Gary Dean at the Vet

Today was Gary's follow up appointment. He hasn't gained any weight but he is a lot more active. 

He got another Calcitonin shot to help solidify his bones. And he had fun meeting everyone. :) 

His spine is starting to curve too and he'll most likely have deformities for the rest of his life. :( He'll be like a Savannah monitor version of Sancho the iguana. 

Nubs-- Then and Now

My Facebook page shows me what happened "On This Day" for the past few years (it's my favorite feature about FB!) 

And for the last three days, I've been reminded of the struggle I had two years ago trying to keep Nubs alive. 

This was Nubs two years ago today: 

And: 

This was Nubs last week: 

And last night: 

Amazing, huh? 

Nubs taught me more about saving critically ill beardies than any other rescue. I learned how to give saline shots and how to use baby steps of progress. That knowledge has been so useful in helping to save other beardies. Or to at least give them a better chance. JoJo & Mushy made it; Andy & Rico did not. And within the last week, I was able to help save Henry (a bearded dragon in AZ). 

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Here's my Nubs' Critical Care Steps- 

1- Focus on hydration for the first 48 to 72 hours. Use homemade Pedialyte (1 quart warm water with 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt) and squirt 5 - 10 mL/cc's into his mouth daily. 

Saline shots are a better way to go, but you'll have to have your vet help you with that. 

Give a warm bath at least once daily. 

My vet says if they can't go 48 more hours without eating, they are probably too sick too survive. 

2- After hydrating, give the beardie baby food squash in a syringe. 1 mL for babies, 2 mL for juveniles, 5 mL for adults. Break up feedings into two times. 

Give basic veggie baby food for two days. If the beardie starts to get worse with food, go back to hydrating him for a day and then start over with less baby food.

3- After 2 days of eating the baby food squash with no problems, give the same amount of baby food but this time use Chicken & Veggies or Chicken & Squash. Do that for a few days. 

If they don't do well with the protein, then go back to straight baby food squash for a day. 

4- After about a week, offer bugs (wax worms or roaches). 

The point with Baby Steps is that you take small steps forward so you can quickly back track at the first sign of distress. 

My biggest mistake was putting him immediately on Critical Care and shocking his system with too much protein. His kidneys & liver immediately started to fail. It's a miracle we were able to bring him back from that. 

Happiness

At the end of a long day, I love snuggling with my beardies while my dogs sleep at my feet. 

Spike's Legacy

Spike was my male German Giant repeat rescue that ended up with a systemic infection I couldn't cure. Last year, I chose to donate him to a local University reptile research project instead of simply putting him down and burying him in my backyard. 

Today my back up vet (who helps run these projects) told me that through the images taken during their research on Spike (after he'd been humanely euthanized), vets have discovered a major artery running alongside a beardie's ribs that makes the perfect injection site for a catheterizing. Its revolutionary! No vets had known it was there before the new imaging data. 

I'm so proud. And grateful. Spike was a tough rescue, but his life is leaving a legacy that will help many future bearded dragons. And that makes my heart happy. 

Adorable!

Gary Dean got his tube feeding today. And then some sunshine time. And then bath. He's so cute! He's slowly making progress. Hopefully by next week, I can stop tube feeding him. 

Gary Dean is being Tube Fed

My baby dinosaur did really well for a week and then stopped eating again. On Sunday, I noticed a tremor in his tail and some paralysis in a back leg. 

Blast! The MBD was getting worse. 

I tried to force feed him Critical Care and he pushed it all out his nose and acted like he was choking. It was not fun! 

Yesterday I took Gary Dean back to the vet where he got a shot of Calcitonin to strengthen his bones, a shot of calcium to boost his levels, and a tube feeding. 

He was super active in the brooder tank they had him in and finally had a really big poop! 

I'll tube feed him for a week and then take him back in. I've tube fed a tortoise and a bearded dragon and a chameleon. Today's feeding didn't go so well. But I did manage to get some food in him. 

He's so stinking cute!! Sometimes he licks his lips with his long forked tongue and it's the cutest thing ever. Even the people at my vet's office who aren't big lizard fans adore this little guy. 

Mooshy is Shedding!

Finally! Mooshy's nasty sand coated & stained skin is coming off. He's starting to be a normal colored beardie! 

Great pictures to show that calcium-sand is NOT healthy or natural. 

Helping out Nationally

On my blog, in my Etsy store, and on the hang tags of my costumes sold at reptile shows, it states that profits from the sale of my merchandise go to help local and national rescues. 

The "Local" part is obvious, but I wanted to share a few examples of how I've been able to help internationally. Not at all to brag but to provide "Truth in Advertising." 

There was a turtle and tortoise rescue in Idaho who desperately needed more lights and heat pads when they brought their rescues inside last month. I was able to help them buy a few things. 

There was a baby chameleon with severe MBD in a pet store in Georgia. It had a good owner to go to, but she didn't have the $40 the pet store insisted on having. I made "bail" for the chameleon who is now doing great. I also got to name him "Neville." :) 

A group I work with was recently alerted to a guy who has an adult bearded dragon and a juvenile ball python (Yes, that's a snake!!!!!!) in a 20 gallon tank with no heat. Or lights. Together. 

Um, where do I even start to tell you all the ways this is WRONG?!?! 

Anyways, the group didn't quite have enough money raised to do a rescue and I was able to help them meet their goal. We're hoping these two will be rescued and into the right set ups within the week. 

I can't help everyone who asks for help and I don't help everyone who asks.  I do offer a lot of free advice via email and Facebook to all over the world. My favorite was a blog reader from South-east Asia. :) 

The money I earn goes back into supplies and vet bills and helping other rescues. I feel very blessed to be able to help. I can't do everything, but I can do something. :) So can you! 

Tiger's Belly

This beardie was as thin as a board when I rescued him. He's obviously recovered from that. He was totally posing for my camera by looking up and then off into the distance. 

Here is the first pic I ever saw of Tiger: 

My Poor Sick Dog

My 8 year old Maltese, Belle, has been so sick since last night. 

I spent 3 hours and $460 at my vet's office this morning to find out her blood work is normal. :/ She did get fluids and some antacid since her tummy seems to be bothering her. 

Her eyes are very bloodshot. 

She's been sleeping most of the day and did eat some bland food earlier. She's peeing on her own.  She's just sick. And won't bark. 

I hope she's able to sleep tonight and can wake up more perky. I hope *I* can sleep tonight instead of worrying about her all night. 

Beardies in crisis don't stress me out because I know what to do for the most part. A dog is crisis was outside my comfort zone. Thankfully I have two vet tech friends who know dogs who gave me good advice.