hows the temps and humidity? Are those both spot on? What type of skink do you have again? If your skink seems to have settled down on the glass surfing, you may not have to take everything out. The key is to try to keep the area as clean as possible and try to prevent it from happening again. What size enclosure do you have? The more hides, fake plants, and such to help make them feel secure the better. I also usually let my skinks out once a day for about an hour or so. This will help too. Hope all this helps.

Janella wrote:Okay, I sounds good on your cage set up. Hows the temps and humidity? Are those both spot on? What type of skink do you have again? If your skink seems to have settled down on the glass surfing, you may not have to take everything out. The key is to try to keep the area as clean as possible and try to prevent it from happening again. What size enclosure do you have? The more hides, fake plants, and such to help make them feel secure the better. I also usually let my skinks out once a day for about an hour or so. This will help too. Hope all this helps.

It helps and his temp and humidy have been fine and he just been sleeping all day so I think he is calming down from the surfing. The tank is 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot so plenty big for him I recently changed to a new tank since his last one broke so it may have been the move that stressed him out for him to rub off the scale

That all sounds really good about his setup and I absolutely agree....the move could have caused the stress and rubbing. Hopefully, it will now start healing. Good luck and keep me updated on its progress.

Ditto to everything Janella said. While the wound will heal, the priority is to take precautions to stave off a possible infection.