Horrible Accident

[mom2twinsplus2]

We had a horrible accident tonight with our beardie. I feel absolutely nauseaus about it and my son keeps bursting into tears. It was all my fault too. I went to feed Norbert, our sweet beardie on my own cause I love feeding her when it is quiet in the room (unusual cause I have 4 kids who all LOVE feeding Norbert) and I saw a bit of poop on the side of her cage so I took her out and put her in her new cage which has the sliding doors just to let her explore and get used to it. We are planning to move her to the new nicer cage one of these days but I am hoping to make it so it won't be any adjustment at all for her. Anyhow, I left the room to walk down the hall to my daughter's room to get the vinegar spray bottle to clean the cage and I, like an total and complete *****, left Norbert in the new cage with the door wide open. The vinegar wasn't in her room and I had to come downstair to find it...I don't think I was gone for more than two minutes total but when I got back, Norbert was not in her cage. I paniced and called my kid's to help and my 10 year old son...who Norbert really belongs to found her ....ugh, this makes me sick just to type...downstairs. We suspect that she fell from the top of the upstairs landing but it is possible that she somehow climbed down the stair or fell down the stair or...we really don't know what...but it really can not be anything other than horrible. I can't believe that I was so negligent with her. She was just walking around downstairs and her beard was all black (which it pretty much never is except a tiny bit in the bath which she hates...but never like this). She can walk around just fine and looks absolutely normal but we are absolutely sick with worry that she has some type of internal injury.

We called the emergency vet clinic and they had no exotic vet on call tonight...the one they had (our normal vet, actually) had left an hour after I called (which was about 3 minutes after we found her). I will call our normal vet place and bring her in tomorrow first thing...I told my son he could miss school to come with her to the vet so he will come as well. Till then, I guess we will just keep worrying. I feel so horribly guilty and my son just keeps bursting into tears and my daughter is fighting them back. I keep trying to reassure them that at least for now, she looks just like normal but in my own head, I just can't see how she could have fallen that far and not be seriously injured.

If anyone has any reassuring stories, I would love to hear them....and if not, please just keep your fingers crossed for sweet Norbert...she really is a wonderful girl and we really, really love her. Oh, and please don't flame me for how stupid I was to leave her like that....I know it and am already flaming myself constantly.

Alison

 

[diamc]

Oh dear Alison, you must feel terrible. Things like that happen and none of us are perfect. I'm sure we could all tell you stories about instances where we were careless at one time or another. Beating yourself up won't do any good. I do think it's a good idea to get her checked out though, just in case. It probably scared her and sometimes it doesn't take much for them to get a darkened beard. I would keep her quiet tonight and lay her on something nice & soft for her to sleep on. Please let us know how you make out and good luck.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Alison, first take a deep breath!!! If she is walking ok then she may be ok!!! They do jump so it is possible she just jumped a few steps! The black beard is probably cause she is a bit stressed and plus it is a new surrounding! I would put her in a quiet room for the night! See how she is tomorrow! Please update us!!!

 

[Nikki1292]

First off, it was just an accident and could have happened to anyone. Everyone makes mistakes so don't beat yourself up. Its good that she's walking, that might mean that she's ok, probably just shaken up from all the stress (hence the black beard) anyone who takes a tumble would be a little shaken up. I would keep her in a quiet and peaceful area for the night, one where you can check on her from time to time. Best of luck! Please update as soon as you learn anything!

 

[diamc]

See, we all agree. :wink:

 

[mom2twinsplus2]

Thanks everyone...we tried to put her on something soft to sleep on in her normal cage but she climbed right off of it and went to one of her three favorite spots under her tree so that is where she is resting for the night. My son was a bit frightened to sleep in his room tonight in case something horrible happens to her while during the night but he decided he wanted to be near her just in case. I am just going to check on her a few times and make sure she is OK and make my husband check her before he wakes my son up in the morning. I kind of wish I knew exactly what happened and how she got down those stairs...I really, really hope she just walked or even slipped down them rather than falling off the landing and falling the whole distance down. I guess I will never know though. Tomorrow she goes to the vet regardless of how she is looking or acting just to be checked out....till then, ugh.

