Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
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In this forum all are welcome to ask blue tongue skink-related questions, share information, ideas, tips, experiences, and pictures with fellow BTS enthusiasts.
If you are wondering if your BTS is acting normally or might be sick, this is where you can get help with that.
This is also where you can have some FUN while sharing the enjoyment you get from your blueys!
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- Bluey Beginner
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Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
I’ll admit im new to owning reptiles, Currently have a BTS and a Ball python. I’ve read about skink diseases and i wanna know whats up with my skink, he’s rapidly shaking his head, sneezing, and has red eyes with a strange mouth
https://imgur.com/gallery/RVIieTD
https://imgur.com/gallery/RVIieTD
- mb606587
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
Get him to a vet. My first thought is respiratory infection.
- splashy07
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
Yes, sure sounds that way. What type is he? Pictures?
- Janella
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
Be asap. Sounds like a respiratory infection indeed.
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- Bluey Beginner
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
He is currently eating just fine. Does this have anything to do with it?
- mb606587
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
It's good that he's eating but those eyes are concerning. How long have you owned this skink, where did you purchase him from, what subspecies (post a full pic if not sure)?, and what are you keeping temperatures and humidity at? He doesn't look well.
- Janella
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
I couldn't agree more with splashy.
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- Bluey Beginner
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
Full picture: https://imgur.com/a/OSEHHKy
He has very dry skin and hides under his bedding
He is a Northern Australian Skink.
He has bad sheds around his eyes nose toes and mouth.
He has lost a few toes because of that. He is 2 years and 4 months old.
He has very dry skin and hides under his bedding
He is a Northern Australian Skink.
He has bad sheds around his eyes nose toes and mouth.
He has lost a few toes because of that. He is 2 years and 4 months old.
- Janella
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
So what is your temps? Diet? Humidity? Substrate?
How long have you had it? Soundss like this is a husbandry issue and needs to see a vet to get it's health checked.
How long have you had it? Soundss like this is a husbandry issue and needs to see a vet to get it's health checked.
- mb606587
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
All signs are pointing towards the humidity being too low. If you don't have a way to measure your humidity, start doing so. Get it to 50% as a good baseline. Your skink may have a respiratory infection due to chronic low humidity and/or too low of temperatures and if that is the case then medication will be needed. Nobody here can definitively diagnose it through pictures. If you can't get it to a qualified exotic vet, then at the very least increase the humidity, make sure he's warm enough, and hope for the best.
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- Bluey Beginner
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
His humidity is around 40%, but i will be raising it if it does need to be higher. Temperature stays in the low 70s on his ambient lamp and floor heat.
Took him to the vet this morning, He is apparently fine and just has dry skin. Gave him a steam bath (He doesnt like the steam bath itself but he loves the feel afterwards) His face is clean and his eyes look better. I think it is definitely the humidity.
Took him to the vet this morning, He is apparently fine and just has dry skin. Gave him a steam bath (He doesnt like the steam bath itself but he loves the feel afterwards) His face is clean and his eyes look better. I think it is definitely the humidity.
- mb606587
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
Low 70's is good for his cool spot. Does he have a basking area with higher temperatures? Ideally around 100 degrees?
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
He has a large log which he can hide under, or climb on top where the basking light is.
- splashy07
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
Can you post a picture that shows the entire animal? My guess is that he is not a hundred percent Northern, as they are not prone to this type of thing. My cages ambient humidity goes down to around 20 percent in winter, and I breed Northerns. They are all happy and healthy. Unless this animal was kept at way less than even average conditions it shouldn't happen with a Northern. Is he a rescue? Where did he come from? And 'just dry skin' does not mean he is fine. It's a prelude to worse.
- mb606587
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!
Splashy that is my suspicion too however the animal does at least appear to be Northern through the series of photos she provided. You generally don't see issues such as bad sheds and missing toes with Northerns, especially at only 2 years old and with humidity levels at 40% according to OP. I'd still like to know what the basking temperature is as I suspect it may be low. And of course as you mentioned where and from whom this skink was purchased from? You mention, he is 2 years 4 months old so was he purchased by you as a baby or did you receive him recently as an adult with these issues?
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