I just wanted to give y’all another incredible update on Seddie! He is really making great leaps and bounds. I have continued with the slurries and he loves them. I had begun with force feeding, but now he takes it all in his own. He’s so dear! He places one little hand on my thumb while he drinks. Ugh!!! My heart!!! And now he is slowly beginning to take in his crickets. His hunting skills aren’t exactly where I’d like them, but he’s definitely improving. we’re successfully getting 10 in a day of small pinheads. As for syringing he now takes in about 16 cc’s a day (roughly 5 cc, three times a day). Sometimes he “asks” for more and I happily oblige. When I first started, I was giving him around 8 CC’s three times a day because he was ravenous! He would sit on chest and lip smack until I offered the syringe. Then he’d happily climb on my thumb and drink.
I hate to ask more of you guys but I just wanted to make sure everything is on track; sometimes when he’s
drinking his slurry, I notice he kind of puffs up his neck and opens his mouth a bit between slurps. This doesn’t happen when I pull down the bottom lip and get him to chew on the syringe, oddly enough. Just when he’s
drinking on his own. I drop a tiny bit on the tip of his nose continually until he starts to drink. Maybe he’s holding his breath before he finally gives in? It sounds strange but he really seems to like the side lip thing. Sometimes when he’s
drinking on his own, he’ll chew on it and climb into position I.E on my thumb as if to say he would rather I do it. He’s the boss already!
He’s grown a quarter inch and really filled out since the slurries have started. I suspect we’ll always have a bit of a wobbly guy on our hands but he appears to be making a turn around and I’m just so proud of him.
Also! The pet store gave us a full refund and allowed us to keep him. The fellow I have been dealing with said he hasn’t seen any significant improvements in the other babies that were returned but that none have passed away despite similar symptoms as our Seddie. They too remain stunted in growth and have issues hunting and eating. He didn’t feel that long term syringe feeding would be an issue for Sed, as long as he continues to get stronger. He asked me what I was putting in and thought he might take the others home with him and try the same. I’d love your thoughts on the gulp/gape and long term syringe feedings if you have the time.
Again, I just can’t begin to thank you enough for all your help and support. I don’t think I’ve loved any creature so desperately into life as I have with him and so - from the bottom of my heart - thank you. Seddie thanks you, too. I’ll post some pics of my darling soon. I’d have done so earlier but I feared it might jinx his progress. I’m a total geek, I know!