Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I took Chancey to the vets this morning, in the same Timbit box he came home in.
I had warned the Tech on the phone that he was in very bad shape, and that I didn't feel there was any hope for recovery.
When the Vet Tech opened the box, she gasped. She was stunned at the state of this poor animal. She just kept saying..."oh you poor baby"...which made me promptly burst in to tears.
She agreed that trying to "cure" him would be a long, painful, likely unsuccessful ordeal, and that euthanasia was the most humane option.
This will be the third time that I know of that this particular vet has contacted the SPCA regarding this pet shop.
But, the Tech and I were talking about it, and her observations are pretty much the same as mine. That is: There seems to be this mentality that "It's only a reptile".
No one seems to take it seriously. I am SURE that if Chancey had of been a cute cuddly kitten or puppy, this never would have happened.
I'm not sure if the mentality is that only mammals deserve quality of life, and a pain free existance...but it sure seems that way.

Anyway, the Vet supported my decision, without question. She charged me only $16.00...no office visit fee, no medication fee, just the cost for cremation. She said she waived all the other fees because I was doing a "good deed". I appreciate that...but I don't see it as a good deed really. It's a damn shame that it had to be done at all, and that it was likely preventable. If not preventable, it certainly NEVER needed to be allowed to progress to the point that it did. (I'm so glad though, that my Vet is so compassionate. She's awesome.)

I had Chancey less than 24 hours, and I have cried as much for him as I did for Zoe when he died. I think just because of the amount of suffering he endured. I could NEVER have let Zoe linger on like that. Never.

I want to say thank you to each and every one of you who offered your support and kind words. It really REALLY means a lot to me. I was really second guessing myself last night, as I was looking at those pictures. Then, this morning, I knew what the right decision was, but it was still SO hard!

Thank you everyone!!
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Kim

Don't 2nd guess yourself. This happened quite soon after Zoe, so you are probably still crying for both of them. It might help to hear my very similar story.

I arranged to buy a wc verrucosus through a great shop. The cham arrived, but as the shop staff had never seen this species before they had no idea how bad it's condition was. I came in to get it and picked up this emaciated, wizened little guy whose eyes were so sunken it looked like he had back eyes. It wasn't even verrucosus, but most likely oustaleti. He had been delivered from their supplier stapled inside a paper bag. I knew he was in trouble, but started the Pedialyte, bug juice etc. Poor little cham drank almost constantly but was in kidney and liver failure with jaundiced eyes and mucous membranes. I drove an hour to a vet and like you, warned them of his condition. Part of it was embarassment at showing them such an abused animal. I wanted him put down right then, but we talked for a while, gave IV fluids and tube fed him, and decided there might be a chance. He died that night. I called the shop in tears. THEY were so angry at the cham's condition that they "fired" their supplier. Sometimes there is justice.

Thank you.

You know, I have to say, I had a moments thought about NOT taking Chancey to the vet, because I was so worried that they might thing that I had done that to him. It was a fleeting thought, but I had it none the less.
But, then I told myself, that this particular vet KNOWS about this pet shop, she has called the Humane Society on them herself at least twice that I know of, specifically in regard to their treatment of reptiles.
I bet you bottom dollar though that if she were to call the shop, they would DENY that they gave him to me.
Even when I tried to get some history on Chancey, they "didn't know". They didn't know how old he was, how long he had that hole in his chin, they didn't even know where he came from!!!
They did the same thing with my Prehensile Tailed skink. Each time I talked to them about her, I got a different story...she was wild caught, and recently imported (which is illegal), then she was long term captive...but they could not produce CITES papers, or any other information on her.

The day I brought Chancey home, they had the TINIEST chameleon I've ever seen, for sale. He was a veiled, and he could have fit easily on a quarter. His tiny little eyes were shut, and I could see ribs that seemed no thicker than a strand of hair.
In with him, they had crickets that were almost as big as him. There's no doubt in my mind that the crickets will end up eating the chameleon, rather than the other way around.

I'm sorry...I'm ranting.
I'm just sick at the fact that the "authorities" turn a blind eye to this place, despite being called multiple times.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I'm glad that I'm not alone in the way the whole experience has affected me.
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Kim

I've walked out of pet stores many times with a huge knot in my stomach feeling anger and guilt. Instead of the so-called "pleasant shopping experience," you're left torn between leaving an animal behind who really needs a good home, or to let the store profit off its suffering. I have a Veiled, and those pictures are so sad and hard to look at. There is no excuse for this kind of neglect and cruelty in a pet store.

It takes a big heart to do what you did for the little guy, so just feel good knowing that someone finally helped him get to a better place.