Could my Blue Tongue be Sick?

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sahatiel

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I've had my blue tongue for a little over a week now, and I'm a little bit concerned about him.

Since I got him, he's had a tendency to rub up against everything, and his scales have become less glossy, which leads me to think that he is coming into a shed. During this time, he ate well, and he'd come up to the glass a couple of times a day, to see what we were doing. I've put my hand in front of him several times, and he'd cautiously flick his tongue out until he decided I was ok.

But for the last two days, he's not eaten, though I've feed him his favourite foods, has stayed behind his log and doesn't stick his tongue out at anything.

What has me worried is that last night, I heard what seemed to be a cough (different to his sneezing), he had his mouth a little bit open, and was moving his tongue as though he'd just eaten, though he hadn't been. He also keeps his head up off the ground, and seems to be sleeping a lot, and has stopped rubbing against stuff. There is no sign of mucus, nor any shed skin.

Scrabble is about 9 weeks old, and lives in a black melamine enclosure measuring 1m (l) x 38cm (w) x 45cm (h) with astro-turf as the "substrate". He has a UVB 5.0 light, and a 75W heat lamp. Cool end is 28 deg, hot end is 38-39 deg. Temps are about 25deg overnight. He has plenty of water, kept in the cool end. His log runs from the hot end to the cool end, and he spends most of his time (now) in the shade at the hot end - middle.

Until the last couple of days, he was all over the place, not really spending more time in any particular location.

Should I be taking him to the vet ASAP, or should I stick it out and see how things go?
 
Sounds like it could be a chest infection. I had a similar thing with my beardie. Take him to a vet. The reason for mine getting the infection was the basking rock wasn't warm enough, so got a taller basking rock for him. Not sure if that applies to blue tongues though
 
He hasn't really shown much interest in getting warmer, but I'll definitely keep it in mind.

Scrabble still isn't eating, but today he's come out from hiding and has been drinking heaps of water.

I'll be taking him to the vet tomorrow after work (vet was only open for an hour today, but I missed it), but does anyone have any suggestions on how I should care for him in the mean time, or if his sudden thirst is a good sign or a bad sign?
 
mate i have a similar problem. i have 2 adult (5 year old) shinglebacks for 4 days. the one i think is either sick or pregnant has similar qualities to your lizard
- no tongue out
- lifts it's head most of the time
-she is massive
- wont eat occasionally licks.
- sometimes breathing noises
so yeh i can't help you but just expressing same interest
 
Well, I didn't end up going to the vet on Monday, because not half an hour after my last post, Scrabble started shedding. So I thought I'd give him a couple of days to see if the problem was shed related. Unfortunately, he didn't shed much from his under side, and two of his legs didn't really shed properly, either. So we went in to see a vet this afternoon.

Turns out that he does have a respiratory infection, most likely due to the climate change between Brissie (where he came from) and Townsville (where he now lives). Scrabble also has a little bit of mouth rot. The vet thinks that this was probably a pre-existing condition.

So now my poor baby has to be force fed antirobe once a day for the next ten days, before we go back for a check up. :(

Looks like I choose lizards as well as I choose birds XD

Mike, I hope your shingleback gets better! If you can take her to a vet, in case there are underlying problems (I never even considered mouth rot!). Though if you can't, try keep her warm and dry - that's what my vet recommended to me. Good Luck!
 
a very sad ending

so because i have only had this lizard for about 72 hours i contacted the breeder or the seller and tolf him about my lizard.then today he said give her to me you shouldnt have to pay for a vet bill considering she was sick before you got her so i was going to drop her off tomoz at nine.so today i put her in a warm tub with news paper shredding thats it. i came back to see her struggling to poo foam coming out of her eyes and mouth and wacking her head. within half an hour of this she died. i am SO UPSET shingles are my favourtie lizard and only now have i ever had them as pets i spent 100o dollars on reptiles and set up. but that means squat to see her like this. i mean i have only had her literally 2 days pciked her up tuesday 12.00pm. the breeder has been good full refund on both lizards but its not about that. i have been wanting these lizards for so long and now i have to see beside BUTCH and watch her die. i feel so bad. i know some will say you should of taken her to a vet but i mean i didnt know untill i first posted on here less than 48 hours ago.
 
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what do u do now. so upset
 
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I'm so sorry to hear that, mike. Maybe you could see about getting an autopsy done? Knowing the cause of death might give you a little closure?

By the sound of it, your shingleback was sick along time before you got her, and considering how quickly she died, I'm not sure you could have done anything to prevent it.
 
Update time

Not sure if anyone's really following this, but just in case, here's an update on Scrabble's condition.

I took him back for a check up on Monday. During the 10 days that he was on medication, Scrabble probably only ate 4 times. He lost weight, and his condition didn't really improve.

The vet checked a stool sample and a swab from his mouth, but didn't find much.

I was given a choice of starting him on a course of stronger antibiotics (injections) or having him put under anesthetic so they could get a better sample from his throat, and see what's actually going on.

So tomorrow morning I take Scrabs back to the vet for a day visit, and hopefully we'll find out what's going on. Though if my vet can't find anything in those samples, they will have to be sent away for analysis.

On the plus side, I'm sure that Scrabble is glad that he's no longer being force fed antibiotics.
 
hi there how are you was just wondering what vet you use in townsville if you dont mind me asking?
 
We go to Aachilpa Vet Clinic. They're currently in Riverside Gardens (complete opposite side of the city to where I live, but there you go), but half of the staff, including the reptile vet I'm seeing, are going back to the Aitkenvale Clinic on Patrick Street in the next week or so, as it was getting renovated. This is their website if you wanted to have a look. =)
 
Best of luck with Scrabble, I hope he gets better. Keep us posted!
 
Scrabble is back at home now after his day with the vet. While under the anesthetic, they found a large mucus plug behind his nose, so they pulled that out, and took some samples. He has a confirmed upper respiratory infection. Turns out that the antibiotics he was originally on were working, but the mucus was stopping it from finishing the job.

So now that the mucus is gone, the antibiotics should be able to work and finish their job. Just to be on the safe side, though, she's "prescribed" a stronger antibiotic in the form of an injection, to be given every three days. So here's hoping I don't hurt Scrabble when medicating him with a needle!
 
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