Respiratory infection is one of the most common infections in blue tongue skinks. In this post, we will discuss blue tongue skink respiratory infection symptoms, causes, tips and how to prevent it in the future.
Symptoms of a respiratory infection in blue tongue skinks
- Heavy breathing
- Mouth bubbles, mucus and froth
- Excessive salivating
- Forced exhalation
- Open mouth breathing
- Wheezing
- Puffy appearance (lack of diaphragm and inflating lungs due to an infection)
- Sneezing, whistling, squeaking (not clear indicators)
- Blue tongue raising its head up to breathe properly
- Poor appetite and lethargy
Please note that some of these symptoms might not be clear indicators of a respiratory infection. For example, sneezing is often a sign that your blue tongue is clearing its nostrils from loose substrate particles.
Mouth bubbles are also often normal – saliva forms bubbles near the mouth. However, excessive frothy bubbles or mucus near the mouth indicate an infection.
If you hear your blue tongue skink making noises when breathing, it doesn’t necessarily indicate an infection. The sounds, for example whistling or squeaking, can mean that a blue tongue skink unhappy or bothered. You can read more information on blue tongue skink sounds and noises here.
What causes a respiratory infection in blue tongue skinks?
Respiratory infection can be caused by different factors. These include:
- Dirty tank and unsanitary living conditions
- Low tank temperatures
- Affected immune system
- Vitamin/mineral deficiencies
- High humidity levels, wet substrate
- Stress
- Poor diet
Please note that low tank temperatures is the most common reason of respiratory infections in blue tongue skinks. Make sure that the temperature in the tank is optimal, and that there is a gradient.
Hot side of the tank should reach 95-105 degrees F (35-40.5 C), while cool spot – reach 70-80 degrees F (21.1-26.6 C). At night, temperatures of 70-75 F (21-24 Celsius) are ideal. If you need to slightly raise tank temperatures at night, the best thing to do is to use a low 25-50 watt ceramic heat emitter like this.
Please note that analog thermometers and hygrometers tend to be very inaccurate. Only use digital ones with a probe that go directly on the spot that you need to check temperatures for. On top of that, a handheld infrared thermometer will give you accurate readings.
In general, mild respiratory infections in a blue tongue skink can take around 6-7 days to pass. If taking longer than that, medication is a must. However, please take your blue tongue to the vet as soon as you suspect an infection.
How to treat a respiratory infection in a blue tongue skink?
Tip 1: Raising temperatures
The first thing to do if you suspect a respiratory infection is to make sure that temperatures are optimal in the tank. Replace analog thermometers if using them.
Increase the temperature in the basking spot to maximum 105 F (40.5 C), to let your blue tongue fight off the infection. In the cool spot, you can raise temperatures to up to 80 F (26.6 C). At night, keep the temperatures at 75-80 F (24-26.6 C).
If your blue tongue soaks in its water dish, make sure not to fill it with cold water. Lukewarm water or at least room temperature water is ideal. You can even give a bath to your blue tongue. Make sure to dry it before returning to the tank.
Apart from temperatures, make sure to have optimal humidity levels for your blue tongue in the tank. While most blue tongues require moderate humidity levels, Indonesian species and especially Halmahera require very high humidity levels. You can find ideal humidity levels for various blue tongue species in this post.
Tip 2: Hygiene
Make sure that you clean your blue tongue’s tank regularly. Hygiene is key to a healthy blue tongue skink. Wash food and water bowls with soap after each feeding. Change water in the bowl once it’s been soiled, or at least once daily. Use reptile-friendly spray or diluted chlorhexidine like this to clean the tank.
Tip 3: Take your blue tongue skink to the vet
What is more, take your blue tongue skink to the vet, as it might be serious. In some cases, blue tongue skinks require antibiotics and possibly anti-inflammatory medicine to get better. If your blue tongue skink doesn’t get better within a day or two, you must take it to the vet.
Tip 4: Make sure that your blue tongue is housed alone
Because infections are contagious, you must make sure that your blue tongue is housed alone and far away from other reptiles. If you have just brought your blue tongue skink home, you have to quarantine it for 2-3 months and take its poop for a parasitic check, too.
If you would like to learn more about blue tongue skink care, please see this resource page.