Sweet Roscoe

I am sobbing as I write this. Roscoe passed away tonight in my hand. I tried everything I could do to bring him back. He wasn't gaining weight or progressing. He was too sick and too messed up.

Run free, little sweet Roscoe. My whole family is heartbroken to lose you. You'll be forever in our hearts. 

Goodbye, sweet baby. 

Roscoe at the Vet

Roscoe is beyond adorable. And today he was intent on staying out of his box!

Dr Folland amputated the dead part of his tail. 

And gave him his first Calcitonin shot-- a med that will help his bones absorb more calcium out of his blood stream. It's the shots that made such a big difference with Newt, my little MBD chameleon. 

After the shot, Roscoe just wanted to be held. Or to be up high. Anywhere but his box! He was happiest sitting on Bugsy's back. 

When they took Bugsy back for his second test, Roscoe sat happily on my shoulder. 

He's so adorable that it's hard to say "No" to him. He'll probably got back in another two weeks for a second Calcitonin shot. 

a Mini Donation Campaign for Roscoe & Friends

I've debated doing this and even now I'm agonizing over creating another GoFundMe campaign but my rescue is stretched past its financial limits right now. Between Roscoe, MuShu, and Bugsy-- and now the dying monitor-- I am not bringing in enough money through my Etsy shop to pay for all the vet bills I'm sticking on my credit card last week and this week. I've even been selling off stuff in an attempt to make extra money.

Will you consider helping me? Either through PayPal (link on the side bar of the blog) or through this GoFundMe link. Even a couple dollars will help make sure I am not so wiped out that by this week's vet bills that I can no longer take in rescues.

gofundme.com/zt9s2ss

Quick Update

Of my 3 sicklies, Roscoe is doing the best. He's such a sweetheart.

Bugsy still has fluid in his lungs and blood when he poops. 

MuShu has stopped pooping all together and actually started throwing up today. :( That is very bad. Her intestines are not working normally since her prolapse was fixed. Back to the vet we go. 

Critical Care Mornings

Once or twice a day I force feed my 3 sickly beardies: MuShu, Bugsy, and Roscoe. Bugsy and MuShu are both sick and not eating well on their own so they get the morning Critical Care (CC). Roscoe gets it twice a day plus a dose of calcium syrup.

I mix the CC with homemade Pedialyte for extra hydration. Each beardie has their own syringe. 

MuShu and Bugsy hate me pushing the syringes in their mouth and fight me. Roscoe doesn't fight but I have to be really careful since his bones are so fragile. 

He hates the calcium syrup so I usually give him some water to flush it out. 

He's got a cute tongue! 

Roscoe Update

Roscoe is doing pretty good. He's still pooping on his own and has a little pudgy belly. :) 

He gets calcium and Critical Care twice a day along with frequent water drips to keep his mouth moist (since it doesn't shut tight). 

He's so sad looking. But he gets himself around by dragging his body with his elbows. I'll take a video of it soon. 

The tip of his tail is crispy dead. When he gets a bit stronger and more comfortable, I will have the vet amputate it so the infection stops spreading into the healthy tissue. 

Here's another pic to show how small he is. 

Baby Steps and Poop

Sometimes the most exciting (and most common) part of rescue is poop! 

Last night, Roscoe pooped out more walnut shell in his own.  This is a great sign because it means his intestines are still working. 

This morning, he pooped even more and was able to pass more of the walnut shell out. His hips are so deformed now that I worried he'd not be physically able to poop. I'm glad to see he can. 

It took a couple tries, but I finally created a soft & safe tank for him where he can move around to regulate his temps without getting his claws stuck or falling off anything. 

He's getting 1 cc/mL of Critical Care every morning and night. Along with .05 mLs of calcium syrup. Throughout the day, I dribble Pedialyte on his mouth with a tiny syringe to keep him hydrated. 

Baby steps forward. :) This is the second step in his rehab: getting his calcium & nutrition levels up. 

The Sick Room

My bedroom has become the "Hospital Ward" for my rescue. 

Here's an Update on my Sicklies: 

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Turbo is doing okay. He has good days and bad days. The swelling in his arm & spine has slowed. On good days, he eats and is active. On bad days, he doesn't want to be pet and he sleeps all day. This pic shows how he sleeps. It's adorable!! 

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Bugsy is not doing well. He's on antibiotic shots but he still sounds like a whoopee cushion sometimes when he breathes. He stopped eating too so I started force feeding him today. He just mostly sleeps a lot. 

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MuShu is still having a hard time with her guts. I'm waiting to make sure she can poop normally after such a major prolapse. Some days she's really lethargic and hardly moves; other days she's very alert. It's just a slow recovery process. And she still won't eat on her own so I'm force feeding her too. 

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Roscoe is now the newest member in the ward. His tank is where Ginny's tank used to be. He's got a long hard road ahead, but I expect him to eventually recover. His whole cage is covered with polar fleece so he can't get his nails stuck and everything is low so he can't fall off.