EzzieM
Member
Day 1.
So... I am babysitting a 9 mo. old female leopard gecko for a week. I picked her up today.
She is a special needs pet (missing a leg and has spinal deformities and is partially paralyzed.-due to a broken back from a fight with a cagemate when she was a few weeks old.)
Until last night, she'd been kept on Calcium sand until I insisted that he remove the calcium sand and put reptile carpet in instead. The calcium sand has apparently caused a severe impaction because she has not eaten or pooped in a week! I have been soaking her in lukewarm water every couple of hours (he started the soaking last night) but she still hasn't passed it and now it looks like she has a bruise on her belly. The bruise is dark purple, and it's NOT her spleen.
He told me NOT to take her to the vet, so if I take her *I* get to foot the bill.
His words were "I can't afford surgery for her so don't take her to the vet. I know that if something happens to her, you're not liable. "
it's not about fluffy ducking liability! it's about caring for an animal that he made his RESPONSIBILITY by taking it home in the first place. Then he didn't bother to do research on the things he was keeping her on, so it's HIS fault she's sick in the first place!
I tried anyway but none of the herp vets out here can see her today, and the vet at work gave me a few numbers to call to see if they could help. So far, no luck.
UGH!
the really sad part is: He works at the same pet store *I* do... in the same department. If he can't even properly care for his OWN animals, how can he TEACH OTHER PEOPLE how to care for theirs?!?!
he soonest vet that can see me is tomorrow morning.
I made an appointment.
They quoted me between 250 and 400 USD. OUCH. I don't even have HALF that much money to my name. I know the vet though (he's MY herp vet) and he said he'd work with me.
I called the owner and told him about my talk with the vet and he said "well... she's already lived longer than anyone expected..." I may have to have her put to sleep tomorrow just to save her the pain.
The original vet (the one at work- "owner" adopted her from work because she was injured.) said that she would always have problems with digestion because of the nature of her injuries.
It's definitely not MBD, the vet at work who saw her today said it was an impaction. He can't treat her though because their contract with the pet store we work in won't let them treat any herps that do not presently belong to our store.
I stuck her under my beardie's UV lamps for a few minutes (thinking some increased uv would help digest, she perked up a little and started licking my fingers so I got a waxworm out and pinched his head off (eeeewwww) and squeezed the goo out next to her face. She ate it...
So, she ate a little... and is still perkier (sleeping now)
acted like she was gonna poo for a minute, but nothin yet.
day 2:
Bruiser (<--her name) Update:
the vet said to observe her one more night and if there's no improvement THEN he'll do surgery.
she poo'd in the bath a little (about 3x as much as yesterday), ate 2 waxies and is walking around her viv ('walking' in the loose sense of the word. more like dragging herself around by her front arms) but is still obviously impacted. any suggestions? (home remedies that I can try)
So... I am babysitting a 9 mo. old female leopard gecko for a week. I picked her up today.
She is a special needs pet (missing a leg and has spinal deformities and is partially paralyzed.-due to a broken back from a fight with a cagemate when she was a few weeks old.)
Until last night, she'd been kept on Calcium sand until I insisted that he remove the calcium sand and put reptile carpet in instead. The calcium sand has apparently caused a severe impaction because she has not eaten or pooped in a week! I have been soaking her in lukewarm water every couple of hours (he started the soaking last night) but she still hasn't passed it and now it looks like she has a bruise on her belly. The bruise is dark purple, and it's NOT her spleen.
He told me NOT to take her to the vet, so if I take her *I* get to foot the bill.
His words were "I can't afford surgery for her so don't take her to the vet. I know that if something happens to her, you're not liable. "
it's not about fluffy ducking liability! it's about caring for an animal that he made his RESPONSIBILITY by taking it home in the first place. Then he didn't bother to do research on the things he was keeping her on, so it's HIS fault she's sick in the first place!
I tried anyway but none of the herp vets out here can see her today, and the vet at work gave me a few numbers to call to see if they could help. So far, no luck.
UGH!
the really sad part is: He works at the same pet store *I* do... in the same department. If he can't even properly care for his OWN animals, how can he TEACH OTHER PEOPLE how to care for theirs?!?!
he soonest vet that can see me is tomorrow morning.
I made an appointment.
They quoted me between 250 and 400 USD. OUCH. I don't even have HALF that much money to my name. I know the vet though (he's MY herp vet) and he said he'd work with me.
I called the owner and told him about my talk with the vet and he said "well... she's already lived longer than anyone expected..." I may have to have her put to sleep tomorrow just to save her the pain.
The original vet (the one at work- "owner" adopted her from work because she was injured.) said that she would always have problems with digestion because of the nature of her injuries.
It's definitely not MBD, the vet at work who saw her today said it was an impaction. He can't treat her though because their contract with the pet store we work in won't let them treat any herps that do not presently belong to our store.
I stuck her under my beardie's UV lamps for a few minutes (thinking some increased uv would help digest, she perked up a little and started licking my fingers so I got a waxworm out and pinched his head off (eeeewwww) and squeezed the goo out next to her face. She ate it...
So, she ate a little... and is still perkier (sleeping now)
acted like she was gonna poo for a minute, but nothin yet.
day 2:
Bruiser (<--her name) Update:
the vet said to observe her one more night and if there's no improvement THEN he'll do surgery.
she poo'd in the bath a little (about 3x as much as yesterday), ate 2 waxies and is walking around her viv ('walking' in the loose sense of the word. more like dragging herself around by her front arms) but is still obviously impacted. any suggestions? (home remedies that I can try)
they all have to be shipped.
