So I got up this morning and called my normal vet, but the reptile vet wasn't there, so they refered me to another good local vet and I took her there this morning. Here's the news:
-The infections: Not really infections. He says they are scars from burns. On further inspection, it looks as though her light fell on her at her previous home. The burn on her left side looks like the side of the bulb, and the burn on the right is curved like the rim of the fixture. He says it's healed and scarred and though it may look that way all her life, it's not infected.
-Lethargy: Well, I think I figured this one out this morning. I finally took the digital thermometer out of my beardie's cage and put it in hers. Apparently her basking spot was only getting up to 90 degrees, contrary to what the stupid dial thermometer said. I'm going to the petshop in a few minutes to get a mercury vapor bulb that's more powerful for her. I am also going to build up a nice basking spot.
-Weight: The vet said that as long as she remains somewhat active (which she will once I turn the heat up), she will lose the weight easily. Feeding her the right stuff will help too, but more on that in a second.
-Adaptation: He says the main reason she lived is because she was able to adapt to the horrible life she had been delt somehow. As I pointed out also, the heat rock saved her just because it allowed her to digest. He said that she's not going to be used to overhead lights, at least not for a little while, and the food too. He reccomends that I start by feeding her iceburg lettuce (because it's what she's used to), with the good stuff on the side, and once she's eating it, fade in the good stuff and fade out the bad.
He thinks she's definately going to survive, and I do too. I do have a question though. What is their average life span, and how do you think it will be affected by all of this? I think the guy that owned her before me had her for 2 years, and he got her from some other guy who probably had her for at least a year or something (I'll ask him if he knows or can find out so I can keep my records straight). So I'm estimating she's 3 years old. I just hope she lives a nice happy long life in her new home.
thanks for all of your help.
-ryan
