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Pulling a baby through a too large prey impaction.. or how we messed up!

CheriS Oct 04, 2003 10:53 PM

A little over a week ago, we made a serious mistake, and I almost had this little guy put down Wednesday. Axe and I were feeding the imported babies and did not notice a larger cricket in the scooper still and added the 1/8-1/4 grown crickets and fed the smallest of the imported babies..... well as luck would have it the smallest of them all grabbed and ate a 1/2 grown cricket... way to large for this baby.

Within two hours he could not move his back legs.. it was pitiful to watch him moving around the reptarium pulling himself on his front legs only... he even climbed to the top of the reptarium to sleep using only his front legs.

I gave him two drops of warmed sweet oil (purified olive oil from a pharmacy) and a warm soak. I was afraid he would fall so we put him in a hospital tank with an undertank heater for the night in our room.

The next two days he was the same. Each morning we took him out to be with his siblings so he would not be stressed with more changes. Each day he pulled himself around on his front legs, climbed the side to rest and sun, even chasing crickets that way and he was eating still, not much but a few crickets and he dragon gatorade good...each night we put him back in his hospital tank and soaked him and gave him the sweet oil and gatorade. We did not see him going to the bathroom.

Monday night we left him with his siblings for the night, the next day he stopped eating on his own was bloated and his one front leg was not working either, I put him in for his regular soak, but kept adding hotter water til it was about 120F and massaged this legs and made him move them with help, more sweet oil and back into the heat padded hospital tank. Tuesday he could not move ANY legs and you could see an obvoius swelling in his lower back. He just kinda floundered around and was hiding under the cave, something he never did, but he ate a whole dropper full of waterdowned baby strained chicken and sweet potatoes like a champ.

Through all this he would drink well and eat a little if he could get to food or hand fed.... it was so sad as this baby had the strongest will to live of any baby I have seen, was not accepting defeat but trying to adapt to it and it looked hopeless and our fault... We put him in the hospital tank and I was going to take him to have him put down the next day if he was the same. In the morning we put him back with his sibling. Wednesday I had to take a child to the dentist and got tied up there for 3 hours, when I came home he was again pulling himself on his front legs and climbing the reptarium sides that way, but his back legs were useless, he tried to catch crickets on his own but they were too fast for him so he had more baby strained chicken and sweet potatoes. We thought at that point he might had gone to the bathroom as the area he was laying in had a poo, but he was in with the other so we were not sure.

Each day he got warm soaks, olive oil, gatorade and massages on his legs, back and tummy and into the hospital tank with heat pad at night.

Friday he was able to catch some crickets and looked like he was moving his back legs slightly, this morning he was difinitely moving his back legs some, but staying low on them, this evening he ran across the tank and caught several crickets and we KNOW he poo'ed this day.... I am so surprised!!!

I really thought we were going to lose him... this baby is such a fighter to be like the others and keep up, he did not let this stop him or give up...everyday but the one he pulled himself up with his front legs and climbed the sides and hung there like the other, he seems normal now, but we still brought him into the hospital tank for the night on the heatpad.

He is much smaller now after this rough week than his siblings, but we pray he catches up again now that we know he is going to the bathroom and moving all four legs, even standing up on them and running. Poor thing even shed on his lower back since the swelling has gone down... tonight I tucked him in his hospital tank and got several licks, made me cry.

Replies (8)

somegirl Oct 04, 2003 11:18 PM

the poor little thing! good thing he had you of all people to nurse him back to health! are you keeping him permanently?
-----
proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.1.0 leopard gecko (sebastian and vilma),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.1 bearded dragon (kaipo, dulce, and kellen), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

CheriS Oct 04, 2003 11:44 PM

I really felt terrible as too large a prey is something we warn people about all the time, and it was a stupid mistake on our part that almost cost him is life.

I wanted others to know how easy it is to possibly lose one from just one cricket too large, I really did not think he would make it, and watching him struggle to be like the others was heartbreaking.... this baby wanted to live, he never gave up, even when I was ready too.

He tried so hard, after he started eating again on his own I thought okay, if i have to carry you to crickets and hand fed you the rest of your life I will..... I never thought he would get back the movement in his back legs, they had been paralysed for over a week!

We think the front leg problem was he pulled muscles in them using them so much to climb up and hang on the sides, they were strained and fatigued and he was too, but even when we realized he would live, I never expected him to regain the use of his back legs.

