Brick's thread- no more surgery hopefully!

We've had our dragons since the beginning of August and Brick has been at my house for about 2 weeks; it's about time His Highness got his own thread!
For those of you who don't know, my fiance and I got Lady and Brick from his mom's friend's son (or something along those lines) who was moving and couldn't keep them. He gave us the vivs and lighting too, which was awesome! Their setups are great (except for the crushed walnut substrate! It didn't cause any problems but I don't want to risk anything so I switched to shelf liner when Brick moved in with me. Lady is still on walnut because my fiance thinks it's fine. :|), and they were well taken care of. So we got two healthy, happy dragons. They didn't have names, but we fixed that. The female is now Lady Fromage, and the male is Captain Brick Bordeaux (fromage is French for "cheese" and Bordeaux is a type of wine. Get it, wine and cheese? I'm a dork I know ).

About two weeks ago I finally convinced my dad to let one of the lizards live here (Yep, I'm 26 and I still live at my dad's. For now anyway. I do kind of like it though, since it's good food and cheap rent and sane company, plus my younger sisters are here as well). Anyways. My fiance is already quite attached to the sweet, cuddly, sociable Lady; so I got Brick. He's kind of a grump but I love him all the same. And without further ado, pictures!

Coming to my house! I waited til after lights-out and burrito'd him up, and he slept through the whole car ride and moving process. Sorry about the bits of scale and substrate lol-

Showing a bit of (shedding) sexyleg. I feel bad for moving him during a shed though. All that stress! I totally wasn't thinking. Luckily he's handling everything like a champ.

And a few pics of him exploring (the walls look extra-bright green in these pics! I definitely didn't paint them or choose that color, haha)

And here is my current favorite picture of him. It was his first bath in the bathtub instead of his shallow rubbermaid container, and at first he acted like I was trying to put him in a tank full of sharks! Of course I had to get a picture

He's still going through a bit of relocation stress, but is doing great overall! And now I have to go make dinner. I'll post more if I think of something, thanks for reading! <3 <3

 

[snazzyglasses]

Quick update even though I'm at work:
Brick's surgery went well! (sigh of relief) I get to pick him up at 6pm. No concerns or anything out of the ordinary, yay! The only problem they ran into was when trying to anesthetize him, the little stinker did NOT want to go under lol. Somehow I'm not surprised at all...

Thank you to everyone for the luck and well wishes! I really appreciate it, and I'm sure Brick does too! <3 I'll probably have more to say later after Brick is in bed.

 

[zandi202]

I'm so glad every worked out well and that he's coming back a-okay. Must be a huge relief.

 

[morphmom]

Thank goodness! well wishes all around!

 

[snazzyglasses]

I went to visit, but he's still really really out of it. So my baby is spending the night at the vet's, just in case. :\ I know he'd be more comfortable and less stressed if he was home with me, but... wow. The only time he actually looked coherent was when the vet tech gave him his antibiotic injection (she was showing me how to do it, because now I have to give him his antibiotics shot every 3 days... needles scare me. I'm assuming I can just take him and the meds (called Fortaz) to the vet and they'll do it for me, but that won't be cheap, plus it'll stress out the dragon :?).

Mainly, I'm incredibly worried about being the "bad guy". That antibiotic injection looked like it hurt! It certainly ticked off my lizard.
And this part didn't help either: Before the shot the vet tech and I were talking/joking about how our lizards seem to love everyone except for us. She told me a story about how she gave her Uromastyx ONE vitamin injection, and now it runs and hides whenever she comes in the room. I don't want that to happen with me and Brick!!!!!! :shock:
I know it's a Uro and not a beardie, but still. I'm sorely tempted to just shell out the cash and do the drive each time and have the vet do the remaining 6 injections. Or maybe I'll try the first one, but what if just one makes him afraid of me?

Has anyone else ever had to give their beardie injections, and does their beardie stilll hate them for it or have they been forgiven? :?

 

[morphmom]

I haven't had to give an injection, but Myah went through 3 rounds of coccidia meds! (2 rounds of vet meds did nothing and it was the BD.co that saved her. Rotten vet! ) She would get so upset over forcing the goop down her throat that she'd turn black as soon as she saw me. She even played dead once! :shock: Went completely limp and squeezed her little eyes as tight as she could! It was horrible for the both of us! But...She forgave me Not gonna lie. It took a few months! But she did let go of the fear. BD's live long enough to forgive. Maybe not forget, but definitely come around. I wouldn't blame you if you did the vet route tho. Tuff call :?

