I let Norbert run around on the floor often and I have always been very careful to pay attention to where she is. But today I failed, and stepped on her back. I don't think I put my full weight on her, and she was on thick carpet, but I was wearing shoes. When I panicked and picked her up, she puffed her beard at me for a second, but then went back to normal. It was a horrible moment and I still feel horrified and very worried.
She is asleep now, but I need to know if there are any other signs I should be watching for that she may have sustained internal injuries. When I put her back in her tank, she was walking around normally and not showing any obvious signs of pain or difficulty moving. Her breathing was regular and her beard was orange, as it usually is. I felt all over her body and her bones all felt intact and none of my touching seemed to hurt her--she was sitting up calmly and alertly and acted as comfortable with handling as she always is. I offered her a dubia and she ate it. When I checked back on her a few hours later, she was the same and hadn't developed any swelling or discoloration.
That was all reassuring, but I'm just afraid that maybe she has internal bleeding or some organ injury or something. I don't know how long it would take for her to show signs of that (or if it can happen without rib damage, which she doesn't seem to have). Could she be eating and acting comfortable if she is bleeding internally? She is three years old and about 450 grams. I am so much bigger than her; I just feel like it must be the equivalent of me getting getting stepped on by a five-ton giant.
She is asleep now, but I need to know if there are any other signs I should be watching for that she may have sustained internal injuries. When I put her back in her tank, she was walking around normally and not showing any obvious signs of pain or difficulty moving. Her breathing was regular and her beard was orange, as it usually is. I felt all over her body and her bones all felt intact and none of my touching seemed to hurt her--she was sitting up calmly and alertly and acted as comfortable with handling as she always is. I offered her a dubia and she ate it. When I checked back on her a few hours later, she was the same and hadn't developed any swelling or discoloration.
That was all reassuring, but I'm just afraid that maybe she has internal bleeding or some organ injury or something. I don't know how long it would take for her to show signs of that (or if it can happen without rib damage, which she doesn't seem to have). Could she be eating and acting comfortable if she is bleeding internally? She is three years old and about 450 grams. I am so much bigger than her; I just feel like it must be the equivalent of me getting getting stepped on by a five-ton giant.