My mother went through a similar ordeal with canine's, not monitors but it seamed everytime she got a replacement it would develope a problem (cancer was the trend in the 90's). No matter what she did (research family history) nothing seamed to matter every few years she had an animal that was costing an arm and a leg to keep or needed to be put down. It takes a different sort of person to deal with that and press on, sometimes we are to blame sometimes its just fate.

I think people like yourself, that care for an animals wellfare should stay with the hobby. The hobby needs people like you that pay attention to their animal and know what it needs. Or at a bare minimum strive to give the animal its needs no matter what hurdles they need to cross.

The reptile hobby is filled with failures and successes. There are those that cashed in on the get rich quick idea and others stuck with loads of animals they will never make there money back with. You at least care about the animal and care for it out of want not need. Theres a difference.

A friend of mine suffered a major loss in his boa breeding this past season and lost three prized animals. Instead of looking back and questioning, what happened, why, and how can it be prevented in the future. He has decided to give up and sell everything.

I know this thread was more about educating all of us on the potential costs and animal can incure, but I hope you are not trying to convince yourself not to jump back in. You did your best your cared from within and mother nature gave you a bad hand.

I respect your sharing all your past medical cost, I hope people learn from your history so they can better perpare for there own. Those were just medical charges what about caging cost, feeding bills, the changes to you homes utility bills. All of which are hidden costs we seam to forget when we get a great deal on a $20 nile monitor.

I salute you and wish you the best. I feel you are more than a normal hobbiest and are exactly what this hobby needs more of.

People that care more for the animal rather than the doller.

Good Luck
-----
Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.11 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
0.0.1 Youth -coming soon-

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