Jace, Zy, Sorin, Ava, Nissa, Koth, & Phoenix -->Vet Update

Hello,
My name is Liz and I have been a member of this website for a year now. I have had another blog about my reptilian babies (http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=185026), but am starting a new one. I want to start the new year with a clean slate - especially since it will also start with a new moon. I want to move on from the problems of the past and look forward to the new adventures that lie ahead.
A little about me: I'm twenty-two years old and am an author - (A Shadow's Lullaby by: E. Rexer). I go to Western New England as a Creative Writing major with a minor in Philosophy. I own six reptiles, three bearded dragons and three leopard geckos. I have been with my boyfriend, Paul, for four years. I currently work two jobs - Heritage Woods (assistant living) and Table and Vine (liquor store) though I did try to quit Heritage Woods and was guilt tripped into working there per diem (once a month). I will be putting in my two weeks notice with them in February. Unfortunately it is a sad job and emotionally I cannot handle it anymore. Table and Vine doesn't give me the hours I would like, but I worked out a deal with my grandfather that will help me out financially. Now enough about me.

 

[Oki05]

Oh god Liz I forgot you started a new thread. All this time I've been looking at your old one wondering why you haven't posted anything new. Oh well All of your babies look great. Well Zandi and Ridley are in the same boat came home yesterday to eggs!

 

[sweetiepie9]

So glad you have a good vet for your babies, Liz, I can't imagine how you felt when told the price for the tail amputation. And the shots I take it is because he's got infection going on in his tail? Poor baby & poor you, but you'll get through it and he'll be a healthy boy again. He's very lucky you found him. Are you going to keep him after he's all better? He sounds like such a different personality to Vraska.

 

[zandi202]

Esther:
I'm so blessed the vet gave me a discount. I don't think Kristine nor I would have had an easy time paying $1000 for the amputation.

Mat:
Sorry bout the confusion. Zandi? You mean Zy? I saw your post on Ridley, hope she finished up with this whole egg business soon. We thought Zy had eggs, turned out it was just really big poo.

Deb:
To say my jaw dropped when I heard the price would have been an understatement. I asked her if she thought the tail would need to be amputated and she thought about it for a bit. At first she was thinking about letting the bad stuff drop on it's own but then decided it's probably for the best to remove it now to keep out any possible/future infection. I think the the antibiotics are just a precaution just to be on the safe side. Paul will be the one to administer the shots and I'm going to be the one to hold him.

I would love to keep him after all is said and done, but Kristine will be taking him. We'll be co-parents. And he is far more different than Vraska for sure. The vet had a much easier time with him.

 

[KristineM]

I feel so horrible...yes, Liz is doing all of the work and I'm doing my best to fulfill most of the financial aspects of it. In all honesty if Liz was able to keep Phoenix after all is said and done, I wouldn't be "against" it by any means. Our agreement (in order to be sure that Phoenix lived) was to do whatever was necessary to get him out of the store he was in and get him the treatment he so desperately needed. In fact, as Liz shared...I received a text-picture while traveling to Maine of Phoenix at the "pet store" and I instantly knew that together, we HAD to and COULD do whatever it took to get him at that moment.

Right now, we have agreed to co-parent Phoenix...meaning we will be making all decisions (Health, financial, and other-wise) together. At least that is my personal understanding of all of this.

I'm pretty sure that between the two of us, Liz...there are now 10 reptiles? Haha! We're both starting to get in (probably have been for a while) pretty deep here. It's becoming harder and harder to take trips and travel...but I keep reminding myself (and Jeremy) that it's because we have big hearts.

Reading Liz's entire thread beginning to end and re-reading the entries including Phoenix, I am more and more convinced that what we have done/are doing is what we all feel is in his very best interest.

I've never been more grateful for a friend than I have been for Liz.

I cannot thank you enough for all the time and hard work you are putting into Phoenix and for helping us by caring for our three babies for 2 weeks while we finally took an actual family vacation.

