BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

My bts seems to be sick! He's been sneezing more than just once in awhile. He's about 3 months old. I've looked for vets in my area but is there something else I should be doing? He's my first bts.

Sneezing is/can be normal - they are burrowing animals and it helps to clear their noses.

Does your bluey have any discharge from his eyes or nose? Appetite or activity level changed? What substrate is he on? It could just be a little dusty (some are more so than others), need to be changed or switched to a different one.

Please provide more info.

I changed his bedding awhile ago and waited to see if that was the reason for sneezing. He didn't stop. He's been doing it a lot and today one of his eyes was shut because of some discharge. The discharge was not bad but it was still there. His appetite and activity level have slowed a little. I'm just worried. He's my first one and I just love him. I want him to be happy and healthy.

What kind of bedding? Some can cause allergic reactions or something similar. It is probable that he has had some sort of condition for a long while. I would find a vet as soon as possible.

Welcome to the forum, although I'm sorry it's not under better circumstances. What type of bluey do you have? Can you post pictures? It is normal for blue tongues to sneeze a bit, especially if they have been burrowing. Without seeing pictures however, I would say that it's not normal for the eye to be closed unless it has substrate in the eye. Do you notice any open mouth breathing? Is there any crust around the nose or mouth? When it doubt, a vet trip would be good.

kmarley wrote:I changed his bedding awhile ago and waited to see if that was the reason for sneezing. He didn't stop. He's been doing it a lot and today one of his eyes was shut because of some discharge. The discharge was not bad but it was still there. His appetite and activity level have slowed a little. I'm just worried. He's my first one and I just love him. I want him to be happy and healthy.

What kind of substrate was he on before you changed it and what is he on now? As stated, pictures and more info would be great.

He was on pine bedding and now is on a corn cob type stuff. My friend suggested switching to the cob stuff. That's what he uses. I'm not sure how to post pictures on this. I did make an appointment with the vet. He's going in tomorrow for their earliest available appointment. Hopefully it isn't anything serious and I'm being a overly concerned new bts owner. But I feel better that he's going to the vet.
There isn't any crust around his mouth or nose. But he does seem to be opening his mouth a little more when he breathes.

If you'll read the caresheet, you'll find out what the correct bedding you should be using is. Pine bedding and corn cob bedding is not it.

It sounds like you're right-on looking for a vet. Make sure the vet knows what he or she is doing, and knows reptiles well. A vet willing to help rather than being knowledgeable is a risky move.

KW

Pine isn,t ideal are you in australia a pic would be cool
thnx

I think kmarley is from Sacramento, California. About an hour and 1/2 drive from me.

KW

Yeah I did read that pine wasn't good so I switched. I'll try the aspen that is recommended. Hopefully the vet is helpful.

Please keep us updated!

If anything else, close to Sacramento is UC Davis, as you probably know, and their exotic pet vet program is amazing, and will gladly help you out if need be. I wish I still had the number, they were all I had for a time until a graduate established herself here in Reno.

KW

Oh thanks so much for the UC Davis tip. That is very close. I did take Marley to the vet today. They did some test with a mouth swab and a fecal sample. Turns out they didn't find any abnormal bacteria or parasites. But they did give me some antibiotics to give him because of the sneezing and his stomach is very pink. They said that is a sign that he isn't feeling well and may have a virus they didn't see.

They gave him anti-biotiotics and suspected a virus??? I would have raised a little hell over that. I say go to UC Davis if that's their method of practice! If you call the university and say what you'd like, they'll get a phone number of the proper department to you. Another cool thing about Davis is a 24-hour exotic specialist vet on staff!

KW

kmarley wrote:Oh thanks so much for the UC Davis tip. That is very close. I did take Marley to the vet today. They did some test with a mouth swab and a fecal sample. Turns out they didn't find any abnormal bacteria or parasites. But they did give me some antibiotics to give him because of the sneezing and his stomach is very pink. They said that is a sign that he isn't feeling well and may have a virus they didn't see.

That's bull.....EVERY BTS sneezes all the time, and pink is what color a BTS color SHOULD be. Did they just take your word on the sneezing? Or did it just sneeze once and the vet went crazy....

Most vet's just don't know BTS.

He is really pink on his stomach, more than he usually is. But I'm going to wait to give him anything. His sneezing has been a lot more than he does. It hasn't been once or twice a day, It's been once or twice every couple of minutes. But I'll call UC Davis and talk to them.

Oh yere Kyle .. I know Sacramento got freinds in santa rosa . Yere .. A few times a day normal a few times an hour something is irritating up the hoota ...Aeresol ???, Perfume, um more likely its his substrate IMO . poor lil thing might have a dust might noring on a booga ...Can you see up with a torch ? . A vet will have a nasal sucker..I brought one for babies from a chemist its a small nasal sucker its sucks the bobtail flu jell outa the throat, id give it a try only a few $ and has alot of sucking power , to suck human babies snot when there to young to blow there hoota ..I used mine every day this spring ? Worth a wirl
goodluck with it

DeadEye wrote:Oh yere Kyle open ya eye,s Ian .. I know Sacramento got freinds in santa rosa . Yere all the cops episodes i download around 7 gigs worth has orange county . Bulk from Sacro . I got some rippers from Vegas , nevada , Bad Girls episodes r wild .chicks going off the richter scale bittin ,scratching Alaskan Ladie,s fight like a thrashing machine on the turps . ..So how is the sneezy skink? .

WHAT!?!?? hehehe I don't understand a word of that. LOL All i can think about is what does Cops Have to do with your friends in Santa rosa, and what does cat fights have to do with the sick skink? LOL - I love posts like this!!!

Yep ya got it Man Santa rosa is in Sacro . My grammer has perplexed even a dinky di aussie ..LMAO She,s rugged slang ruff as guts Mate