Please help me save my baby girl!

[Cwhittaker22]

Artemis

• Cwhittaker22
• Aug 7, 2016

Relaxing in a warm shower

I took Artemis to the vet today because of some behavioral issues she's been having - sleeping during the day, not eating, not moving much, etc. I figured she was egg bound...

I was wrong and it was so much worse. X-rays showed clear signs of INSANE neglect from the previous owners. Her bones hardly had enough calcium to show up on film, the ones that were visible were shattered in several places (they were so frail, WALKING broke them), she did have a clutch of 20+ eggs that... was sapping away any Ca she had left (which also might be fertile...), she wasn't moving/eating not because she was egg bound but because of the incredible amount of pain she's in, and to top it off, she was no where near the age I was told she was (7 months)... she's between 2 and 3.

Dorsal X-Ray

• Cwhittaker22
• Aug 7, 2016

Red Arrows are fractures and white shapes are eggs. Her bones are supposed to be bright white...

I have attempted to contact the previous owner and they are ignoring my calls and texts. They did NOT feed her anywhere near the correct diet. They did NOT provide her proper lighting. They allowed her to suffer like this for SEVERAL MONTHS TO A YEAR. If anyone recognizes this number, please message me with their info so I can report them to the ‪#‎ASPCA‬. I can't stand the idea that they may have other pets receiving this level of neglect.

I will be nursing her back to health over the next couple months. I couldn't stand the idea of putting her down knowing that most of her life was likely spent in incredible pain. Everyone and everything deserves the chance to live happy if not for a lifetime, for a little while.

I have set up a GoFundMe to try to and help pay for her medical expenses and new enclosure to accommodate her special needs. Her vet bills were over $400 and that doesn't even include the new habitat. They were unable to do a payment plan and I'm a full-time college student that will be unable to work starting in September. The bills are already paid but it hit me hard and I still need to get special meds, food, and enclosure. If anyone could help, even a little, it would mean the world to my girl and I. Thank you so much!

GoFundMe.com/SupportArtemis

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. I'm sorry to hear about your girl and hope you are able to nurse her back to health. She is a beautiful little lady. I have some blogs for you so you can read up about MBD and gain as much knowledge as possible to fight this.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...-like-how-it-happens-and-how-to-fix-it.95071/

 

[Virgil1972]

How long have you had her?

 

[Cwhittaker22]

I've only had her for about a month. I noticed she had been behaving strangely shortly after getting her and thought she was gravid (staying on the bottom of the cage, not eating much, etc.) so I built her several laying dens and waited. After a while, it became clear that that wasn't the case and that she needed to be seen. I took her and the vet broke the news.

 

[Cwhittaker22]

Welcome to the forums. I'm sorry to hear about your girl and hope you are able to nurse her back to health. She is a beautiful little lady. I have some blogs for you so you can read up about MBD and gain as much knowledge as possible to fight this.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...-like-how-it-happens-and-how-to-fix-it.95071/

I'll definitely give that a look! The vet gave me some Gluco calcium, metacam, and emeraid critical care nutrition to get her going seeing as how she hasn't been eating. I have to build a horizontal enclosure because she can't risk a fall at this point too

 

[Virgil1972]

I've only had her for about a month. I noticed she had been behaving strangely shortly after getting her and thought she was gravid (staying on the bottom of the cage, not eating much, etc.) so I built her several laying dens and waited. After a while, it became clear that that wasn't the case and that she needed to be seen. I took her and the vet broke the news.

This level of MBD is quiet sever and obviously has been neglected from the time the last owners bought her. I wish you luck with this but be prepared for her not to make it.

 

[jannb]

I'll definitely give that a look! The vet gave me some Gluco calcium, metacam, and emeraid critical care nutrition to get her going seeing as how she hasn't been eating. I have to build a horizontal enclosure because she can't risk a fall at this point too

I'm not sure what kind of enclosure you have her in now but I have seen people turn a cage on the side and set it up for old, sick and chams with MBD.

 

[alphakenc]

Read thru this thread as much as u can,so u can understand the whole process n learn from the experience since it wont reverse the damage but to prevent more worst to happen,wish ur cham to survive......
https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...-like-how-it-happens-and-how-to-fix-it.95071/

 

[Cwhittaker22]

This level of MBD is quiet sever and obviously has been neglected from the time the last owners bought her. I wish you luck with this but be prepared for her not to make it.

I am prepared but she's a fighter and the vet and I are confident that with immediate and strong intervention, she'll pull through! Thank you for the advice though!

 

[Cwhittaker22]

I'm not sure what kind of enclosure you have her in now but I have seen people turn a cage on the side and set it up for old, sick and chams with MBD.

Her enclosure is tube shaped so turning it on its side isn't really an option but I plan on getting an aquarium with screen on top and putting her in there at the vets recommendation.

 

[Cwhittaker22]

Read thru this thread as much as u can,so u can understand the whole process n learn from the experience since it wont reverse the damage but to prevent more worst to happen,wish ur cham to survive......
https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...-like-how-it-happens-and-how-to-fix-it.95071/

Thank you ! I'll be sure to go through it!

 

[alphakenc]

Thank you ! I'll be sure to go through it!

I bet u will,and best luck to ur cham!!