Rescue in abhorrent health (Updates and pictures)

[RaineKoenig]

No beating people with sticks, you will just end up in jail and no one will be able to care for your sick girl. Ha-ha ! As far as higher protein / fat type foods, it may be best to keep giving what you are [ I don't remember if you have Critical Care formula from your vet] , but maybe add some of that a little at a time to her present diet. I can't remember if you make insect + veggie smoothie type [ slurries] meals but you might try that. It's great to hear that she drinks a lot, that's still the best way to hydrate.

Yes boss, no beating people with sticks of any size - promise! Even if I want to; I'm tiny and as threatening as an angry Whinnie the Pooh.

The vet gave me liquid calcium and vitamin paste (which they make "custom" for different lizards, so I'm not 100% what it is, but when I started giving it to her a few months ago there was major improvement).

As for the bugs/food, I blend; crickets, wax worms, silkworms and horn-worms. And then I mix the bug-goop with baby food butter squash and a bit of cat food, the calcium and vitamin paste and some water. I give her that twice a day, she always has fresh tiny cut lettuce (for water/hydration) with liquid calcium on it in the enclosure. And I give her a few water drops daily, the never really refused water. Bathe her when she gets dirty.

[Just imagine yourself trying to put live crickets in a blender. My boss almost drank the goo once, he came over to give me some docs, it was on the counter, he thought it was some protein shake, it went down like this;

Him: "Heya, can I taste the shake?"
Me: "Yeah, sure."
...
Me: "Wait what shake? What?"
Him: "The one on the counter..."
Me: "...NO! Crickets, Worms!"
...
Him: "WHAT. THE... %#$^%!!! ****** *****. Why? Why do you have...? *#@&#... What's? #@$*#@ ****. But... WHY? *******?!."]


Had to ad something funny to the thread so it's less depressing.

Can I give her bio veggie juice? (Tomatoes and carrot juice?) And is orange juice safe or is it too acidic?

 

[RaineKoenig]

I really want to find the people that did this to her, and beat them with a stick, but not a big stick like a baseball bat because that would injure them too much. And not a too skinny stick either, but like a medium diameter stick so it's between a golf bat (I know it's a golf club, I prefer calling it a "golf bat") and a baseball bat. And just, whip-beat some brain cells into them - or just somewhat instant Karma or whatever. Pfff!

:laughhard: :laughhard: Sorry I couldn't help it, never known someone put so much thought into stick selection!! :lol:

But just wanted to say good on you, she's a fortunate lizard to have someone who cares so much about her. Keep it up, and I hope she pulls through for you!

Haha, yeah it's pretty funny now that I'm re-reading it, I sound like and angry Elin Nordegren.

Thank you for the kind words!

 

[AHBD]

Your boss almost had a bug smoothie ! That's too funny....! Maybe if you added a scoop of ice cream and some hot fudge your boss would have enjoyed it. LOL....but anyway, you could add some collard and turnip or mustard greens to the slurries. No juices are really needed, avoid anything acidic for sure.

 

[RaineKoenig]

Your boss almost had a bug smoothie ! That's too funny....! Maybe if you added a scoop of ice cream and some hot fudge your boss would have enjoyed it. LOL....but anyway, you could add some collard and turnip or mustard greens to the slurries. No juices are really needed, avoid anything acidic for sure.

I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have noticed, but I can spoil my Dragon and buy too many tarantula's because of his wallet so I rather not risk him projectile everywhere haha.

Ah hum except for the turnip, it all looks like lettuce to me, I'll write it down and get someone that works at the grocery store to grab them for me.

[I cook better/more for my Dragon than for myself, and I can't cook for crap anyway; I mess up 'Kraft Dinner' - Canadian mac n' cheese. Go me!]

Oops, last questions; any tips for transport to the vet?

 

[AHBD]

A box with a towel, and if you have a hand warmer or heat pack then wrap it in a separate towel and keep it near her. Don't let it touch her though. That's only if the vets office is cold, like so many are. Otherwise skip the heat pack.

 

[RaineKoenig]

A box with a towel, and if you have a hand warmer or heat pack then wrap it in a separate towel and keep it near her. Don't let it touch her though. That's only if the vets office is cold, like so many are. Otherwise skip the heat pack.

Perfect!

Thank you so much, I really appreciate all the help!

Thank you and thank you again!

 

[RaineKoenig]

Just an update, she's still alive!

The swelling in her limbs went down dramatically but she's still very skinny. I take her out in the yard for sunbaths.

I feed her a bit less and divided throughout the day, instead of giving her 15 crickets within 60 minutes, I give her one every 10 minutes with ton of calcium and veggies in the morning and before bed time.

I'll post pictures another time.

 

[Beardednoob]

OMG this is such great news.

 

[Esther19]

Just read your thread for the first time. I'd sure love an update!

 

[AtlasStrike]

That weird droopy face thing is classic mbd, but it is something that can happen slowly over time. I had an anole colony and didn't realize one of my females was laying, so i didn't increase the calcium, and she developed that stange profile and a humpback (my male and all other females were fine). She lived for several more years, was totally fine, except for a few incidences of mouth rot. I think because of the profile change, her jaw alignment made it hard for her to swallow all food particles. I would use a syringe to squirt water in her mouth to clean it out a few times a week, and that kept that problem under control. You are doing an amazing thing with this girl. I am sure she appreciates it.

 

[BeardedSkitz]

You are doing an amazing thing for this girl. I've never in my life seen so much dedication!! Keep up the great work!! Thank you for not leaving her behind that day.. And thank you for not giving up on her! You are her guardian angel

 

[suzjohnson]

What an amazing story! I am in awe of the loving dedication you have given to save this sweet old girl. Hope you will continue to keep us updated.

Suzanne

 

[RaineKoenig]

I'm currently on a month and half vacation away from home and my boyfriend just moved so we were internet-less until 5 minutes ago.

I hate to have to give that news but she passed two weeks before my trip (I left the 13th of Oct.) I don't know of what she died, she just seemed to keep struggling the whole last 9 months. When she passed I bought the ticket instantly, it's easy to care for Tarantulas but I couldn't ask anyone to hand feed her bug smoothies four to six times a day and make her drink form a syringe.

I know I did something good for her, but I still think I might have stretched out her life too much and maybe made her suffer longer. Hopefully she was happy.

I have a few good pictures of her left when I took her for sunbathing but they're in my cell phone so I will post them as soon as I can.

Thanks so much for the support, it really helped me through this whole thing and the help was really amazing, all of you contributed to her well-being without it I wouldn't have been able to take care of her as I did.

Thank you so much again. You're all great.