 

[snazzyglasses]

I haven't had to give an injection, but Myah went through 3 rounds of coccidia meds! (2 rounds of vet meds did nothing and it was the BD.co that saved her. Rotten vet! ) She would get so upset over forcing the goop down her throat that she'd turn black as soon as she saw me. She even played dead once! :shock: Went completely limp and squeezed her little eyes as tight as she could! It was horrible for the both of us! But...She forgave me Not gonna lie. It took a few months! But she did let go of the fear. BD's live long enough to forgive. Maybe not forget, but definitely come around. I wouldn't blame you if you did the vet route tho. Tuff call :?

That does help-- a lot! Even if Brick holds an extra major grudge and it takes him manymany months to get over it, the fact that beardies can and will eventually forgive, gives me hope! I wasn't sure if reptiles could/would come around after something super unpleasant done to them by their owner (shows how much experience I have with these amazing creatures I guess ).
I do know that whether or not His Majesty would decide to forgive me for the Fortaz injections would be up to him, but there's hope. Little Mr. Brick is definitely not a "people-dragon" either, kinda like standoffish little adorable Myah. So if she can do it, maybe he can too! I'm still debating having the vet do the Fortaz, I can ask for details when I pick him up after work tomorrow too. But this helps a lot!
Thank you so much Holly for sharing <3 <3 <3 I'm sure it's not easy to talk about Myah these days either So, extra thank-you's and hugs for you! <3

 

[Esther19]

There's no way oral meds could be given? Giving an injection would be beyond my comfort level. Good luck with however you choose to do this!

 

[snazzyglasses]

There's no way oral meds could be given? Giving an injection would be beyond my comfort level. Good luck with however you choose to do this!

Thanks And welcome to my dear little monster's thread!
Fortaz is injection only But it's easier on their organs than other abx, and it's only given once every three days instead of daily. :?
I felt like one of those bug-eyed cartoons when the vet asked me if I knew how to give an injection! Needles in general are absolutely beyond my comfort level I'm afraid; they unsettle the living bejeezus out of me. And all this injection craziness is made crazier by the fact that 1. The liquid itself, not the needle stick, seemed to cause major pain when the vet tech injected him today. As soon as the tech hit the plunger poor Brick went immediately from looking passed-out drunk to eyes wide open and trying to whip his head around to snap at her (and from what I've been reading about Fortaz it's painful stuff). also 2. I don't want my "already-quite-indifferent-towards-his-human" dragon to just flat-out hate me. :? I can survive if he doesn't like me for awhile, but I don't want him to be upset every time I come near him.

I absolutely hate needles. And I almost got sick watching the vet tech give Brick his Fortaz today . But faced with the very real possibility of having to do it for one of my beloved pets, it's strangely different? Still incredibly nauseating and upsetting, but slightly more "doable" I think. I'm 99.9% positive that if I just focus on the technical aspects of the injecting I'll be okay, I'll do it correctly/get it all in the muscle, and I won't stress to the point that he picks up on my stress.

But that still leaves the issue of its painfulness. I read that humans can get their Fortaz mixed with Lidocaine so it doesn't hurt as much... I wonder if the vet would do that for me and Brick? I've been thinkin' it over, and actually just decided that if they can't or won't mix with a painkiller I'll just have the vet's office do as many of the Fortaz injections as possible (office is closed on Sundays though, bummer).
Thanks for listening to my traumatized ramblings, everyone! I'll be un-traumatized and back to normal soon I'm sure <3

 

[sweetiepie9]

I had to do the injections on Lonzo after his amputation and it definitely wasn't pleasant and he didn't forgive me for a month, but then he was back to normal and all was ok. If you feel better getting the vet to do the injections, and you can afford it (I'd talk to them about it before you bring him home tonight); otherwise you can always wrap his upper body up before doing the injection, that might help. I sure can understand how you feel, but beardies always forgive and forget, they're wonderful that way!

 

[littlegoron]

I am so glad his surgery went well, yay!!

As for the injections, see if you can work out something with the vet, if you're uncomfortable with it. Give the first injection a try and see if you feel up to doing the rest. It wont be a good experience for your beardie but you will be doing whats best for him. It might take a while to build up his trust again but it will come back, with persistence, so dont worry about that.

He loves you and will forgive you.

