Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got my baby blue tongue skink today. And let me tell you, I am far from happy. I got pictures of one animal, which was healthy. The animal I received was missing toes and has a really serious shedding problem that I'm worried he will end up losing all his toes. I'm keeping him because shipping him back to the guy I got him from will probably kill him, but I'm also working on getting some sort of refund. The only problem is I can't get a hold of the guy I got him from all of a sudden, but he had other ads for animals on another faurum, so I can leave a note there. I just need advice on a few problems. (He will be seeing a vet as well.)

1. The shedding. His toes look like they are covered in layers of old shed. When I received him today, his eye was closed because of a layer of bad shed which I was able to remove with some warm water and a q-tip. I have repti-shedding aid spray, I have sprayed some on him, and raised the humidity in the cage a little for now until I get this issue under control. Anything else I can do?

2. He is very thin. His hip bones are disgustingly visible. He's very willing to eat and drink, almost acts like he's never seen food before. What kind of weight gaining diet should he be put on for now?

3. There are bruises on one side of his jaw that look similar to the ones my iguana had after my mom had peeled his not-ready-to-be-shedded skin off one time. Is neosporin a good idea for that?

He's really small. My oldest adult leopard gecko is actually larger and heavier than this skink. I was told he was a Merauke and that he's 3 months old.

And also, what should I do if I don't hear from the guy that sold him to me again?
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~*Chibi*~
Sir Iggy ( 1.0.0 El Salvador Blue Iguana), Snickers, Tenchi, Trixie and Ayeka (2.2.0 leopard geckos), oh and a cat named Bud and a black moore fish named Bubble.

www.zenreptiles.com

Well, I got a full refund, and had the option of shipping the animal back, but I'm going to keep it. He's been eating and drinking really well, so he should be fine after he puts on some weight. He's got a vet visit next Thursday where I'm going to have him checked for parasites, and he may have mouth rot. I have gotten a majority of the bad shed off. He's a lot calmer now, so I can give him warm baths. I also found out he's an Irian Jaya, not a Merauke. If anyone has any kind of weight gaining advice, it would be muchly appreciated.
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~*Chibi*~
Sir Iggy ( 1.0.0 El Salvador Blue Iguana), Snickers, Tenchi, Trixie and Ayeka (2.2.0 leopard geckos), oh and a cat named Bud and a black moore fish named Bubble.

www.zenreptiles.com

though i am fairly new with blue tongue skinks, the best thing to do for him to gain weight is to feed him the same healthy foods normally given to blue tongues. dark leafy greens, fruit, variety of insects, etc. from what i have learned, feeding once a day for young blue tongues is best, but giving yours is underweight, maybe try two meals a day, if he will eat them. weight gain should be slow but steady, it will take a month or so to get him back up to full weight, especially since he is also growing as well.

Hi,
Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of people that cannot identify BTS species. You are not the first to get something unexpected when your skink arrived.

1. The shedding.
The best avenue is to gice soaks using warm water with a few drops of mineral oil in it. If you do these soaks for say 15 minutes every other day, you should be able to see the layers come off. If you need to help, just remember to peel gently.

Raising humidity is a good idea. I have seen some BTS keepers that make a covered hide and put moist moss inside - make a hole in the plastic shoebox so the skink can get in and out easily.

2. He is very thin.
He probably hasn't been properly fed for a baby. We feed our skinks meat / veggies / fruits for the first 6 months. For insects, we use silkworms and small roaches - no crickets. Use applesauce for the fruit - it will help add a bit of weight - there is fruit flavored applesauce out there too. You can feed chicken; turkey; lamb - or a good quality dog/cat food (canned). Add some baby food veggies or fruit - and he will gain weight a bit faster. You can adjust his diet after he has gained some weight. Feed every day. If you have a blender, you can make your own baby foods (chunky style puree).

3. There are bruises ... Is neosporin a good idea for that?
Yes, neosporin is good. Get yourself some generic Betadine too - and cleanse the area with a diluted mixture before applying ointments.

4. He's really small. .. he's 3 months old.
Actually, he should be a lot bigger than a leopard gecko by 3 months. With good food, hopefully he will grow faster and catch up.

Good luck with your new friend.
~Morgana

www.reptayls.com