Sweet Crikey

I did something I don't normally do-- I held onto Crikey while the vet injected a lethal dose of anesthesia this afternoon. I pet his head & talked softly to him while he passed. He didn't want to be held, so I laid him on his soft blankie and let him rest that way.

This was him after he was "gone."

Another educational bit for you--- reptiles' hearts are notoriously slow at stopping, even long after death has occurred. When my beardies die at home, I wait until they are done breathing and then I wrap them in a blankie and put them in my freezer to finally stop their hearts. The vet gave Crikey a fatal dose of anesthesia (as normal), but even two hours later, his heart was still going. I just went back to pick up his body and found, instead, they were giving him a second dose of meds. I'll go back later to get him.

Some reptile hearts can beat sporadically for several hours after the time of death! If you have a reptile die with you, I recommend that you put them in the freezer for a few hours before burial to stop all random body processes.