Miracle Gro Orchid Potting Mix?

[Angcious]

I've been using Jungle Mix all along, it's been the best for humidity here. However, it's costing more than $30 a month just between my 2 bts. I've been looking all over for cypress mulch but can't find it...I did grab a few bags of it at a show 2 months ago but it's long gone now.
So, I picked up Miracle Gro Orchid Potting Mix course blend from Home Depot. If I can use this, it'll cost me half what I spend on the JM. It says "from processed forest products and fertilizer." The fertilizer being nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. Is this stuff safe to use for them? I'd love to save some money but not if I'm going to be making my little ones sick.
http://www.miraclegro.com/smg/goprod/miracle-gro-orchid-potting-mix/prod70298

[Dakota]

Likely will not harm your skinks, but it is best to buy organic. How often are you changing substrates?

[Angcious]

I was hoping this was the orchid bark that was mentioned in the Substrate FAQ. Should I go to a nursery to get the organic stuff? I do a full replacement of substrate every 2 weeks and daily spot cleaning.
Actually, this brings me to something else I've been a little concerned with. My younger one, about 6 months, seems to urinate an awful lot. When he came here 2 months ago, he was 130 grams, he's now 400. I'll find 3 or 4 urates and several patches of moistened substrate every day. It even smells of urine, I never smelled anything from my older one's pee. Is that normal? He is absolutely fine otherwise as far as I can tell.

[Susann]

It may be true that it likely wouldn't harm your skinks, but because I don't know, I would personally avoid anything with fertilizers in it.

You seem to be going through an awful lot of substrate!
A few ideas that may help you cut down on the cost:
*Feed out of the tanks, or put down a large plate, paper towels, or a place mat under the food bowl to catch any food that doesn't stay in the bowl.
*Spot clean whenever you see poop.
*If you feel you need to get the substrate clean underneath the poop to get any liquid, most mulch and bark substrates can be washed in a colander and put back.

Just some ideas.

(Addition after seeing your post:) If it does smell like urine, it's something I haven't dealt with. Maybe see about having your vet do some tests if this is enough of a concern for you. I don't know enough to say where the problem may lie, other than maybe do a kidney function and fecal/urate test.

Miracle Gro Orchid Potting Mix is dirt for potting orchids, looks like this:

28583.jpg

Orchid bark looks like this:

8425354644_78038cdc93_b.jpg

[Angcious]

Ok, I'm going to take these 2 bags back. I had asked if I'd be able to return them unopened and they said they would. I'll try these suggestions and stick with the JM.
Susann, the urate test...is it sort of like a fecal but more detailed? Duma's had 2 fecals since he's been here, one that was positive and then a follow up negative one after medication. Do you have to ask specifically for them to test the urates? I'll call the vet and ask them about it in the morning. It's not like the urine reeks of smell, but I can certainly smell a little bit.

[Susann]

I actually don't know how, or even if, they test urates.... I would maybe just explain that his urine smells much stronger than is normal, and ask what might be the cause and if there could be some kidney issues. Also explain that he eats the same food as your other skink (if this is the case) and the other skink's urine is normal.

[Angcious]

I left a message to have the vet call me back. I'll let you know what he says.

I suppose I could be letting Duma get too much protein. Both of mine get the exact same food but I make roughly about a 50/50 mixture of veggies for my older one, Tequilo, while Duma gets about ¼ of veggies in his mix. He'll eat as much at one time as Tequilo does (about 2-3 heaping tbs), and Tequilo is literally double his weight. But then the next day Duma won't be hungry...although he won't ever turn down a few pieces of his favorite, blueberries. Every meal for Duma gets calcium added but I only add calcium to Tequilo's once a week.
Anyway, Duma was very skinny when he first came here and I obviously was determined to get him looking well fed again. I don't really know how old he is. They told me maybe around 6 months when I got him but that he was w/c so they don't know for sure. He seemed too small to me though so I estimated maybe he was closer to 4 months then. But even though this probably sounds strange...Duma has a more mature personality, like he's just more confident and comfortable than Tequilo was around this age/size.
This is what he looked like the day we brought him home:

His updated pics are in this thread -
http://www.bluetongueskinks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28715

[Jbolar]

when you go to hardware stores, home depot, lowes etc etc, most of the potting soils, products they carry will have fertalizers or nitrogen based products mixed into the soils, this is plant food essentially. however this would be a concern.

than you also need to be concerned when you buy cypress mulch there as sometimes it's a blend with pine or cedar which both are toxic to reptiles, it's been some time since i've been able to just walk into most of those places and find acceptable products or i spend some time reading labels, talking to people there to find something that is suitable. but i typically fall back to the standards offered by the pet trade.

[Angcious]

I am testing out EcoEarth again. I know I'd used it a while ago and I stopped for some reason but can't remember why. It's not a whole lot different from the Jungle Mix for the humidity and it was so much cheaper!

I haven't noticed the pee smell with Duma since I've been using this EcoEarth but there are still more patches of urine and urates every day than might be normal. The vet and I were playing phone tag for the past couple of days but I finally got in touch with him yesterday. He said he would recommend a blood test, they will take the blood from his tail. Does that hurt them? I had to give Tequilo antibiotic shots in his arm when he was baby. He didn't react to the shots at all except for one time when I think I accidentally hit the bone. A drop of blood came out and he definitely felt that.
Made the appt for the 22nd, have to wait until after next paycheck.

[Susann]

It's usually not that bad for them to have some blood drawn, but it's for his benefit, so even if it does hurt him a bit, it's a necessary evil I don't mind putting them through.