# Bluetongue skink mouth rot, please help.



## oskar183 (Feb 7, 2013)

Background: I've had my BTS for about 10 years and it was fully grown when I got it from the pet-store because they had no home for her, and she had been returned there because the previous owners couldn't take care of her.
I approximate her age to around 13-15 years old.

Problem: I have, for some time, noticed mouth rot on the outside of her mouth/jaw. I haven't seen any visual trauma INSIDE the mouth itself, the only thing I have noticed is sticky saliva. She reluctantly eats/drinks, but she does at times. She eats banana and chicken, everything else is left until it goes bad.
I dust all the food with proper reptile-vitamin and i change water daily and keep the tank clean.

About my setup: Large terrarium with 100w repti-halogen spotlight on the hot side, around 40 degrees.
+ Solar raptor 35w HID (UVA, UVB, well-renowned), great light, low heat 25 cm up.
+ flourescent UV light, 30cm above along the side.

around 23 degrees on the cool end, with hidings. I use reptile bark as a bedding.

NOW I NEED HELP: i'm a student and haven't got the money for a vet-visit. And I dont know how much older she'll get. Some say about 20 years. One can hope. 

What I do: i flush her mouth with chlorhexidine, and swab the outside area.
this seems to keep it from spreading but it isn't really receding. I push the temperatur to the high-end to boost the immune system.

What can I do to treat the mouth rot at home, to see if it gets better? If it doesn't I'll visit the vet but that could cost a fortune.

Please help me with advice and your experience with reptiles.

Oskar


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## stokesy (Mar 11, 2011)

I hope ur not trolling! 

If not go to the vets! You wouldn't not take your gran to the doctors just because she'd lived half her life already.


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## oskar183 (Feb 7, 2013)

Not trolling ofc. I've emailed a clinic nearby to see if they have experience, or if they can direct me to another vet so I can get a price/info.

BUT WHAT I WONDER is MEANWHILE what can I do? she's not at all weak/skinny or anything else and she's endured so far without symptoms getting worse.

I dont need any obvious answers like "go to the vet". Of course I will when I find one close to me.


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## vivaciousgecko (Apr 30, 2012)

How is the humidity? I'm just wondering because skinks don't get mouth rot as commonly as say water dragons. If you've only been treating it for a few days I would keep doing as you do (although we usually use iodine and a cotton swab) because it takes a while to clear up. Keep a close eye on it and if it looks really bad or seems to spread then to the vet, but I wouldn't jump right away if it's not serious, because it's usually very straightforward to treat.
DIET: Bananas and white meat (cooked) are only supposed to make up a small proportion of their diet, this cannot have helped with the infection. Greens and insects should make up the larger proportion of their diet, it might take a while if he's a fussy eater but please get him accustomed to this! Poor diet can increase chance of mouth rot :/


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## oskar183 (Feb 7, 2013)

Yeah thanx it's around 50% right now. changed bedding like 3 days ago and bark is quite humid. I usually keep it around 30%, and around that it all started. 
I guess humidity play a big part in the growth of bacteria, but the recommended humidity is around 40-45% for indonesian skinks, which I assume mine is.

and diet: she used to eat live food like superworms, crickets, and a greater variety of fruits. But vegetables I havent seen her eat once. They just go bad. I've tried mixing it all up, trying all the "popular" fruits and veggies, but she's really picky and I get stressed when she doesn't eat so I normally try, then go back to bananas(sometimes mixed with a little dogfood) and chicken. The vitamin i use is called : Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-All, and was recommended to me.

thanks for replies


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## oskar183 (Feb 7, 2013)

Okay so I added a photo of my girl showing the mouth rot in my album..
She eats, she poops, she's pretty active. Couldn't find anything in her mouth implying trauma or further spread infection but I'm still a bit stressed out. Closest reptile vet is a couple of hours away and I dont have a car.

I'm gently removing/scrubbing with a cotton patch with chlorhexidine twice a day. And when I'm trying to examine her mouth she still manages to bite a couple of times with force, and doesn't seem too stressed about it, she's quite calm, but bites. So I guess/hope she's not in a great deal of pain.


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

i can sympathize as i have been in the same situation where i was unemployed and had to fork out for large vet bills and bus travel. you just have to find a way.

they are pretty good at hiding pain.

phone up your closest vet and get their advice. they may sort out a payment plan with you if it comes to that.

you say youve noticed it for some time, but how long is that? if it has shown no improvement, i wouldnt be inclined to continue treating it myself.

and bananas arent going to be doing her any favours. it inhibits the absorption of calcium.


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## oskar183 (Feb 7, 2013)

Thanks. Did it work out for you, and how far gone was the situation if u dont mind my asking? what treatment was used? How much was it?

I'd say i noticed a small irritation 2-3 months ago. And started with the chlorhexidine to kill bacteria like a month ago or something since it didn't seem to go away by itself. I thought at first that it was just a regular irritation caused by eating/digging or something.


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

oskar183 said:


> Thanks. Did it work out for you, and how far gone was the situation if u dont mind my asking? what treatment was used? How much was it?
> 
> I'd say i noticed a small irritation 2-3 months ago. And started with the chlorhexidine to kill bacteria like a month ago or something since it didn't seem to go away by itself. I thought at first that it was just a regular irritation caused by eating/digging or something.


my experiance was with my rats. i had 3 rats develop abscesses on their throat one after the other, each time requiring an operation and 2 hours of bus travel. i was on job seekers allowance at the time and to manage it, i had to spend nothing on myself. my vet was also fantastic about it, despite the surgery policy being ALL clients had to pay for treatment THEN AND THERE my vet allowed me to pay what i could one day and come back with the rest.
in one of the cases the skin around the abscess turned nectrotic, so if it wasnt surgically removed, the outcome may have been blood poisoning.

my concern in your case would be that if you continue treating it at home and it gets worse, a vet bill may be much more pricey for you than if you were to get it treated now when it may be easier.


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## oskar183 (Feb 7, 2013)

trogdorable said:


> my experiance was with my rats. i had 3 rats develop abscesses on their throat one after the other, each time requiring an operation and 2 hours of bus travel. i was on job seekers allowance at the time and to manage it, i had to spend nothing on myself. my vet was also fantastic about it, despite the surgery policy being ALL clients had to pay for treatment THEN AND THERE my vet allowed me to pay what i could one day and come back with the rest.
> in one of the cases the skin around the abscess turned nectrotic, so if it wasnt surgically removed, the outcome may have been blood poisoning.
> 
> my concern in your case would be that if you continue treating it at home and it gets worse, a vet bill may be much more pricey for you than if you were to get it treated now when it may be easier.


Sorry to hear that, and you did the right thing. I'm sure you're right that now is the time to treat it. I'll do my best to get in contact with the vet and book a date.


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

oskar183 said:


> Sorry to hear that, and you did the right thing. I'm sure you're right that now is the time to treat it. I'll do my best to get in contact with the vet and book a date.


after you do the relief you feel will be worth it. you can stop stressing out as much after you know for sure whats happening. i hope it goes well and keep us updated =]


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