I hope so. The improvement is slow, but there - and that's the important thing. I hope she keeps up the good work, and that the other dragons don't feel neglected. Tsam felt sorry for himself after I told him off for knocking at her window.
I split the critical care into 2-3 feedings - altho at the minute Kazi gets 2 different types of critical care. I also don't 'force' it past 3ml-if he wants more than that then it's there- if not,I just try again later. It's very filling so if I can get 8mls into him per day then he is doing well.
I'd like to double check the dosage actually whilst you're here - I'm not convinced the info I've been given is quite accurate. I've been told a level teaspoon for every 500g of lizard, 1 to 3 parts water. (IOW, three teaspoons of water.) It made for quite a thin fluid when I served...
I MUCH prefer working with grams, if anyone knows how much I should be using. I like the comfort of weighing and knowing it's right. (Likewise, I already divvied up the rehydrating powder into sensible portions, ready to add to water.)
She actually drank about 5mls of this mix of critcare, and has been drinking bathwater and hydrating fluids too.
*is being thick* What's 1 part cc? - wait a sec... listen... *plink* That was the penny dropping. Duh.
I just weighed her - some of the water is clearly staying put (and I got a more accurate reading with a slightly different weighing method - the tail got recorded properly this time). She's now 384.7g approx, give or take a couple of grams. That did me about the 5mls - my teaspoons are shallow :S
Another reason why I much prefer weights - not all tools are the same. The water measuring is easy, because it's visual and the same way I do my geckofood.
Should it be thin and fluidy, or bordering on a paste?
Ah good. That's alright then. I suppose it baffled me, a "filling" water.
As long as I'm doing the measures right, I'm happy. I put her back on her towel, as the lights have been out some time - I figured it's softer than the floor on her poor bony shape, and it means she'll wake up near the heatlamp. She keeps skulking off to the cool end of the tank - but then, she always has done in the afternoons.
When my girl was poorly and on critical care, i was told 1g critical care to 4ml of water. It goes a white liquidy colour as MissT said, but then my girl weighs alot less than Kyle so it may be different.
The underside of her tail is still bony and baggy though. I'll use kitchen scales later to cross reference. She's still with us, and has hoiked herself under her heatlamp - she doesn't usually do that, but I am happy she has. Her temples are still concave, but seem to be improving, likewise her eyes. Slow and steady.
Will give her some time to warm up and then will bath her.
Just bathed and given her 2.5 mils of hydration fluids. She had a little swig of bath water, but her brief trot along the bath and feisty nature tired her out. She's back under the heat and dozing. It's what I would do under the circumstances.
On the plus side, she didn't go for a massive pee in the bath this time either.
Yep, rest is very important when they don't feel well! And the whole process of getting better is slow-you just have to keep doing what your doing and hopefully it won't take too long for her to get back to normal. Are you going to take her back to the vet?
She's a LOT perkier, determined to give me trouble about syringing the critcare, but she had 2mils to start the day. She also did a better poop, still mucousy but not nearly as much water. I'm inclined to agree with the specialist that it was dehydration got out of hand.
My local can do trays, but I'm not sure if he can do bloodworks.
It's very tricky to actually see the specialist as she's only in on certain days, and I have to take public transport for a few hours - she isn't in on Monday, and I'm due back to work Tuesday... :S
It's so annoying that more vets don't do reptiles- my vet is almost 2 hours away from me! I think most vets have basic training in taking bloods- they take the sample from the tail. I know my own vet prefers to do it himself but if he is unavailable the other vets at the surgery will do it- although, chances are he has given them a little training. Have you had a fecal test??
Not recently, but she was wormed and de parasited about a month ago. I did pick up some fecal vials though. She's looking a lot more like the Kyle I know. I'd have to get rich to take her in, but that's fine - I'll phone mark on Monday to see if he can do bloodworks for us. Better to have done than not, might also get xray just so I can frame it if nothing else...
She had a quick drink in the bath, another fair sized wee with a clump of mucousy poop at the end. Rinsed bath and ran fresh as she likes to have a proper drink straight after. (That's why she goes in first usually) Fairly big drink, a wobbly jump about to drink the ripples and an emergency dab of the nostrils with a tissue when she got too enthusiastic.
Dried off, half a mil of critcare, and wobbled home. She might be weak, but she's still trying to be bolshy old Kyle. I'd say that's good too.