Injured Blue tongue advice

[thecat]

i got a call from my mrs at lunch today that my dog had dropped a dead blue tongue at the back door. Freaking out and not wanting to touch a dead lizard I advised her to scope it up with the shovel at bin it.

Anyhoo several hours later I got home an peered in the bin to have a look only to find the poor bugger very much alive, although it is beaten up. I went to pick it out to grab a photo and it swung it's head around hissing at me (as you would)

Anyway it's got damaged scales and it is obviously not well.

There's no reptile specialist vets in my area. I've put it in an esky with some water and some snails to let it calm down.
Is there anything else I can, should do.

 

[Jay84]

Blueys are pretty tough animals and can take quite a battering.

If you have the space, offer it an enclosure with some food and water. See how it goes over the next few days. If its just initial shock then you can release it AWAY from teh dog lol

 

[hornet]

Def provide it with some heat if you can mate, should make a full recovery

 

[thecat]

Cool. put a hot water bottle up one end of the esky. will give hima day or so and them release him back out the side, He normally lives in a drain in our driveway. I'm guessing the raind flushed him out and he tried his luck in the back garden

 

[-Peter]

They aren't any more hardy than any other animal so it should go to a vet. I am surprised at people sometimes. Just because its a wild bluetongue they advise you not to seek medical attention.
By the photo I take it you are in NSW, Call WIRES or an wildlife group in your area. You can also take it to any vet who will not charge you.

 

[Darkhorse]

I agree about taking it to a vet.... dog bites can easily get infected. It should be given some antibiotics.

 

[thecat]

Yeah. from now on vet will be our first port of call. Lesson learned. Poor old thing didn't make it.

I have pieced together what happened though. The day before I covered some holes to snake proof our chicken coop. It seems old bluie was avoiding the dogs by scampering up our neighbors side of the fence and then ducking into our coop to steal eggs.

unfortunately with his hole now blocked he got caught by the dog. Since his demise we've almost doubled how many eggs we're collecting...

Have since removed the netting that blocked the hole. I figure if another bluie is smart enough to find it then all the best to him. If on the other hand a snake comes calling, better it gets a few eggs and maybe a chicken rather than get stirred up by the dog and tag one of the kids

Moral to the story, if you find a injured animal take it to the vet.

 

[gillsy]

I've never heard of bluey's eating eggs, I would be less suprised if the bluey was spooking the chooks.

 

[-Peter]

I also doubt the bluetongue was stealing eggs, you would find broken eggs around. I have seen evidence of this at a poultry farm that was out at Mona Vale years ago. A big old eastern would crack the egg and lap at the inside.
I would say that some of your hens have just come back into laying or something else was visiting. If you feed you hens kitchen scraps it would be more inclined to eat those.