In Memory of my beautiful girl, the one who taught me so much... Hope

Andee

Chameleon Enthusiast
So yesterday, when I took Hope into the vet for the RI I learned during the fall she likely broke her jaw. Her entire front half of her lower jaw was broken. She would have been unable to eat on her own. She would have needed me to force feed and give her two different medications at least two times a day. So I talked with the vet. I decided on that visit to put her down. Going through that would have been to painful and though I loved her like crazy... that's why I put her down. I loved her too much to put her through so much pain for months on end.

So here's to Hope, here's to those two years she taught me so much about not only chameleon care but loving life and being persistent. The last year and half she was with me she no longer acted like a sick chameleon like she did during her first six months. The years she was with me she knew love (though she probably didn't care XD), she knew sunshine, she knew the awesomeness of a huge variety of feeders, and what it was like to have a nice long mist. She was amazing

I am getting her cremated. Which is the first time I have done it with any of my animals. though I plan to do it with Dewey (my first service dog) as well. It just felt right with her. I feel like I will put maybe a couple pinches of her ashes in a foresty trail near me. So she can constantly be in a tree like she was supposed to. At the moment I am a bit torn up, still grieving harder than I have in a while. But soon I know her cage will be full again (after cleaning), with someone else who needs it.

Good night sweet Hope, hopefully in your next life you are once again free.
 
So sorry for your loss. I know you did a great job giving her the best life she could have. So sad she had to go so soon.
 
Oh Andee I am so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you made the right decision for your beloved Hope, even though it was a difficult one. May her loving memories live on in your heart forever. Sending hugs
 
So sorry for your loss. I know you did a great job giving her the best life she could have. So sad she had to go so soon.

She was around 2 years old (from some general calculations and knowing jackson's growth) when I got her. She was with me around 2 years, she lived a long long time especially considering the condition I got her in. I am sad with the way she went but I will forever be thankful to her. She was so amazing. I wish everyone on the forum could have met her. She was so sassy XD

Thank you so much for your words

Oh Andee I am so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you made the right decision for your beloved Hope, even though it was a difficult one. May her loving memories live on in your heart forever. Sending hugs

Thank you hun. They always have too short of a lifespan even when they live above average. What kills me the most was seeing her in the state she was before she was put down. I know soon enough I will be able to focus on the good memories. But for now I am too sad.
 
Hi, I'm very sorry for your loss. Any pics of her? Also I've never dealt with a broken jaw in a Cham but did the vet give any other options? I'm sure no matter wat option you took the force feeding likely would have had to happen while the jaw healed if at all.
 
I have some pics but switched phones etc and computers so it will require searching the forum which I plan to do soon anyway so I can put up some good pics of my baby girl. As far as a broken jaw there isn't much you can do. Especially since she had slowly healing MBD to begin with and her jaw was never great. She is probably the worst case of MBD I have ever personally dealt with. I would have done something like liquid calcium and natural uvb everyday if she didn't already have calcium issues. But as soon as she gaped her jaw literally folded over on itself. For most animals you can do a feeding tube. Exotics are not as easy
 
So yesterday, when I took Hope into the vet for the RI I learned during the fall she likely broke her jaw. Her entire front half of her lower jaw was broken. She would have been unable to eat on her own. She would have needed me to force feed and give her two different medications at least two times a day. So I talked with the vet. I decided on that visit to put her down. Going through that would have been to painful and though I loved her like crazy... that's why I put her down. I loved her too much to put her through so much pain for months on end.

So here's to Hope, here's to those two years she taught me so much about not only chameleon care but loving life and being persistent. The last year and half she was with me she no longer acted like a sick chameleon like she did during her first six months. The years she was with me she knew love (though she probably didn't care XD), she knew sunshine, she knew the awesomeness of a huge variety of feeders, and what it was like to have a nice long mist. She was amazing

I am getting her cremated. Which is the first time I have done it with any of my animals. though I plan to do it with Dewey (my first service dog) as well. It just felt right with her. I feel like I will put maybe a couple pinches of her ashes in a foresty trail near me. So she can constantly be in a tree like she was supposed to. At the moment I am a bit torn up, still grieving harder than I have in a while. But soon I know her cage will be full again (after cleaning), with someone else who needs it.