Amazing baby and yes, we will probably keep him, I would not feel comfortable sending him away now.

somegirl Oct 05, 2003 12:06 AM

but what happened with you was an accident that really could have happened with any of us. not lack of knowledge or concern on your part. it is amazing that just one cricket could do so much damage. amazing the instinct some animals have to survive. its also so fulfilling, to me at least, to watch an animal that isnt doing so great come back around. ive had that happen with several of my babies, and i love them all the more for it.

but he's still so lucky it was you, and not me or many other forum members, that was taking care of him
-----
proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.1.0 leopard gecko (sebastian and vilma),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.1 bearded dragon (kaipo, dulce, and kellen), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

reiko Oct 05, 2003 12:39 AM

everyone makes mistakes and accidents do happen, a few weeks back Daigh did the same, ran accross and grabbed up the one and only cricket out of the 20 i threw in that was much too large, luckily we didnt have any problems, but it sure made me aware, i throw them in one at at time or a couple at a time now to be sure that there isnt an odd large one in there. anyhow, so glad he made it through and he is doing well, hopefully he catches up and puts that weight back on from his rough week,, keep us posted

>>A little over a week ago, we made a serious mistake, and I almost had this little guy put down Wednesday. Axe and I were feeding the imported babies and did not notice a larger cricket in the scooper still and added the 1/8-1/4 grown crickets and fed the smallest of the imported babies..... well as luck would have it the smallest of them all grabbed and ate a 1/2 grown cricket... way to large for this baby.
>>
>>Within two hours he could not move his back legs.. it was pitiful to watch him moving around the reptarium pulling himself on his front legs only... he even climbed to the top of the reptarium to sleep using only his front legs.
>>
>>I gave him two drops of warmed sweet oil (purified olive oil from a pharmacy) and a warm soak. I was afraid he would fall so we put him in a hospital tank with an undertank heater for the night in our room.
>>
>>The next two days he was the same. Each morning we took him out to be with his siblings so he would not be stressed with more changes. Each day he pulled himself around on his front legs, climbed the side to rest and sun, even chasing crickets that way and he was eating still, not much but a few crickets and he dragon gatorade good...each night we put him back in his hospital tank and soaked him and gave him the sweet oil and gatorade. We did not see him going to the bathroom.
>>
>>Monday night we left him with his siblings for the night, the next day he stopped eating on his own was bloated and his one front leg was not working either, I put him in for his regular soak, but kept adding hotter water til it was about 120F and massaged this legs and made him move them with help, more sweet oil and back into the heat padded hospital tank. Tuesday he could not move ANY legs and you could see an obvoius swelling in his lower back. He just kinda floundered around and was hiding under the cave, something he never did, but he ate a whole dropper full of waterdowned baby strained chicken and sweet potatoes like a champ.
>>
>>Through all this he would drink well and eat a little if he could get to food or hand fed.... it was so sad as this baby had the strongest will to live of any baby I have seen, was not accepting defeat but trying to adapt to it and it looked hopeless and our fault... We put him in the hospital tank and I was going to take him to have him put down the next day if he was the same. In the morning we put him back with his sibling. Wednesday I had to take a child to the dentist and got tied up there for 3 hours, when I came home he was again pulling himself on his front legs and climbing the reptarium sides that way, but his back legs were useless, he tried to catch crickets on his own but they were too fast for him so he had more baby strained chicken and sweet potatoes. We thought at that point he might had gone to the bathroom as the area he was laying in had a poo, but he was in with the other so we were not sure.
>>
>>Each day he got warm soaks, olive oil, gatorade and massages on his legs, back and tummy and into the hospital tank with heat pad at night.
>>
>>Friday he was able to catch some crickets and looked like he was moving his back legs slightly, this morning he was difinitely moving his back legs some, but staying low on them, this evening he ran across the tank and caught several crickets and we KNOW he poo'ed this day.... I am so surprised!!!
>>
>>I really thought we were going to lose him... this baby is such a fighter to be like the others and keep up, he did not let this stop him or give up...everyday but the one he pulled himself up with his front legs and climbed the sides and hung there like the other, he seems normal now, but we still brought him into the hospital tank for the night on the heatpad.
>>
>>He is much smaller now after this rough week than his siblings, but we pray he catches up again now that we know he is going to the bathroom and moving all four legs, even standing up on them and running. Poor thing even shed on his lower back since the swelling has gone down... tonight I tucked him in his hospital tank and got several licks, made me cry.
-----
reiko
photos

georgio Oct 05, 2003 01:58 AM

Wow, Cheri, that must have been a tough few days. So glad he looks like he is coming around. I'm going to be more careful about dumping crickets in for my dragons to eat. Keep us updated.

Peter

ToniaD Oct 05, 2003 03:57 AM

prove helpful in saving another's life someday! I'm not surprised that he's gotten the use of his legs back; by massaging them the way you did, you helped keep the nerves stimulated. I'm sure you already knew that, but others may not have & many times it helps to have something to recall when we're panicking during the crises!
-----
God Bless, Beardie Dreams, & Peace!
Pogoniacs

B22 Oct 05, 2003 06:59 AM

Hi
daytime heat and nightime heat should be little bit higher then normal.
then it wil digest better i think .
goodluck
byeeeee

veronicag Oct 06, 2003 10:30 AM

I'm so glad he pulled through. You took wonderful care of him throughout his ordeal. It just goes to show all of us that one tiny little slip up can cause such a great deal of pain. Thanks again for sharing this valuable info with us.

Veronica

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