My blue tongued skink, Wheezy, died.

[eyespy]

I spoke to some vet friends of mine who say keep rubbing alcohol VERY far away from herps!!!

It's called rubbing alcohol because in the days before aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen were used against fevers, they would rub down a patient with alcohol to lower a dangerously high body temperature. It lowers the body temperature far more quickly than a cool bath and was used to try and stiop seizures from high fevers.

So rubbing a cold-blooded animal with a substance that instantly lowers the temperature of the skin is a very bad idea indeed. Not to mention that most herps do not have much of a mucous membrane in their respiratory tracts and are therefore extremely sensitive to vapors, fumes, and airborne chemicals.

Rubbing alcohol packs a double whammy right there, even before you consider that many herps absorb fluids through their skin at a much higher rate than mammals, and so the blood alcohol content of that poor skink might have reached fatal levels, and of an alcohol type not meant for internal use.

Lord only knows how the dish soap might have contributed to the problem. Please, please, please, feel free to print out my reply and give it to the store owner, animal control and anyone else who will listen to try and stop this "experienced" person from ever using alcohol near a herp again. Here in PA that would be considered animal abuse and be subject to a criminal investigation.

[XxRachxX]

dont forget to DE-mite everything!!!!!! gawd it'd be awful to get the lil critters again!

[damzookeeper]

I'm so sorry to hear what happened to you Nancy. That is terrible. I hope this guy doesn't *help* anyone else. I'm glad to see you got another skink though, although she/her wont replace Wheezy, you will have a new place in your heart to fill. Take care and give that little one a big hug for me.

(Danmzookeeper looks over her bt Dinkie and gives her a big hug and lizzard kisses!)

[Nancy]

Hi All!

I am enjoying my new pet to the fullest! Had her up tonight and she just sleeps right in the crook of my arm! Eating excellent. The guy who sold me Wheezy did report this guy to the Society of Protection against cruelty to animals (SPCA) on his treatment of my pet, and it wasn't the first report on him, but they can't do much about it as no one has actually brought in their animals to the SPCA after dying, and this guy doesn't charge for his service so they can't nab him. I am going to report it tommorrow to the SPCA myself, but my pet is buried somewhere in the woods so I can't take her in to them. Thanks so much for all your posts! This guy who put the alcohol on my skink actually had the nerve to tell me that he had a book on lizards and that it said to use alcohol. I told him frankly I didn't care for his opinions, and he killed my animal no matter what he said. What a sick individual!

[tightsqueeze]

i would still contact animal control ...he should be reported!

[paul_le_snake]

ah man thats so f*****g wrong. kill that idiot, or if u want i'll glady torture him for a week or 2
chhers
paul

[HeatherRose]

I'll gladly help you, Paul!

Report him! Don't give up....get him good.

Heather

[Soleil]

I am very sorry for the loss that you suffered at the hands of this idiot!
Congrats on your new pet.
xo
Soleil

[Pythonian]

yea i've actually thought about this situation since my last post.. althought a pipe bomb would work beautifully. If i were you i'd get online and find every single animal protection organization (except PETA cause they really would use pipe bombs ) and i'd take a day and just keep calling them and writing them. I'd report him to every society, and especially to the vets in the area, because they will get patients who will say "some guy at blah blah did this now my animal is doing this and that" and they will realize this guy is "helping" people by the dozens killing innocent animals!!
That is just my opinion. I always feel creatures die for a reason. Maybe wheezy died to protect other creatures lives from this idiot. So don't let him die in vain, do everything you can to stick it to this guy.

Mike

<3 Wheezy

[Nancy]

I plan on reporting this incident to as many people as I can. I do not intend on letting this guy get off scot free. Everyone I know in this area now knows exactly what this guy is like, and word of mouth travels fast. Nothing will bring Wheezy back, but maybe this guy will stop handing out his free "so called help". I still think about how my poor pet suffered, and it was so terrible to feel the life drain out of her in my hands. I wish I could have eased her suffering some. I do want to give thanks to everyone for all the notes of encouragement.

On a more positive note, does anyone have any suggestions for names for my new addition?