Good night sweet Hope, hopefully in your next life you are once again free.
So so sorry for your loss :(
 
She was around 2 years old (from some general calculations and knowing jackson's growth) when I got her. She was with me around 2 years, she lived a long long time especially considering the condition I got her in. I am sad with the way she went but I will forever be thankful to her. She was so amazing. I wish everyone on the forum could have met her. She was so sassy XD

Thank you so much for your words



Thank you hun. They always have too short of a lifespan even when they live above average. What kills me the most was seeing her in the state she was before she was put down. I know soon enough I will be able to focus on the good memories. But for now I am too sad.
I completely understand. Back last August I had to put my beloved beardie down. I was fighting almost a full year trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She basically stopped eating anything on her own and didn't want to bask. However, when I would take her out she would run around and see fine. I took her in multiple times to my exotic vet and we could never pin point the real reason she wouldn't eat on her own. Her blood values showed an infection and high calcium, but nothing we did would make her better. To make a long story short, I ended up at a reptile specialist and we discovered she had lymphoma. I knew she had something wrong with her. My gut kept telling me it was something bad. However, multiple other vets thought it was reproductive or early brumation. I knew better. I miss her alot, but I do cherish my memories of her. Again I send my condolences.
 
So sorry to hear that you lost Hope. You did a lot of work to save her but there has to be a limit. Keep her in your heart and memory forever. Hugs...Lynda
 
So yesterday, when I took Hope into the vet for the RI I learned during the fall she likely broke her jaw. Her entire front half of her lower jaw was broken. She would have been unable to eat on her own. She would have needed me to force feed and give her two different medications at least two times a day. So I talked with the vet. I decided on that visit to put her down. Going through that would have been to painful and though I loved her like crazy... that's why I put her down. I loved her too much to put her through so much pain for months on end.

So here's to Hope, here's to those two years she taught me so much about not only chameleon care but loving life and being persistent. The last year and half she was with me she no longer acted like a sick chameleon like she did during her first six months. The years she was with me she knew love (though she probably didn't care XD), she knew sunshine, she knew the awesomeness of a huge variety of feeders, and what it was like to have a nice long mist. She was amazing

I am getting her cremated. Which is the first time I have done it with any of my animals. though I plan to do it with Dewey (my first service dog) as well. It just felt right with her. I feel like I will put maybe a couple pinches of her ashes in a foresty trail near me. So she can constantly be in a tree like she was supposed to. At the moment I am a bit torn up, still grieving harder than I have in a while. But soon I know her cage will be full again (after cleaning), with someone else who needs it.

Good night sweet Hope, hopefully in your next life you are once again free.
So sorry for your loss, sounds like you we're a great owner(mother) and did the best thing
 
Thanks everyone. I feel horribly sad but I am also not in a way. I know she was as happy as possible with me and I made her life not only longer but better I like to think than a slow death by MBD
So sorry to hear that you lost Hope. You did a lot of work to save her but there has to be a limit. Keep her in your heart and memory forever. Hugs...Lynda

I think the thing is Lynda, that I would never want her to lose her sassiness once I finally got to see it at it's peak. And the amount of pain she would go through every day would not only destroy our current relationship but also stress her out so so much. I agree, there is definitely a limit (we were willing to spend a couple thousand dollars if it would help) but she would be rehabing for so long and I don't know how much long she had left of her life. So there just has to be the point where I look at her well being versus what I want. I definitely will always remember her. She was just something else. As probably everyone in this community knows, they somehow worm their way in your heart.
 
Iam so so sorry for you Andee, such sad news but you did amazing things for her and you have some treasured memories of her. I can't imagine your pain but heartfelt wishes go you to you.
RIP Little girl.
 
So yesterday, when I took Hope into the vet for the RI I learned during the fall she likely broke her jaw. Her entire front half of her lower jaw was broken. She would have been unable to eat on her own. She would have needed me to force feed and give her two different medications at least two times a day. So I talked with the vet. I decided on that visit to put her down. Going through that would have been to painful and though I loved her like crazy... that's why I put her down. I loved her too much to put her through so much pain for months on end.

So here's to Hope, here's to those two years she taught me so much about not only chameleon care but loving life and being persistent. The last year and half she was with me she no longer acted like a sick chameleon like she did during her first six months. The years she was with me she knew love (though she probably didn't care XD), she knew sunshine, she knew the awesomeness of a huge variety of feeders, and what it was like to have a nice long mist. She was amazing

I am getting her cremated. Which is the first time I have done it with any of my animals. though I plan to do it with Dewey (my first service dog) as well. It just felt right with her. I feel like I will put maybe a couple pinches of her ashes in a foresty trail near me. So she can constantly be in a tree like she was supposed to. At the moment I am a bit torn up, still grieving harder than I have in a while. But soon I know her cage will be full again (after cleaning), with someone else who needs it.

Good night sweet Hope, hopefully in your next life you are once again free.
Sorry to hear that
 
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