BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

My boyfriend and I's blue tongue skink, Plum, hasn't eaten more than a few small bites of food in three weeks. We then noticed that her neck/ throat area looked to be an orange color and was a bit swollen. She also sometimes has a small amount of crust around her eyes and nose. She sneezes or coughs occasionally but she has always done that. We took her to the only reptile vet in our area and she said it could possibly be a respiratory infection and gave us antibiotics. We are a week and a half into using them and it really only looks worse. The skin around her mouth became very pink. I feel so helpless because I can't even find anything about it online. Please please let me know if you've seen these issues with your skink or if you possibly know what it could be or what I could do. I am so worried she is in pain. I've attached a photo of her neck.

Hello there. So honestly I see what you mean with your skink, but from the angle I can't tell if it is normal or there is a mass there. Sometimes skinks will have a normal extra amount of skin in that area. However, with everything else your describing I think a call or visit to your reptile vet is in order again. They can assess your pet and give you the proper advice you need. Also they can recheck the RI

Just to add on from Janella's advice - how is your setup? You've got a species that requires higher humidity compared to Northerns. If you're able to post a few more images then we can try to ID her (as for example, if it's what I'm suspecting - a Halmahera, you'll need to maintain humidity levels of 80-90%). It can be difficult to maintain high humidity, but would likely help with the crust around her eyes and nose.

Hello, I hope the images I've attached are better. To answer your question, the setup is pretty solid. 40 gal tank, heat lamp on one side, and a cooler side. We spray the tank every day but now we've just added a humidifier 2 days ago that keep the humidity at around 80% at all times. I'm very concerned about the orange-red color on her neck and the fact that she hasn't eaten a solid meal in three weeks. Does anyone know what causes this discoloration? We started seeing the problem soon after we added coconut husk to her cypress mulch bedding- could she be allergic to it or something?

Hello again, So I honestly don't see an issue with an discoloration. It can be normal for them to go through color changes as they age and mature. From your picture the skink looks normal. I have never heard of a skink being allergic to the substrate you are using. Have you contacted your vet yet to let then know your concerns? I don't like that your skink isn't eating. This can happen with skinks who are sick. Has your vet suggested anything called carnivore care to force feed? How is the skink doing over all? What are your temps?

Janella wrote:Hello again, So I honestly don't see an issue with an discoloration. It can be normal for them to go through color changes as they age and mature. From your picture the skink looks normal. I have never heard of a skink being allergic to the substrate you are using. Have you contacted your vet yet to let then know your concerns? I don't like that your skink isn't eating. This can happen with skinks who are sick. Has your vet suggested anything called carnivore care to force feed? How is the skink doing over all? What are your temps?

Thank you! This is very helpful. It's comforting to know that the discoloration may be normal. My vet told me to wait until after the antibiotics are finished to follow up with her about any questions. Right now the cool side of her tank is around 70F and her hot side is around 85F. For the last three days, she has eaten a few bites when we feed her which is great and she has also pooped the last two days. I am starting to feel very hopeful. She seems to be benefitting from the new humidifier too which is fantastic. We plan on filling her tank with only cypress mulch this time (and not mix in coconut husk) just incase she is suffering from impaction. These abnormalities from her started soon after we started using the coconut husk, so it is worth a shot. I also found out online that skinks have a higher risk of suffering from impaction than other reptiles. I really appreciate your help and I will definitely get my hands on carnivore care if her eating does not return to normal.

Your very welcome. So can you do me a favor. Take some pictures of your skink from the side and from over top. I want to verify the species you have. I am pretty sure it is either a halamara or Merauke, but I want to make sure. Your basking temp, if it is 85 it is WAY to low. They need to be 100-110. This could be a huge reason your skink isn't eating. If they aren't proper temp they won't.