Rest In Peace Oscar

I'm ashamed to be a human!

I went into my local REPTILE only shop today to see if they had silkworms because my boys (Bert and Ernie) haven't been eating their feeders...

As I was looking around I noticed a tank with 4 ADULT dragons in it. The tank was about 18 in by 18 in. 3 of the dragons were active and glass dancing which is what drew me to the tank but the 4th one was very dark in color just laying flat with his eyes closed. I called the owner/manager over and said - something is wrong with him I think he's dying - he went and got the keys and opened the tank up and put the dragon on the ground - totally nonresponsive - wouldn't open his eyes - he said this was the first time he'd seen the dragon- some other kid came in from the back and the owner asked him about it and the kid said someone had traded him in yesterday (and if by traded him that means they gave this owner a healthy rep I'll be so MAD) - anyway I picked up the dragon - he opened his eyes a bit - one eye is dark/damaged looking and he had a HUGE chunk missing from his tail - his nails were long - I asked for a pair of clippers to cut them and did.

Anyway I eventually got the guy to give the dragon to me. I was asking him if he had the time to care for him etc. I asked if he ever took them to the vet - his response was that the vet was too expensive and they didn't know what they were talking about half the time anyway. He said oh well his tail will just fall off in a few weeks that's no big deal and I'll just give him some antibiotics. I played nice so that I could get him to give me the dragon.

As soon as I walked out the door with the dragon I started bawling! I called my vet - thank god the GOOD reptile vet was in - but only until 2 pm (this was 1 pm when I was calling) - I explained my emergency and the vet said to bring him in. He stunk so bad - between the rotting tail and his whole underside being caked in poop.

Anyway - she gave him IV fluids, amputated his tail and sent me home with 3 medications - 2 antibiotics and 1 antinflammatory/pain med. She thinks the darked eye is just damage from a fight. She thinks he's about 3 but couldn't be sure. He weighed 398 grams - not sure what his length was prior to amputation. She wanted me to bathe him when I got home which I did. He smells better but still a little stinky - I think his scales are also stained from whatever substrate he used to be in.

I have a question about the "holes/dots" that run along their back legs though - what are those? ON my 2 dragons they are flat - slightly raised but on this guy one is like sticking out - not to be gross but almost looks like a big pimple that oozed

I'm praying this guy will make it. Even though the last thing I need is another dragon but I couldn't leave him like that. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself! I've cried on and off several times since I first walked out of that store today!

Such a sad day for me today.

I am so thankful you got him out of there! I just hope the other one that went home with the kid is treated better...
Good luck and keep us posted!
You mean the bumps on the belly that go to the legs right? They are femoral pores, adult males usually excrete a waxy type, it's perfectly normal Soaking should help drain the bigger one.

Hi,
I can understand it being a sad day for you! It's really is questionable if some people are even of the human race!
But.....Just think what a miraculous amazing day it's been for the little one you just saved! You CARED! You took him to see the doc, got surgery on his tail, got some IV hydration, some good meds and some pain relief too! You gave him a bath, just think how great that had to feel to him! I just know with those tears you shed were hugs and cuddles for that poor little one! He needed you so much and was waiting for someone to care.....you are wonderful for rescuing him. You shouldn't be ashamed to be human, you should be proud of what you're doing for him. You are his rescue saint, you have given him so much more in care and love just in one day, today, than he's ever had! I hope he makes it too! Although his story started out sad and disgusting.....it just started over for him with you!
Hugs, :love5:
Amanda


I think they may be femoral pores on the inside of the thighs that you are referring to, but not sure without a photo. One of my guys has pores that look like they have blackheads in them. Someone will pop in and educate us both on those pores.

Silverado - Yea - I thought of that too late - I should have taken pictures of the tail before it was amputated - It was extremely disgusting - I never imagined it could look something like that....

I didn't even to think to take pictures of his "femerol pores" for everyone to see what I'm talking about - I'll get pictures tomorrow.

He's very restless now - he's not staying/sleeping in one place - he keeps scooting around constantly - I put him in a 40 gal breeder on paper towel - I added some washclothes and then 2 of my t-shirts to get him used to my smell and he keeps just scooting around - he won't "fall asleep" - I didn't put any lights on him so he could rest - I just put a ceramic heater over him to keep him warm. I even tried wrapping him in a burrito and he kept scooting up me and out of the burrito

Hi there,

I am very thankful you were able to get him out of those horrible living conditions.

