Schneider's skinks are usually hardy lizards that stay healthy once they have acclimated to captivity and are provided with the right conditions including a proper and varied diet with necessary vitamin and mineral supplements. Good hygiene is necessary, since sand is a good media for bacterium growth, that's why keeping the terrarium clean requires a little more work than the average pet reptile terrarium. Check the enclosure every day and remove all the feces, leftover food remains, and shed skin pieces. If you do a quick clean up every day your terrarium will stay very clean and only need thoroughly cleaning every six months, at which time you can disinfect everything and wash the enclosure thoroughly, along with changing the sand.
Because majority of Schneiders in the pet trade today are wild caught, it would be advisable to take a fecal sample to reptile familiar vet to check if it harbors intestinal parasites. Schneiders can also have bumps (for example due to old wounds) and broken nails and toes. Nails and toes aren't likely to cause trouble, but all bumps should be shown to vet for possible removal.
If you acquire a mate for your skink, do not put them together right away. The new lizard should be quarantined for a couple of months to make sure it is healthy and free or parasites. If you do not quarantine the new animal your established one can get sick because of it. The quarantine terrarium is very handy if you have multiple lizards. This way you can separate them right away if one gets sick or they are fighting.
If at all possible choose captive bred skink over a wild caught one. They are always healthier and better acclimated to captivity. Not to mention the natural conservation aspect!
Diseases and problems
If your skink is ill (or you only slightly suspect that), don't seek the advice here. Contact reptile familiar vet ASAP! My intention is only to familiarize you with the common illnesses that Schneiders might have, so you can look for the right things and to advice you how to do your best to prevent these problems.
The diseases met in lizards are usually because of incorrect conditions or food. It can lead to digestion problems, MBD, skin diseases or respiratory infection. Skink can also suffer from shedding diseases, injuries, or get constipation by swallowing too much substrate. Remember that stress reduces reptiles resistance to disease is reduced due to stress. This is why stressing the sick lizard is to be avoided (no needless handling etc.).
Respiratory infection is usually due to too cold, drafty or moist climate. Do not let the lizard walk on cold or drafty floor. If you transport the lizard, especially at winter, keep it warm. Symptoms are cold, mucous fluid from nose, raspy breathing and/or sneezing. When the lizard is really sick it starts breathing with its mouth open. Affected animals usually experience loss of appetite and fatigue. If your lizard has RI, correct the conditions and keep it warm during night too. Antibiotic treatment may be necessary with very sick lizards.
Skin diseases may develop due to dirty and moist substrate. You can notice darker 'molded' spots on your skink's skin. Disinfect the spots with Betadine solution twice a day and change the substrate to newspaper or towels. If skin is really badly infected antibiotics may help.
Skinks may develop bumps because of old wounds and infections. My male skink had a bump on left his front leg. It was removed with surgery, which is usually a quite simple procedure. Antibiotics were given after surgery. All bumps should be treated, or they may grow, spread, or even cause an infection.
Intestinal worms should always be checked from fecal sample. When your lizard defecates, collect the feces into a little plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator inside another clean plastic bag. Remember the salmonella-potential. The sample should stay good couple days in the refrigerator, before you deliver it to the vet. Do not freeze the sample; it kills possible worms and their eggs. Label the bag with the lizard's name and species and with your name, address, and phone number. If worms are found in the sample the vet will give you advice on how to de-worm your lizard. Nematodes are maybe the most common intestinal parasites met in Schneider's skinks. These are treated with fenbendazole 100mg/kg orally. The medicine is given again after two weeks. Fenbendazole kills only worms and not their eggs. Eggs are excreted in feces and you skink can be reinfected if it has been in contact with old feces. If you wish to successfully worm your lizard, very good hygiene is important. Disinfect the terrarium, and change the substrate into newspaper or paper towels. These are changed every day and the terrarium is disinfected as regularly as possible. After the treatment has been administered take another fecal sample to the vet to make sure the treatment was successful.
MBD (metabolic bone disease) is due to lack of UV-light or too little calcium or D3 vitamin in the diet. Calcium deficiency causes fragile bones and without D3-vitamin calcium won't absorb into blood from intestines. Blood calcium level is accurately regulated by the system, because it has vital meaning in the correct operation of the nervous system. Symptoms are shaking muscles and limbs, even the hole lizard, weakening of bones and cramps and paralysis in the end. If MBD is diagnosed UV-light should be acquired and D3-vitamin and calcium should be added into the diet. If the symptoms are really bad, the vet can give calcium straight into the blood. Remember that D3-vitamin is poisonous when over supplemented. In this scenario calcium absorbs into blood too much, and when body tries to keep the levels of calcium low enough it starts to absorb into soft tissues and organs. This is very harmful for the proper operation of these organs. However over supplementing D3-vitamin is far more rare disease than under supplementing it.
Shedding problems are quite common problem with Schneider's skinks. This means, that pieces of old skin remain, for example in toes and tail. These areas should be carefully checked to ensure that the lizard has gotten all the old skin away. The old skin could prevent blood circulation in toes and tail and cause the toes and tail tip to turn black and eventually fall off. During and before shedding you can spray terrarium lightly, especially if your skink has problems getting all the old skin away. If this doesn't help, after few days, place the skink in a plastic box filled with moist paper towels. After an hour moistened old skin can be carefully rubbed and peeled off. So-called wetbox (box filled with moist substrate) can be provided, but my skinks never used when they had the opportunity. Shedding problems with Schneiders are usually due to stress, vitamin deficiency and too cold temperatures. My Schneiders shed perfectly even if the relative humidity is 30%. This leads me to believe that humidity isn't that important factor to these desert lizards, although it might help a little. Raising the humidity for long periods isn't a solution to Schneider's shedding problems, during shedding or slightly before and after it you can spray tank lightly. Do not soak the cage and always leave dry areas.
Schneiders can injure themselves. They can fight with cage mates or get wounds or break their tail off. Big wounds should be shown to
vet as well as if you suspect that the lizard might have gotten internal damage.
Little wounds and broken tails can be treated at home. Firstly, change the
substrate to newspaper and paper towels. I prefer to use very thick layer, since
they like to bury underneath. Clean the wound regularly with Betadine (or
similar product). If sings of infection are seen, take the skink to the vet, for
possible antibiotic treatment. If you own a skink, buy a bottle of disinfectant
just in case. Broken tail grows back, but it won't be as long and same colored
as it used to be.
Remember that your lizard must not get in touch with the lights. Lizards get burns easily.
Schneiders can get constipation by swallowing too much substrate or being unable to digest its food due to lack off adequately heated hot spot. This means that your Schneider is unable to defecate because something blocks it's intestinal track. The lower belly can become swollen. Give parafine oil to the lizard and bathe it in lukewarm water.
Written by Aino Tuomola 2000-2002