Provancha65
Avid Member
Canis Majoris aka Oscar, is a wild caught sambava that myself and my partner in crime nursed backed to health after being purchased from a shop that was keeping him in exceptionally sub-optimal conditions. Upon acquiring Oscar, it was understood that we would be inheriting everything else that came with him, i.e. extensive health complications, several visits to the vet, and in all probability his eminent demise. Upon taking him to the vet for an evaluation Oscar was diagnosed with a severe bacterial infection in his intestinal tract and an even more severe infection in both his upper and lower jaw that had spread to the bone tissue and was festering. We were told that his chances were slim and that if he never fully recovered it would not be a surprise; euthanasia was a possibility. After consideration we opted too take the infinitely more challenging path: life. Oscar was put on a strict regiment of antibiotics as well as a specialized diet supplemented with high amounts of calcium and vitamins on the days following his ingestion of the antibiotic. Since he was unable to feed or drink on his own everything was done by hand, his medicine made him exceptionally thirsty, going through 40-50ml of fluid daily was not irregular for him.
This process went on for days, then weeks, and eventually months. Four months later he is still with us, although he will most likely have permanent scarring on his bottom lip. From a dying star at 210g, to a hypergiant, Canis Majoris aka Oscar, our 260g-280g titan has been reborn.
Photos:
1. The first photo shows Oscar while he was very ill, he would always hide his infected tissue from sight and would not let anyone near his mouth. His grip was weak and his appetite even weaker.
2. After a couple weeks Oscar began to move around on his own and even allowed us to take him out of his enclosure to enjoy some natural sunlight.
3. A few weeks after his adventure outside we decided to see if he would fire-up when presented with his own reflection; he graced us with a display to the best of his ability.
4. (2 photos)Two months later not only has he improved dramatically in mobility, but he fires-up with full fury at the sight of any potential mate or competition.
I apologize in advanced for any mis-spelling or grammatical imperfections, someone PMed me about Oscar so I decided to do this last night post. I'll edit and update everything tomorrow after work. Also keep in mind that I am 6'5" and wear size 3xl gloves(8 inches from base of palm to tip of middle finger, a little over 4 inches from pinky knuckle to index knuckle), so having him in my hands doesn't help emphasize his enormity.
This process went on for days, then weeks, and eventually months. Four months later he is still with us, although he will most likely have permanent scarring on his bottom lip. From a dying star at 210g, to a hypergiant, Canis Majoris aka Oscar, our 260g-280g titan has been reborn.
Photos:
1. The first photo shows Oscar while he was very ill, he would always hide his infected tissue from sight and would not let anyone near his mouth. His grip was weak and his appetite even weaker.
2. After a couple weeks Oscar began to move around on his own and even allowed us to take him out of his enclosure to enjoy some natural sunlight.
3. A few weeks after his adventure outside we decided to see if he would fire-up when presented with his own reflection; he graced us with a display to the best of his ability.
4. (2 photos)Two months later not only has he improved dramatically in mobility, but he fires-up with full fury at the sight of any potential mate or competition.
I apologize in advanced for any mis-spelling or grammatical imperfections, someone PMed me about Oscar so I decided to do this last night post. I'll edit and update everything tomorrow after work. Also keep in mind that I am 6'5" and wear size 3xl gloves(8 inches from base of palm to tip of middle finger, a little over 4 inches from pinky knuckle to index knuckle), so having him in my hands doesn't help emphasize his enormity.
