[Resolved] Bluey Ate Fertilizer Pellets?!

[tbcorbett]

I was watching my Bluey dig around at the base of one of her plants when I saw her snatch up and eat three of those little green fertilizer pellets!!!! (The round plastic ball things that come in some potted plants.)

I thought I had gotten all of them out of the plant when I originally put it in (~3 months ago) but these were deep down by the roots, and she just dug them out!! I FEEL HORRIBLE!!! I tried calling the store where I got the plant at to ask what kind of fertilizer it is, but I couldn't get anyone to pick up, and they just closed 20 minutes ago. I called a reptile vet near me too, but they didn't know anything about if a fertilizer pellet would be bad or not and told me to bring her in in the morning if she isn't doing well

The store I got the plant from is called Biodude, and they are a pretty well known reptile specialty store. I want to believe with all my heart that they wouldn't use a fertilizer that could be toxic if ingested, but I don't know!! It just seems like it'd be really bad for her to eat those!!!! They're small enough I know she could pass them, but as for if they're poisonous to eat?! She crunched them and I know they release a weird liquid which is some kind of plant food, but I don't know what it is composed of!!!!!!

She is just basking right now, no signs anything is wrong...... yet!!!!!

I don't know what to do and I'm super anxious!!!! And I'm not sure if I should rush her to a vet or not!! Does anyone else have a Bluey who ate one of those before?!

Edit: I made sure to take the plant out that had the pellets, and I found a couple more. I also SCOURED her enclosure for any other pellets, and I found some old poop that definitely had some passed fertilizer pellets in it, so I don't BELIEVE it's toxic to her in the quantities she ate, but I am gonna keep an eye on her.

I still am not sure if I should take her to a vet or not, since I don't know if she's been building up toxins in her system regardless, since it looks like she ate some before? And hopefully she won't get bound up with the ones she just ate today. I am so beside myself with worry!!!!! I never imagined in a million years a skink would eat something like that!! I am learning so much about Bluey behavior

[IvanDanko]

Hey TB,

Sorry to hear you've had a scare! Can happen to the best of us especially as new keepers in one way or another. I can't offer a definitive answer on the pellets however fertilizer typically contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and iron. Depending on the individual concentrations and how well they were metabolised it may pose a risk of toxicity or it may not. If they have been passed almost whole as you've said this may indicate they have not been broken down. Good job scouring for any more but take this as a learning moment to always be vigilant of what you put in the enclosure. I think monitoring closely for now is all you can do. Keep us updated.

[tbcorbett]

Hey TB,

Sorry to hear you've had a scare! Can happen to the best of us especially as new keepers in one way or another. I can't offer a definitive answer on the pellets however fertilizer typically contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and iron. Depending on the individual concentrations and how well they were metabolised it may pose a risk of toxicity or it may not. If they have been passed almost whole as you've said this may indicate they have not been broken down. Good job scouring for any more but take this as a learning moment to always be vigilant of what you put in the enclosure. I think monitoring closely for now is all you can do. Keep us updated.

Absolutely, I am going to TRIPLE check any plants I put in from now on!! I doubt I will be sleeping well the next few days while I helicopter over her to make sure she's doing okay.

I went ahead and booked an appointment with a reptile vet near me anyway, they couldn't get me in until Tuesday, but they said they could see me same-day if I feel like it's an emergency. IF she starts displaying bad symptoms, I'll take her in right away. But since that poop was old, and she has been perfectly fine, I am very hesitantly going to say- knock on wood- that she'll be alright.

I will update the thread tomorrow with how she's doing, she burrowed into her hidey hole at 8 PM to go to sleep.

I am just wondering why she preferred to eat little nasty plasticy balls when I had a buffet of banana, premium dog chow, turnip greens and grated butternut squash two feet away

Thank you for the reply and I will keep you updated!!!

[tbcorbett]

Okay! I got off the phone with Biodude and they said the fertilizer pellets contained Nitrogen only.

They also told me that when the pellets are watered, they typically release the nitrogen into the soil and become 'inert' afterwards. Though I can't say for sure whether or not this was the case with the ones she ate (they still did have whiteish, watery fluid inside) they informed me the most they'd probably do would be to cause a small stomach ache, but likely they'd do nothing considering how little the pellets actually are/how little was contained inside them. They also said I should keep an eye on her to make sure she passes them, which I have been doing already!

She has been acting just fine today, already has been out to bask and eat (her ACTUAL food ). She also pooped, and it looked very healthy, but no sign of any pellets yet (Maybe they haven't gone through her whole GI tract since she just ate them yesterday evening?).

I handled her for about 6 minutes, she was very alert and curious! All seems to be okay with her, but I will continue to monitor.

Hopefully the vet okays her as well when I take her in on Tuesday.

Now all I need is to look into how to make skink-edible 'crunchy balls' filled with fruit! She was digging in the same spot where the plant used to be, looking for more delicious green pellets, and seemed sad when she realized they were all truly gone. I can't believe she found them that tasty...

[IvanDanko]

Good news! Sounds like they must have bled any large amounts of nitrogen before they were dug up and eaten. And she sounds as healthy as always- crisis averted

[tbcorbett]

Good news! Sounds like they must have bled any large amounts of nitrogen before they were dug up and eaten. And she sounds as healthy as always- crisis averted

Yeah!! : D

She is doing just as fine today, SUPER ravenous for her food, super active, no signs that would indicate to me anything could be wrong!!

I'll update the thread one last time too after I take her in to the vet tomorrow, but the little garbage disposal seems to be doing great!! What a scare she gave me

[tbcorbett]

Okay! Last update, I got back from the vet who said my skink is in perfect health! She said she wouldn't worry about the pellets, since it happened on Friday and there's been no signs of any illness since then. My skink has been just as ravenous and active since then too- I also figured if the pellets gave her any digestional issues she wouldn't have her appetite!

But she did tell me I've been feeding my baby a little too much, as she's a bit overweight?! She weighed in at 156.8 grams. I had no idea.. But that everything else looked wonderful and that I didn't have anything to worry about.

All-in-all, yes indeed crisis averted! Now I just have to make sure I cut back on her portion sizes.

[IvanDanko]

Good news no issues from the pellets! Haha I think you'd take portion control as a better issue to have though