Kristen Wilkins
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’m so very sorry for your loss Angela . You are such a wonderful chameleon mommyThe vet confirmed that Vertigo was egg bound and recommended doing surgery to remove the eggs and remove her reproductive system. I was initially scheduled to have him do it, but 15 minutes prior to the surgery asked more questions about the procedure and recovery, and then felt that it was too much to subject her to. He said she would need an 1.5 hours of pre-op sedation, injections, a nerve block, and a trachea tube during surgery. Then they would cut open her stomach and remove the eggs and reproductive tract, then they would have to pinch the skin together since it will not heal as ours does, so it would arc upward so that he inside of the flesh was touching on both sides. The stitches would remain in for 6 weeks and they bother some chams. He said they could itch, but if they are bothered, he really has no way of knowing if it's itching or pain. Then he said we might have to force feed and force hydrate her for a while using a credit card to pry open her mouth.
I started seeing spots while listening him and nearly fainted, so had to sit down, and said I wasn't sure if I could go ahead with the procedure. I then called my niece (cuz we are like co-mothers to Vertigo) and we decided to have her put to sleep to prevent her from enduring unnecessary suffering and potentially not ever recovering fully after that. Having her put to sleep was so agonizing because she could still climb and she was climbing on my arm that very day shortly before being put to sleep. But she was so egg bound that when she wasn't climbing, she was laying flat on the hammock with her whole body and head resting on the hammock. While the doctor was talking with me about her scheduled surgery, she was looking up at me with these innocent little eyes and her fate was in my hands, and I just couldn't bring myself to put her through the surgery. He gave her the injection to put her to sleep while she was resting on my forearm and she didn't flinch, and her eyes gently closed within about 30 seconds. It was so intense and heart-breaking, but I know it was the right thing to do.
I don't think that I can get another chameleon until there a chameleon vet nearby, as I had to drive 4.5 hours each way to take her to this vet and I did the trip twice over the last 6 months. Thank you all so much for your support. You have no idea what it has meant to me.
For a recent class project, I wrote up a chameleon care sheet and I may have you all look at it (since I used many of your ideas in addition to getting info from other sources) and I may give it to the local organization that adopts out chameleons so that the people who adopt them can use it as a reference. But if I post the care sheet, I will start another thread to get input. I go by Julia on online forums (which is one of my middle names), but my first name is Angela. Love to you all ❤ ❤ ❤
That’s not an easy choice to have made . Fly in the sky baby girl xoxo .
