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Originally Posted by Banchie
I have two schneiders skinks that I bought at a local reptile store. I first bought the female and went back a short while after for some crix, and the owner offered me the male. She told me she couldn't sell him because he has a bone deficiency, and I'd rather him have a good home with me then be with someone who has no interest in getting him back to good health. I know enough about reptiles to keep them happy and healthy, but I don't think I know enough to nurse one back to health. I'm doing my best mind you, I gut load crix with calcium water, crix feed, and i dust them with calcium before giving to my male, I also have white calcium sand in the tank which I've noticed on the rare occasion he will actually eat the sand. I also have a UV light.
I feel I haven't done everything I can. I don't know of any Rep vets around here. So it's left in my hands, and I want to do everything i can to make sure I don't lose my male. That would be like losing my son. Someone please help...
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See if he will take a small live pinkie once a week.
Metabolic bone disease (fibrous osteodystrophy), this occurs most frequently in animals with chronic renal disease or chronic nutritional imbalance, such as calcium deficiency, Vitamin D deficiency, or excessive phosphorus in the diet. The early clinical signs are firm, swollen limbs and tail (the lizard may, indeed, look like a fat, healthy animal), with the untreated animal later developing foreshortened mandibles, and paralysis. In its early stages, this disease can be cured by proper diet, vitamin supplements, and ultraviolet radiation. In its later stages, however, permanent damage may have occurred.
There are also some vitamin supplements that are very high in vitamin D3, you must watch feeding too much of this due to the fact you can overdose an animal with D3. It would depend on how advanced the disease has progressed before knowing if the animal can get back to perfect health. However, proper diet can stop the disease from getting worse.
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I also have white calcium sand in the tank which I've noticed on the rare occasion he will actually eat the sand.
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Get rid of that stuff, it is nothing more than impaction in a bag. This stuff can kill your animal, it acts just like clumping kitty litter in you reptile's system.
Also, let me ask you how you know it has a bone deficiency?