So I'm back from my trip and was relieved to not come home to a dead Cham (lol the anxiety is real!). In fact, his mouth actually looks better I think. Still gonna keep the vet appointment anyway just for a fecal for peace of mind and to establish a rapport with them, but hopefully this is gonna come to nothing! First Pic is this morning, the last one was a week ago (also he FINALLY shed, so now he's looking much more bright lol)
Had my vet visit! Boogie's mouth really seemed to clear up on its own before today but I went ahead and kept the appointment.
Sadly, he didn't give me a fresh fecal to bring in but they said I'd be able to drop one off.
They LOVED him there! They don't get a ton of panthers so he got to take a tour and see the whole staff lol. They loved him and he was such a good boy.
The vet was amazing with him. He wasn't interested in gaping puffing up even when she gently palpated him to check for abnormalities (he's a chill dude) but she was magic. She let him climb onto her shirt and was able to gently put a hand around him in a way that made him both upset enough to give her a big 'ol open mouth, AND he didn't wiggle around too much. She was able to get a real good look and deemed him nice and healthy. She handled him carefully and delicately, encouraging him to be "big mad scary Cham" and didn't force anything.
He's 50 grams even, and about 8 months old. She said he's got a nice strong grip, no soft spots in his bones or jaw, and that he's in great shape. If I have any more concerns I'm welcomed back/advised to give a call for sure.
She also thought my husbandry was excellent and lamented how much bad info was out there for these guys. She called them the "birds of the reptile world" in that their husbandry is veeeery specific. I mentioned it before but they wanted a full husbandry form filled out for him prior to the visit and they asked all the right questions, and reviewed it with me when I got there.
All in all, it was an excellent experience and I'd definitely recommend this vet! @elizaann2 here's the vet info if you want to add to the list. I missed the vet's name but looking at the staff list I believe I listed the correct person.
Southwest Veterinary Medical Center
10141 Coors Blvd NW Suite A
Albuquerque, NM 87114
(505) 890-8810
Email: [email protected]
Vet I saw: Dr. Laura Hedemann
And of course, a couple pictures of Boogie while we waited to be seen. He was a bit fired up (understandably), and his colors are coming in so pretty!
