Reptile & Amphibian Forums

he chews on big rooftiles that are in his cage. should i be worried? if he breaks a piece off will he swallow it? i read that they eat small rocks to help them digest. but if he swollowed a brocken piece of this it would be quite sharp.thanx for any help!
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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor

personally, I'd be worried. roof tiles are not stones in the first place. what are you doing keeping him or her on roof tile? aspen is a better choice. your skink could possibly have an impaction, which is why it isnt eating very much. have a vet examine it.

many bts owners use roofing tiles to help keep nails down. Personally, I use sandstone.

the only thing mine tries to eat are the buttons on my shirt...
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1 Eastern Blue Tongue Skink
2 Tarahumara Mountain Kingsnakes - Knoblochi
1 Thayer's Kingsnake - Thayeri
2 Golden Greek Tortoises
1 Pyxie Frog - 14 years old

no you nisunderstood... the tiles are used as cage furniture. for bedding i have cypress mulch or w.e.
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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor

what are some other signs of impaction? my bts holds his head up with his front legs, always trying to keep his nose high in the air.does this mean anything??
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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor

to my knowledge, there are really no "visible" signs of impaction. one good sign is decrease in appetite. try gently rubbing the belly near the intestines and feel for something hard. if you do feel something hard, it's an impaction. but really, it is best to have a vet check it out before it gets worse and kils your pet.

I havent heard of this with blueys...
...maybe he's just looking at the sky?

seriously, some herps with upper respiratory infections will do this to help with drainage so they can breathe better. does he have any discharge from nostrils?
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1 Eastern Blue Tongue Skink
2 Tarahumara Mountain Kingsnakes - Knoblochi
1 Thayer's Kingsnake - Thayeri
2 Golden Greek Tortoises
1 Pyxie Frog - 14 years old

no sign of nasal discharge. if he had impaction wouldnt he have issues pooping?
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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor

Absolutely! Impaction is a blockage after all. Since he isnt eating much, he shouldnt be pooping much. You MUST take your skink to a qualified herp vet(look in the phone book and call vets to see who do reptiles). A vet will be able to take X-rays of your skink to determine if there is an impaction. I have stated this countless times: IF YOU DONT TAKE YOUR VET TO A SKINK NOW, IT COULD VERY POSSIBLY DIE. Impactions are very serious and if you delay taking the skink to a vet, the situation will worsen, and the impaction will have to be surgically removed. And surgery for any animal (even humans) isn't cheap. So I repeat, take the skink to a vet and have him or her diagnose the problem.

thanks. he eats a lil more now. and when he eats he poops a good amount... also in the week or so he stopped eating he probably pooped every 1-2 days until he was empty. but yeah ill take him to the vet get an x-ray and what not.
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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor