# Blue Tongues and smell



## Laghairt (Jun 13, 2011)

Hi all,

I've been considering keeping one of these guys but in my research a common complaint is that they can stink out a room and be extremely messy.

I have grown up with Blueys all my life and have always had them in the backyard so have never considered keeping one indoors pet until now that I'm in an apartment.

Is the smell really that bad?

Rondo


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## reptilesrkool (Jun 13, 2011)

depends how often u clean them when i had 10 babies i had to clean them every second day or they would stink the room out


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## Laghairt (Jun 13, 2011)

OK well I'm thinking of a single adult only and would be spot cleaning daily with a total clean out when necessary. I guess the question is whether there is no smell most of the time unless there is poop sitting in there for days?

I will not be feeding dog food, only whole foods.


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## Snakewise84 (Jun 13, 2011)

use a pink hippo near the cage, find them in where the cleaning products are in woolies


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## Laghairt (Jun 13, 2011)

Well I don't actually have one yet I'm just looking for peoples experiences with keeping them indoors. I've heard f they stink more than any other commonly kept lizard. I'm trying to work out whether it's really that bad or people are just overreacting or feeding them a poor diet.


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## Helikaon (Jun 13, 2011)

they are definitely stinky, but one or two adults alone will be very manageable, it is mainly when they leave you a big present that they smell, they are just messy is all. Feeding egg will make their poo smell worse but they love it. i dont think they stink any worse then say a beardie


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## Laghairt (Jun 13, 2011)

OK thanks, so do they poop daily and will the smell permeate throughout the room or is it more or less confined to the tank?


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## cement (Jun 13, 2011)

A substrate like kitty crumble the coco fiber one is highly absorbent of smells. You still need to keep them always clean, but it helps too.


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## Tassie97 (Jun 13, 2011)

If they eat snails it stinks !!!

But mine are fine just clen up there poo when it happens no drama


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## whiteblaze786 (Jun 14, 2011)

its funny, i keep 6 bubs and 2 adults in my room and i have never had a problem with smell, i use F10 disinfectant when i do a full clean out which is weekly and i spot clean daily.. my blue tongues get fed every second day and daily for the bubs, thus more mess... my substrate i use is either OZ Pet litter which i have noticed has reduced and smell that there was... otherwise i used to sure Chipsi extra medium woodchips.. but overall i haven't had a issue with smell  as long as i keep up with the cleaning but i have noticed that the smell is more confined to their enclosures than the room...


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## Laghairt (Jun 14, 2011)

OK thanks, I wonder if some people are just super sensitive then. It's hard o imagine a herp smelling more than say a cat, but the way some people go on you would think they are putrid.


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## Chris1 (Jun 14, 2011)

i have 4 shinglebacks and for the first few months i wasnt sure how i was gonna deal with the stench,...i cleaned as soon as i saw poo, but the smell would still hit me at the front door,...

till i started using ozpet litter,...no more stench, no more whinging bf, no more gagging, lol,...even when i get home to half the ozpet being wet (theyre big pee-ers,...) and mixed with nuggets theres no smell!!

i dont think you'd need to be super sensitive to complain about bluey smell,...(from what i hear shingles are just as stinky if not worse), its just a matter of managing it.


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## SarahJane (Jun 14, 2011)

They're not smelly. I have 5 and one lives in my bedroom with me.


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## whiteblaze786 (Jun 14, 2011)

Chris1 said:


> i have 4 shinglebacks and for the first few months i wasnt sure how i was gonna deal with the stench,...i cleaned as soon as i saw poo, but the smell would still hit me at the front door,...
> 
> till i started using ozpet litter,...no more stench, no more whinging bf, no more gagging, lol,...even when i get home to half the ozpet being wet (theyre big pee-ers,...) and mixed with nuggets theres no smell!!
> 
> i dont think you'd need to be super sensitive to complain about bluey smell,...(from what i hear shingles are just as stinky if not worse), its just a matter of managing it.


 
I agree totally... Ozpet really helps with odor and simple to clean..


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## Laghairt (Jun 14, 2011)

Hmm, so maybe it is as bad as people say then.


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## Foxthor (Jun 14, 2011)

I have a 4 months old western Bluey, and he gets fed daily on fresh veggies, bit of cat food and some fruit. He does poo daily, but i hae not noticed any smell, mind you hes only small. I use Kritters Krumble which is great for absorbing smell and moisture. 

I do remember my shingle back adult years ago, he was on desert sand substrate and i remember that it did smell if there was poo left in the cage.


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## hnn17 (Jun 14, 2011)

relax, your nose have a built-in protection, after a while you get use to it and won't smell anything. take people who work at the rubbish tips for example.


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## Chris1 (Jun 14, 2011)

hnn17 said:


> relax, your nose have a built-in protection, after a while you get use to it and won't smell anything. take people who work at the rubbish tips for example.



that may be, but how embarrassing having people over that would notice the smell,....


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## Laghairt (Jun 14, 2011)

It's not so much my nose I'm worried about. My wife won't tolerate it and I don't want to have to get rid of my pet once I have one.


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## Chris1 (Jun 14, 2011)

Rondo, my bf is completely anal, if ozpet didnt work id still be getting nagged to death,...


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## Laghairt (Jun 14, 2011)

OK thanks, Maybe I'll give it a try then.


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## mad_at_arms (Jun 14, 2011)

Babies smell and yet people still keep them.


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## Laghairt (Jun 14, 2011)

Yes but the thread isn't about babies...


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