Well. Partly I am telling this story as an OMG
I can't believe htis happened and partly as a warning to someone else.
Some of you may remember my veiled hermie .. quick recap but he is an "ex-MBD" cham who broke all four legs and only had bone density in his spine and skull, was casted, healed and his bone density has returned to normal in all of his limbs. THEN he developed kidney problems (his reg. vet assumes infection vs. failure since he isn't dead) and was on multiple bouts of antibiotics and subq fluids. Vet thought he would have died, but no he's just hanging in there like a champ and doing quite well!.
My mom and I ran some errands today (she came to visit) and I come home to find hermie, escaped from his cage (he loves to do that) and FLOATING UPSIDE DOWN in a water collection container (that I use to collect the water that I drop into his cage). Not moving. Bloated. Cold. Dead cham colors. My heart sunk as I pulled him out and set him on the carpet still in shock.
YES I know that I should have covered it ... it wasn't in his cage, but since he has access to it when he leaves his cage it should have been covered. My terrible mistake/bad judgement.
ANYWAYS. I set him on his side, and there he lays for about 30 sec. and he sort of gets his legs under him. I think "huh, post-death reflexes?" a leg moves again every so slightly. I reach down to touch him and he vibrates. He still has NOT taken a breath, has NOT opened his eyes and is NOT really moving. Just those few semi-movements. I pick him up and open his mouth ... all of the mucus membranes are blue/grey. I think "shoot what do i have to loose" and try mini-reptile CPR ... thump on his sides a bit, breathe into his mouth ... and he takes a breath. Grabs onto my finger with one hand. OK if he has grip he ain't dead yet! So with the cell phone in one hand and him in the other I yell for my mom to quickly drive us to his vet clinic as I call them (they have an emergency line for the weekends). In the car he still doesn't have his eyes open but is breathing more regularly and gripping so taht he is upright on his own. Get a call back from the vet on call (as we're reaching the clinic) only to find out that all of the reptile vets are gone for the holiday weekend and she could only suggest that we try our local veterinary college/teaching hospital (about a 20 min. drive). So we turn around and drive in taht direction. He's upright, eyes open, but jsut sort of sitting htere looking dazed and confused.
By the time we get there he is normal colored, and he slowly started looking around more, climbing on me, and yes, even hissing and trying to bite.
The vet there on duty (not a reptile vet per say but still a vet who owned veileds) said that (a) he's flipping lucky (how many lives to chams have?) and that (b) since he's a reptile his metabolism slowed down and they're very good at holding their breathes... I figured she'd start us on antibiotics as a preventative for pneumonia but she said no, she would not recommend it and that he may not have inhaled the water. Originally I was thinking that he'd need an oxygen chamber (when he was breathing but his eyes were closed and he was only kind of responsive) but by the time we got there he was normal acting. she said to get him home and get him under his heat lamp and let him come back around.
So I'm def. keeping a close eye on him this weekend and will make a Tues. appt with his normal reptile vet.
WOW. Right now he's basking under his light.
I can't believe htis happened and partly as a warning to someone else.Some of you may remember my veiled hermie .. quick recap but he is an "ex-MBD" cham who broke all four legs and only had bone density in his spine and skull, was casted, healed and his bone density has returned to normal in all of his limbs. THEN he developed kidney problems (his reg. vet assumes infection vs. failure since he isn't dead) and was on multiple bouts of antibiotics and subq fluids. Vet thought he would have died, but no he's just hanging in there like a champ and doing quite well!.
My mom and I ran some errands today (she came to visit) and I come home to find hermie, escaped from his cage (he loves to do that) and FLOATING UPSIDE DOWN in a water collection container (that I use to collect the water that I drop into his cage). Not moving. Bloated. Cold. Dead cham colors. My heart sunk as I pulled him out and set him on the carpet still in shock.
YES I know that I should have covered it ... it wasn't in his cage, but since he has access to it when he leaves his cage it should have been covered. My terrible mistake/bad judgement.
ANYWAYS. I set him on his side, and there he lays for about 30 sec. and he sort of gets his legs under him. I think "huh, post-death reflexes?" a leg moves again every so slightly. I reach down to touch him and he vibrates. He still has NOT taken a breath, has NOT opened his eyes and is NOT really moving. Just those few semi-movements. I pick him up and open his mouth ... all of the mucus membranes are blue/grey. I think "shoot what do i have to loose" and try mini-reptile CPR ... thump on his sides a bit, breathe into his mouth ... and he takes a breath. Grabs onto my finger with one hand. OK if he has grip he ain't dead yet! So with the cell phone in one hand and him in the other I yell for my mom to quickly drive us to his vet clinic as I call them (they have an emergency line for the weekends). In the car he still doesn't have his eyes open but is breathing more regularly and gripping so taht he is upright on his own. Get a call back from the vet on call (as we're reaching the clinic) only to find out that all of the reptile vets are gone for the holiday weekend and she could only suggest that we try our local veterinary college/teaching hospital (about a 20 min. drive). So we turn around and drive in taht direction. He's upright, eyes open, but jsut sort of sitting htere looking dazed and confused.
By the time we get there he is normal colored, and he slowly started looking around more, climbing on me, and yes, even hissing and trying to bite.
The vet there on duty (not a reptile vet per say but still a vet who owned veileds) said that (a) he's flipping lucky (how many lives to chams have?) and that (b) since he's a reptile his metabolism slowed down and they're very good at holding their breathes... I figured she'd start us on antibiotics as a preventative for pneumonia but she said no, she would not recommend it and that he may not have inhaled the water. Originally I was thinking that he'd need an oxygen chamber (when he was breathing but his eyes were closed and he was only kind of responsive) but by the time we got there he was normal acting. she said to get him home and get him under his heat lamp and let him come back around.
So I'm def. keeping a close eye on him this weekend and will make a Tues. appt with his normal reptile vet.
WOW. Right now he's basking under his light.