 

[morphmom]

Thank you so much Holly for sharing <3 <3 <3 I'm sure it's not easy to talk about Myah these days either So, extra thank-you's and hugs for you! <3

Aw, no problem. :wink: I do get a twinge in my heart talking about sweet My-my. Who was in fact, a standoffish girl, but I'd like to think that I can still help others having had known her. In that way, she gets to stay here, in memory, on this site 8)
-What ever you choose to do is the right decision. Brick will understand one way or the next, in time :wink: *hugs* to you(s) too!

 

[snazzyglasses]

Thank you for the support everyone! <3 <3 I reallyreally do appreciate it. It's so nice to be able to chat with/vent to people that "get" this crazy wonderful phenomenon of beardie-love. <3 And I'll have more brainpower for actual chatting once I catch up on some sleep

My dear little monster is back home!!!! I picked him up after work today. He's slightly dopey still, either from the pain meds (Meloxicam) or yesterday's anaesthesia I'm not sure. Or maybe he didn't sleep well last night at the vet's office? But the vet and the techs aren't concerned about it. He didn't want water, but devoured some Critical Care (I added probiotic powder for his tummy too). I let him eat as much as he wanted, but he was done after about 2 mL. He's currently asleep, the little cutie. <3

And big news! (Well, it's big news for my borderline-needle-phobic self). No one was more surprised than I was when I successfully gave Brick a "practice" injection of saline today. :shock: :shock: It was the vet tech's idea, and holy heck I survived. :shock: I did it correctly, got it in the right spot, and Brick is okay. (Also, we covered his head so he couldn't see who was doing it... Why didn't I think of that? I know he'll still be able to smell me, but I'll recruit a helper so my smell isn't the only one there).
I asked about the painfulness of the Fortaz, because I'm still worried about that part, and the vet and tech both said that usually Fortaz doesn't make them wig out like Brick did on Monday. Fortaz does sting a little, but apparently it goes away quickly. It's possible that either Brick was extra-irritable yesterday because he had just had surgery, or maybe he's just a drama queen lol. Humans sometimes are given Lidocaine with their Fortaz to help with injection pain... but only if they're especially wimpy about pain. The articles I read made it sound like MOST humans got lido with their Fortaz... thanks Internet. :|

I'm still quite wary though, and we might end up having the vet do the remaining doses if his Thursday Fortaz dose isn't bearable for both of us. But... I am cautiously optimistic about those evil needles.

And the dragon himself is doing well so far, knock on wood! I sanitized his viv last night, changed the newspapers, and took out all the hard objects so he hopefully won't smack his tail on anything. Basking spot is still a rolled-up towel "couch", but I covered it with a pillowcase so his sutures won't get stuck in the tiny towel loops. And I'll be changing the pillowcase and newspapers at least once a day, especially since I have to keep a couple different kinds of goop on his tail and I already see smears of it everywhere after only a few hours of him being home lol.

...and there I go typing a novel again! Off to bed with me though, I seriously could have gone to bed when we got home from the vet's this evening. I'll put up details of the surgery and medications sometime tomorrow in case anyone's interested Goodnight my dears! <3

 

[sweetiepie9]

Such good news that sweet Brick is home. The tail will heal up in no time, as he's healthy like Lonzo was (he was 5 yrs old at the time). I'm sure you'll be fine with the needles, but it's good to know that the vet tech is there, just in case. Don't forget to cover his head, that will help a great deal & will help Brick, too. So keep us all informed how it all goes and how he's managing. I'm glad it's over with as I'm sure you are, too. So get some much needed rest, I'll check in tomorrow.

 

[Esther19]

Well, here I was , all ready to suggest that you practice under supervision, but you've already done that. Good job!!! Glad to hear he is home with you.

 

[snazzyglasses]

Thanks ladies! I'm still quite shocked that I was able to do it... just the sight of needles weirds me out, and when I'm the one getting stuck with a needle I always have to lay down (I get super lightheaded & nauseated. I wish I wasn't such a pansy! And it's been that way for as long as I can remember :?). Like, I would be a vet or a vet tech right now because I love animals with all my heart and soul, but one of my top reasons that I'm not, is needles. :?

I knew that I could practice with a tech, but I was so sure I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do it because of how much needles bother me. But I did, and that's huge! ... Admittedly I had to sit down for 4 or 5 minutes, after our practice session was over and I was ready to leave. That was embarrassing. I apologized and in general felt quite silly. But I didn't get sick, and the lightheadedness/nausea went away much faster than usual and I was even fine enough to drive home. :shock: Literally still shocked.

The things I do for that sassy little dragon.