Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

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SnowyOwlet
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Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby SnowyOwlet » Thu Nov 07, 2019 11:29 am

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
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mb606587
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby mb606587 » Thu Nov 07, 2019 11:34 am

Get him to a vet. My first thought is respiratory infection.
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splashy07
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby splashy07 » Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:20 pm

Yes, sure sounds that way. What type is he? Pictures?
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Janella
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby Janella » Thu Nov 07, 2019 4:02 pm

Be asap. Sounds like a respiratory infection indeed.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby SnowyOwlet » Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:15 am

He is currently eating just fine. Does this have anything to do with it?
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby mb606587 » Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:21 am

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.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby Janella » Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:37 am

I couldn't agree more with splashy.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby SnowyOwlet » Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:09 pm

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.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby Janella » Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:51 pm

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.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby mb606587 » Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:05 pm

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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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby SnowyOwlet » Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:29 am

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.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby mb606587 » Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:00 am

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!

Postby SnowyOwlet » Sat Nov 09, 2019 9:19 pm

He has a large log which he can hide under, or climb on top where the basking light is.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby splashy07 » Tue Nov 12, 2019 6:25 am

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.
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Re: Please help! Something wrong with my skink!

Postby mb606587 » Tue Nov 12, 2019 10:28 am

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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