Can you post a picture up of him?

Hopefully he will settle down soon and start on his way to becoming a healthy ol' dragon! :mrgreen:

-Brandon

silverado991":17w8u44g said:

you can get a statement from your vet
that with a random check of there facility would bring instant citations most likely id assume if its half as bad as you

being a manager at a pet retail store and reporting my own store was interesting but needed to be done.. i was hired to imrpove the reptiles and watched animals die daily we had a horned mountain die of starvation i caught him on his death bed (he was vastly ill before i started) looked horrible barely moving i bathed him within minutes he had movement i come in two days later he "died" that was my last straw i had the dog warden spca and about 4 other organizations in there shortly

Click to expand...

Awesome! :notworthy:

I agree - that is AWESOME silverado!

I went home today on my prep hour (I'm a high school teacher) to check on him. He was still lethargic - this morning when I turned his lights on he did open his eyes for me - I got one picture because I wanted to bring it to school to show my students and give a little lecture about properly taking care of pets. I got some baby food (squash with calcium and multivitamins mixed in) a bit of greens and about 3 phoenix worms into him.

Anyway - when I get home I'll be able to take more pictures and get onto my photobucket to post more pictures - I'll try to get all angles including his pores and his black and blue eye.

Lesley

Hi Lesly,

Looking forward to the pictures.

Did you try to feed the baby food yet or no?

-Brandon

Poor beardie. I have never seen so much carelessness and callousness towards the living conditions of animals since I got into reptiles. It's sad and shocking. Don't people realize they have feelings and feel pain when their needs are not met???

I am glad to hear you could be his savior and take him in. You're a real sweetheart. I hope he pulls through, and I bet he does. My rescue dragon looks at me like I am his world. My other dragons like me okay - LOL - but I know he sees me differently than the others see me since he was neglected so badly. I think the bond is stronger when you have to nurse something back to health. I'll be curious to see how your new dragon does.

Here are pictures - sorry there is alot

I don't know if he's dark or discolored from previous substrate....


He has some curly nails - which I forget what causes that...


his general pose for the last 24 hours...


CONSTANT black beard and sunken in chest (shown better in a later picture I think...)


yes here is the better view of the sunken in chest - which I don't know what that's about...


the pore I was talking about earlier - 3rd one from the left - looks like an oozing zit - what's up with that?


just another view of black beard and sunken chest - even the fact that he's letting me hold him like this is kinda sad...


top view - VERY dark - even though he was gaping a bit earlier so I know he's warm... body systems aren't functioning properly...


here's the good eye


here's the bad eye


this is the picture I took this morning when I turned on his lights (notice he opened his eyes)- I wanted a picture to have to show my students because I gave each of my classes a talking to about the importance of proper pet care, research, committing to care for an animal and even speaking up in a pet store if they think an animal doesn't look right! I think I got my point across to many of them!


*sigh

Oh man he does not look like a happy camper.

Any luck with the baby food?

-Brandon

lol Brandon - I had to go back and edit my pictures and then forgot what questions I needed to answer and you had already posted again!

Yes I did the squash last night when I got home and today when I came home on my prep hour. He's not EXTREMELY thin - like the vet and I discussed his fat pads on his head are still there - so she's not too worried about that - I don't want to give him more tonight since it's almost 6 and I think I'll do lights out at 7 - just gave him his meds at 5 - I want his meds to work!

He is a very black looking dragon.

Or is that just dirt from his old tank?

-Brandon

Poor baby!!! I'm sure he will brighten up when the meds start working.

His feet don't look too stained to me, unless he was on black sand, so he might just be uniformly dark from the stress of illness and his ordeal. The curly nails happen when animals are walking/putting weight on solid surfaces as their nails grow too long, in his case, it might actually be a good sign. If he had been inactive/completely lethargic for a long while, his nails would have grown down and around, he same probably would have happened if he was housed on sand.

Keep us updated on him. He looks like a fighter.

Brandon - I'm really not sure....

and thanks for the kind words everyone

Today (an hour ago) was just his 2nd dose of meds - I wouldn't say he's improved at all - the vet did mention that he probably needs to pass a BM. I have given him 2 baths in the last day and I jumped right to oil when I came home at 10ish this morning too - I figured I wasn't going to mess around! (but didn't want to give the oil at the same time as meds)