Blind Shingleback

[Bluei]

My shingleback has gone blind ,
I woke this morning and both of his eyes have crusted completely over.
I will be taking him to the vet.

Anyone else ever had this problem?





One photo from each side of his head.

[Bluei]

Also If anyone is wondering.
We found him on the road around where I live
And since our area is next too a free way I'd assume he was once someone's pet and they let him go.
He had missing toes when we found him.

[donkeybuff]

Did you find him recently, or has he been with you for a long time?

[Richard.C]

Nice colored aspera

It hasnt gone blind,its got an issue causing watery eyes that when it dries out gunks up eyes keeping lids closed,likely an upper respitory issue,if u get stumpies in your area its probably not an escaped pet but rather a wild one that picked up illness during brumation or there after,especially if its been cool and wet this winter spring period

What part of aus do you hale from?

If you get a damp cloth or wet some tissue and gently rub eyelids it will probably open its eyes,does it open its mouth to breath occaisionally and/or have watery nostrils

Sometimes just putting them in a well heated enclosure clears them up,easterns here seem prone to same issue,but a vet visit is a great idea to incase its in an advanced state

[Bluei]

I am from Melbourne so I am sure he was someone's pet. He has only been with us about a month.
Also I'm curios too know what the limit is on how many bts one is allowed to own because I have an obsession with them

[Bluei]

Is the illness contagious for the other bts in the tank with it?

[Richard.C]

If in melb then yeah probably an escapee or let go,or came in from something inland

Not knowing what it is yes could be contagious

You can keep as many blueys as you like but apart from blotcheds and easterns/northerns,you need a wildlife keepers licence to keep other species,and its actually illegal to take any from the wild

Licenced animals need to have come from another licenced keeper and they give u record books which you write in details of other keepers ect so the department can keep tabs on it

Have a look at dse.vic.gov.au and it will explain in more detail

[Bluei]

OK thank you

[Bluei]

I have some en lighting news =D
We took him to the vet and the vet told us that they could put him to sleep and cut open the lid.
We thought this may be a bit risky and so we took him home a re-thought our options.
Richard We took the idea of moistening his eyes so I got out some warm water and some cotton buds and started damping his stuck eyelids with it.
Every now and then he would try and open his eyes as we could see a crack in the middle of where it's stuck, He started to get a bit restless so I have put him in the tank for the time being and I shall re attempt the cotton bud damping in 2-3 hours.
Eventually he shall open his eyes i'd assume
Thanks Richard.

[Dakota]

I hope he continues to improve.

[Scotts1au]

gotta luv dog and cat vets. I hope that the vet gave u some abs and relevant instructions? Or else I'll come and get it myself. BTW where are the missing claws?

[Richard.C]

Most dog and cat vets will offer to euthanise them,they do that with most reptiles and birds ect from the wild,his condition doest look to bad weight wise ect,have u set up a good temperature gradient inside your cage,that will go along wau towards recovery,what part of melb are u in?

[Bluei]

gotta luv dog and cat vets. I hope that the vet gave u some abs and relevant instructions? Or else I'll come and get it myself. BTW where are the missing claws?

As I said , We found him on the side of the free way.
I have no registration for the poor thing.
I'd assume he was someone pet and since im from Clayton we figured it out of the best Interest of the shingle back we take him home.

[Bluei]

Most dog and cat vets will offer to euthanise them,they do that with most reptiles and birds ect from the wild,his condition doest look to bad weight wise ect,have u set up a good temperature gradient inside your cage,that will go along wau towards recovery,what part of melb are u in?

Yes , Yes and Yes!
Update Photo coming

[Bluei]

I can see an Eye =D
Will Continue to post updates.

[donkeybuff]

He is quite roughed up, but he has very nice color and will look great with a little TLC!

[Richard.C]

Clayton,sheesh,not far away from me and miles away from where wildones are found

If its been loose a while id say definate respotory infection

Hopefully it comes good with a nice warm dry indoor enclosure

Is it active at all,eating drinking?

Theres a good reptile vet down near frankston,karingal vets,they dont care about legalities and will happily treat him

I can pm you there phone number if u like

[Dakota]

Not sure where he is located, but the Reptile Doctor on YouTube is found somewhere on the East coast.. he seems pretty knowledgeable.

[Bluei]

I would love that number , Thanks Richard.

[Lea]

Hi and welcome.

Your shingleback looks like his scales are in an overall bad way, with exposed osteoderms, which can be very uncomfortable making the scales extra sensitive. If you feed. A good diet and supply him with a vitamin and calcium supplement, along with vitamin D, you will help prevent worsening of his condition.

The bad condition of the scales is most likely a result of both bad husbandry and living conditions, along with poor diet, in particular the failure to give calcium and vitamin D. The damage would have been progressively worsening over a period of time, maybe resulting in poor or incomplete sheds, hence causing a buildup of old keratin across the eyelids. These thickened areas stick together easily, particularly when an animal is poorly nourishment and likely secreting more mucous than usual.

As Richard said, it's likely he also has a respiratory infection, increasing the likelihood of weepy eyes and a discharging nose, compounding the sticky eyelid problems. Go and see the vet Richard has recommended and mention he is a recent rescue. They should point you in the rights direction to apply for a rescue permit so you can legally keep him. Also, many vets will do a reduced fee for rescued animals to save you forking out too much on an animal you hadn't intended to keep.

Here's the website for wildlife Victoria, who will help you with applying for a permit.

http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/contact-us

In the meantime, providing heat via a heat lamp during the day, will help. I won't go too much into temperatures and confuse you, but you'll want a hot end and a cool end in whatever enclosure you keep him in. If you keep him outside, just make sure he isn't in full sun, always has shade to retreat to and is totally sheltered from the wind and rain. Ideally you should keep him indoors until he is healthier.

For the scales you can use emu oil cream, which is hypoallergenic and perfume free and can be used on the face, just avoid applying to the actual eyelids unless using a precise application with a cotton bud to help moisturise them. You might find he'll shed soon, once he's eating a good meal regularly and his eyes should improve dramatically. The cream will soften the tougher left behind old shed and hopefully promote a good healthy shed next time. Once daily is plenty.

While he can't see properly, he'll likely be off his food, so even though it is a little stressful, if you can get his eyes to open a little he will probably take more of an interest in his surrounding and be less lethargic.

For now, stick to a dogfood with a veggie component- avoid dog foods with grains and wheat products, but otherwise most will be fine for the short term. Sometimes fruit is more readily taken if you have a lethargic animal, so try banana, watermelon or mango, which have a high sugar content and although not good for long term feeding, they are great energy boosters for a sick animal and can help give them the lift they need to get going. It's also important he drinks, so offer a dish of fresh water daily, which can be left in the enclosure, as long as he isn't too lethargic and is in danger of drowning if he lays in it. You can also offer raw kangaroo rump, which may also be taken readily. Stick to those few foods for now and don't worry too much about what he has out of them all, as long as he's eating to keep his energy levels up. You can refine his diet to benefit his long term health once he's improved.

I hope this helps and you start to see an improvement soon.