The most important thing here is that you have a wonderful vet and I am lucky enough to have met her and share the same confidence in her judgement as you do...and that Phoenix is getting all that he needs right now. Just reading through these last few pages...that little guy has so many people pulling for him outside of "us 4" and that's incredible. The love here is just amazing. All the help and encouragement is exactly what people like "us" all need.

Thank you again, Liz for all the time, effort, and love you're putting into all of this. I'm glad we are able to provide for him in our own ways and make sure he has a true shot at a good life

 

[zandi202]

Kristine:
I agree with everything you say. After all we'd been through together helping this guy, it's been an amazing learning experience. I am so grateful to have you helping me out financially. I know you might not see it as much, but without your help, I would have been able to afford him, but there would be no way I'd be able to get him to the vet, never mind getting him the shots and the amputation. I know how you feel because you feel just helping financially is not enough and I feel just caring for him is not enough.

Yeah...10 reptiles. That's a lot of poop... Well, you are always more than welcome to drop the off with me for your vacations. I'll make room.

And I, Kristine, have never been more grateful to have a friend in you and your family. We've had our rough spots, but that's what a real friendship is all about. I'm appreciate everything you have been able to do thus far to help and what I know you will continue to keep doing. I'm also so happy to have a friend close (well, close enough) by that loves and appreciates reptiles as much as I do.

I also love my vet and she was so in love with Phoenix. When she started rubbing his throat and he opened his mouth wide for him she couldn't stop laughing. No popsicle stick could pry that mouth open, but a little tlc was all it took from him. I think she liked him a lot more than Vraska. :lol:

I'm sure after all of this is said and done, he'll live for a good long time.

Phoenix:
So an update on the patient:
He absolutely refused to eat when I dug him out and brought to surface. All he wanted was to get out and to get out now. I've never seen him so active and rambunctious. So I took him out as he needs his feet soaked daily to remove shed. Now with TFS you have to be careful as they can drown under water so I put only enough to cover his feet and suddenly he calmed down. Then he started drinking. I could see his little blue tongue. So cute. Of course I didn't catch it on video...the first time. I caught it the second time. He drank for quite a while - I wonder if he recognizes the water dish he has as a place to drink from.
I'm pretty sure he thinks he's a beardie. As he was sitting on my lap while I was typing and then crawled his way up onto my laptop and explored that for a bit until I had to put him back. Now he's sitting under his log, probably snoozing. Anyways, here are some pictures and the video.

These were all taken last night at the vets office - everyone loved him:

He fell asleep - that little red dot is blood from where the shot was injected:

Today in his bath:

Thinking he's a beardie:

And the video I'm sure some of you are interested in - sadly not the best quality as he moved to a spot with less lighting:


And here's a picture of how I found Nissa last night for good measure:

 

[Esther19]

Oh Liz, Phoenix looks so much better already! Please don't underestimate/undervalue your contribution to his recovery.

 

[zandi202]

He does look pretty good, doesn't he?

 

[KristineM]

Ugh...that video...my heart totally melted!!! How freaking cute is he?! We did good, Liz. Not only will he probably live for many happy, healthy years to come...but he's ABSOLUTELY adorable. Nice work, my friend :wink:

We're very lucky, very blessed to have our babies and to have each other. Same goes for you and Paul...I'd assume you know but in case you don't...we would always make room for your babies as well.

Just think about it for a second...we have such an awesome friendship/relationship and have become part of a family...and it all started here. I believe it started when I told you that you had lovely reptiles, even though Vraska was the scariest looking creature ever and I could never own "whatever type of reptile" she (he at the time) was...and look at her now. HAHAHA! Not to mention I have not only her but another 1.5 of them...

Life sure is strange.

 

[zandi202]

Kristine:
He turns my heart to mush too. He just started playing with his plant for a little bit from underground.

Haha can you imagine me bringing all these guys to your place? Especially since Jace, Zy, Ava, and Nissa don't have portable viv? :lol: I'd need a U-Haul.

