Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all.... a few basic questions.

1. how long should you leave a MTS to soak?

2, What would / could make a skink just bloat over time? my skink has just gotten so round....... including a huge neck (double chin). it has been a slow thing.....

A few comments......... one of my MTS did the verticle thing the other day... ots feet would be flat on ground but body would be squeezed up and more shifted to one side.....

3. Fecal sample for a float....... from what i understand the vet wants a fresher sample..... if one has to plan a vet visit....... how do u make sure that u can get a fresh sample?
how old can a poop sample be? should i just get a fresh sample and take it to the vet and drop it off? then set up a vet check.?

thanks for any ideas

CLP

How long to soak a skink?

I usually only let animals soak for about 15-20 minutes. After that the water tends to get cold and can chill them.

Bloated skink?

Possible causes are overeating, retention of fluids due to some medical issue, intestinal blockage (although this wouldn't usually result in a double chin), etc. If you're worried, take the animal to the vet, especially if this is the one that was 'going vertical'.

Fecal sample -

Fecal samples shouldn't be more than 24 hours old when they go to the vet, and fresher is better. If you get a fecal sample during business hours you should be able to just swing by the vet's office and drop it off, you shouldn't need an appointment. If you get the sample after the office is closed, put it in a sealed container or bag in the fridge and take it in first thing in the morning.

-Z

1) I have a large soak bowl in the bottom of the enclosure, so they soak themselves for as long as they want. When I soak them- I put them in the bottom of the shower with warm (not hot) water spraying on them for about 20 min. I put a piece of wood in the shower so they don't have to sit in the water if they don't want to, but usually they close their eyes and just let it 'rain' on them.
2) Post a photo? Healthy fat PTS(s) do have some extra 'jowls', but if yours seems extreme, there may be a health problem (fluid retention due to a variety of causes, air, infection and swelling, foreign body, ect) You can post a photo for us to help you decide whether it is a normal chubby PTS or whether you need to see a vet. A vet visit is never a bad idea if you think your pet has a problem.
3) If you want to have a fecal done on your reptile- a direct smear for protozoa (live swimming small organisms) the fecal needs to be fresh from the animal's cloaca. The protozoa die fast and it is very hard to see them unless they are alive and moving. The best thing is for the PTS to get ticked off during the vet visit and poop on them- THAT is fresh enough. If the vet is looking for parasite cysts or eggs on a fecal float, refrigerated for 12-24 hours is fine.
cheers, Jess b

Hello all.... a few basic questions.

1. how long should you leave a MTS to soak?

2, What would / could make a skink just bloat over time? my skink has just gotten so round....... including a huge neck
(double chin). it has been a slow thing.....

A few comments......... one of my MTS did the verticle thing the other day... ots feet would be flat on ground but body
would be squeezed up and more shifted to one side.....

3. Fecal sample for a float....... from what i understand the vet wants a fresher sample..... if one has to plan a vet visit.......
how do u make sure that u can get a fresh sample?
how old can a poop sample be? should i just get a fresh sample and take it to the vet and drop it off? then set up a vet
check.?

thanks for any ideas