Hi all!
I'm new here, and new to beardies (and any exotics for that matter). I just want to set the stage for this question, please bear with me
I never thought that I would own a reptile, let alone love them as I do my cats and dog. To be honest they kinda creeped me out, and the thought of having to handle insects to feed them was also a big no for me. My father in law had these two beardies that would usually chill out in the sun when we visit for Sunday lunch. I never paid much attention to them but one day it started to rain and I decided to take them inside as everyone was busy cooking. I was literally petrified of even touching them
But, it was love at first "handle". Something about these guys just grabbed my heart after carrying and feeding them, I became obsessed. I instantly asked my father in-law if I can have them, he is retired and travelling a lot so it worked out well and I inherited the setup and these two cuties.
I started to notice that the male's (10 yrs) one leg is always limp, it looked swollen and he was lethargic, not eating ANYTHING. I took them the vet to have them both checked out and to get x-rays done. Turns out that his wrist is broken, and has been for YEARS
He also has arthritis at the one shoulder. This poor guy has been dealing with chronic pain for so long, and to be honest I am livid at no one addressing this earlier. I was given three choices: pain management with meds, which will eventually affect his kidneys, amputation or euthanasia. For now I opted for pain meds until I can make an informed decision on the next steps.
I really don't want to put this sweetheart down, he deserves a shot at a good life. Do you guys think an amputation would be a good idea? It is his front leg, and also worth to note he only has one toe left on that foot, the others are missing from some injury when he was younger so maybe missing the leg won't impact him much? Will he be able to live a good quality life or should I consider euthanasia? I am happy to provide more info if needed.
On the upside, he seems to be perking up since I started the meds yesterday. He ate 9 superworms to date, the first insects I ever saw him eat since he joined our family. I will continue to force feed bug pie to fatten him up as well.
I have zero experience with beardies and this has been a steep learning curve for me, but I am trying my best and I wholeheartedly love them. I will probably be asking a lot of stupid questions on here (apologies in advance).
Thank your bearing with me and for any advice
I'm new here, and new to beardies (and any exotics for that matter). I just want to set the stage for this question, please bear with me
I never thought that I would own a reptile, let alone love them as I do my cats and dog. To be honest they kinda creeped me out, and the thought of having to handle insects to feed them was also a big no for me. My father in law had these two beardies that would usually chill out in the sun when we visit for Sunday lunch. I never paid much attention to them but one day it started to rain and I decided to take them inside as everyone was busy cooking. I was literally petrified of even touching them
But, it was love at first "handle". Something about these guys just grabbed my heart after carrying and feeding them, I became obsessed. I instantly asked my father in-law if I can have them, he is retired and travelling a lot so it worked out well and I inherited the setup and these two cuties.I started to notice that the male's (10 yrs) one leg is always limp, it looked swollen and he was lethargic, not eating ANYTHING. I took them the vet to have them both checked out and to get x-rays done. Turns out that his wrist is broken, and has been for YEARS
He also has arthritis at the one shoulder. This poor guy has been dealing with chronic pain for so long, and to be honest I am livid at no one addressing this earlier. I was given three choices: pain management with meds, which will eventually affect his kidneys, amputation or euthanasia. For now I opted for pain meds until I can make an informed decision on the next steps.I really don't want to put this sweetheart down, he deserves a shot at a good life. Do you guys think an amputation would be a good idea? It is his front leg, and also worth to note he only has one toe left on that foot, the others are missing from some injury when he was younger so maybe missing the leg won't impact him much? Will he be able to live a good quality life or should I consider euthanasia? I am happy to provide more info if needed.
On the upside, he seems to be perking up since I started the meds yesterday. He ate 9 superworms to date, the first insects I ever saw him eat since he joined our family. I will continue to force feed bug pie to fatten him up as well.
I have zero experience with beardies and this has been a steep learning curve for me, but I am trying my best and I wholeheartedly love them. I will probably be asking a lot of stupid questions on here (apologies in advance).
Thank your bearing with me and for any advice