Yup, I remember how Vraska used to freak you out, but Keegan wanted one. :lol:

 

[sweetiepie9]

Liz, you and Kristine have a great friendship, it's wonderful isn't it, to have a friend who understands how you feel about your babies. My friend Joanne is the same, we have a great love for our animals and we help each other as much as we can. Jolene is another great person with her babies. And she's come over here & fell in love with mine, too, especially Rubio. I love having dragon/reptile friends. Makes life so much easier. Then there's all our friends on this site, too, too many to mention, but they know who they are. I've had so much help over all the years I've had dragons, starting with Sweetie and am still in touch with a lot of these wonderful people. This site has started so many long-term friendships, it's amazing

Those pictures are so cute, he looks SO MUCH better, incredible. And the video melted my heart, too, he looks so comfy in his bath. I'm glad you have a good vet, so very important with reptiles. He's going to do really well & already a snuggle bug, that's great news, too!

 

[KristineM]

It's so true...I've made so many wonderful friends here. Friends who have walked me through not only life with reptile babies but just about anything else that has crossed my path.

I don't know...it used to annoy me to feel or to be called "different" because of my love for reptiles...but honestly, it seems that "we" aren't really the different ones at all. It seems like we all tend to have big hearts and a passion for helping these babies. Reptiles are "different" in the way that they're not a cat or dog or a furry animal...but the love for a pet is the same if you truly love your pet, no matter what kind it is.

I love the circle of people here and seeing how many of us have become so close through the site and how many of us have even become close outside of the forum. We're all very lucky. I've said it before but if it wasn't for Liz, there would have been no way we could have gone all the way to Disney World this year...that's a real friend. Like you said, Liz...we've had our moments...but I think that's what makes this friendship real. No sugar coating or going easy on anyone...if anything when it comes down to it, we really have no choice but to be completely open, honest, and upfront with each other considering what we've been through and are going through now. That's what relationships are...and it's helped me to see this in other aspects of my life as well...

A skink that cuddles...who ever would have imagined that?! Haha! He sure is special and while he's lucky to have been rescued, it's pretty clear that WE are the lucky one's to have stumbled upon such a gem

 

[zandi202]

Deb:
For me, it's always been harder making friends face to face than online as I'm a pretty introverted person. The idea of going out there and initiate making friends is just not in me. But online... I don't know. I guess it's easier to find more relatable qualities like here I know everyone loves their babies.

He is amazing. I wish everyone could have met him in person at date of rescue and see him now and after his operation. The pictures don't show the cruelty or the improvement well enough.

Kristine:
My friends have accepted my reptile craziness, and have given me the title crazy lizard lady. It took them a while and they aren't crazy about them, but they see that they make me happy.

After working with Flash and Vraska I learned to respect that they are hand able, but will never be a cuddle-able species. Well, Phoenix threw that opinion out the window. :lol:

 

[KristineM]

I think Phoenix may be the exception to many of the "rules" out there...just sayin'...he's a good catch

 

[CountofCasualty]

I've been keeping up with Pheonix. Wow, Liz, Kristine. Props to both of you for taking him on. He's beautiful. I love skinks, and would love a lil' nugget like him, Flash or Vraska. Haha good luck convincing Brandon of that...As it stands we would have to have some serious boarding bills if we ever wanted to go on Vacation for the reptiles. I absolutely don't trust my current roommates to take care of them...

Though as it stands I think we will have to bring Thresh with us. She only takes roaches from me, she'll eat greens on her own but no bugs from anyone else.

 

[KristineM]

We feel the same way about leaving our babies. Thank goodness Liz offered to take them. Batty didn't eat bugs for her but she convinced him to eat some greens on his own and syringe fed him.

Not sure why he took the greens from her but I'm so grateful cause he came home and started eating dubia on his own! Still not touching any greens though :roll:

I know I would have stressed out over Batty the whole trip if he was with our other friend (I do trust him but...not the way I trust Liz). Knowing that Liz had experience with syringe feeding (she taught me), I was able to actually BE on vacation. It was such a huge relief.

(I think it was Phoenix who took us on )