I appreciate the kind thoughts and reassurances. I still just can't beleive I was so careless in leaving her there. I guess I thought she would just stay exploring in the cage but...ack. My son bursting into tears all through dinner...I am not going to forget that anytime soon either. We have been talking a lot about getting a second Beardie...there is a baby on the FS forum now that I just love and was thinking about ordering tonight (I have been considering for days actually)...but my son wants me to wait to be sure that everything is OK with Norbert first because he says if she is not OK, it might make him too sad to have another Beardie in the house. Ugh...I really, really hope she will be OK...my poor girl.

Alison

 

[Twobeardieguy]

How is she doing today?

 

[Buggsy]

Oh no! i hope all is ok, but it was just an accident! i have a kamakazi lizard and she often runs into/ jumps off things she shouldnt!

Just to make you feel better, i once lost Gizmo when she was a bit smaller, panicing i shouted to my BF, who as he came runningto help me, accidentally stood on her in the hallway. He has never gotten over it, but she was fine and dandy. A bit shocked and blackbearded for a while, but an xray and thourogh check up, she was fine. I now have to shout out loud 'lizard out' whenever she comes out.

Its very scary, but if she is walking around and can move out of a blanket if she wants im sure she will be fine!

Buggsy

 

[contessa20]

(((HUGS))) How is Norbert doing this morning?

 

[kovuandlucy]

Oh, I hope Norbert is alright... please update us, I know I've got my fingers crossed for you and your baby girl! It wasn't your fault at all... accidents happen all the time, and no one on this site seems like the flaming type - everyone is far too nice and understanding!

 

[mom2twinsplus2]

Norbert seems to be doing just fine today. She scared the crap out of me all night cause I had no idea how deeply she sleeps! My husband and I both were pretty convinced she had died during the night cause she was so still and her eyes were closed. I can't even tell you how happy I was when I turned on her lights this morning and her eyes popped open! My son says she is always like that at night....LOL.

We (my son and I...I pulled him out of school for her) took Norbert to the vet this morning. The vet thinks she looks absolutely fine. She clearly has no broken bones or anything like that and he thinks that internally everything seems fine. He said he thinks if anything was seriously damaged that her color would be off and there would be some type of sensitivity or distention in her stomach and everything seemed perfect. She took a dump on his table as he was examining her which he also thought was a good sign of everythign in there working perfectly. He checked her poop for parasites and found some pinworms so he wants me to treat those and he said she is a bit overweight (she is not a big salad lover yet...she is about 17 inches and 249 grams) but we are not too worried about that. He did not do an x-ray...he said that he really didn't think it was necessary and would show anyhting that he couldn't tell by his exam...I kind of wish he had done it for my piece of mind but I am going to really, really try hard to relax and think positive that maybe we just got really lucky here.

We are still a bit nervous and I think we will be for the next week or so just in case....but so far, so good and I will never, ever leave her outside her cage unwatched again.

Alison

 

[CrystalReptile]

Thats great! I glad to hear shes doing good, and trust me, we have all been careless one time or another. (loseing a baby sanke in the house wasent the best thing ever, found her though!) Kep us updated

 

[gini]

Glad everything is okay for Norbert!!!! You can quit being so hard on yourself now... :wink: However, I'm sure I would be doing the same thing....

 

[Litakat]

Yeah silly kamakazi beardies liking to freak us out Dave has a tendency to leap off my bed/drag his claws down the blankets to glide to the floor. He just looks up at me then starts exploring though lol.

 

[Freeie]

Oh gosh i just read your story! *hugs!!* I'm so happy things seem to be going ok. Things happen very quickly dont blame yourself heck i can tell you ive had a few close ones myself and i almost had a heartattack when a foster beardie ran across my desk and grabbed a leaf off a houseplant clipping my mom and law sat behind my comp. He had no ill affects but i beat myself up over that for ever. *hugs* Norbert.