Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I hope I am not jinxing myself by posting an update, but I can feel excitement beginning to boil over . . . the female, whose picture I didn't post because I thought it would be too depressing to view, is NOT dead!

For the past two days I have been absolutely certain that she only had hours, if not minutes, left on this earth. In fact, I told my daughter Sunday night that she would die and I would bury her in the yard. Even the vet said when she dies, open her up and take the eggs out to incubate them (good gosh--perish the thought). Last night she vomited a three day old cricket, when I handled her she wouldn't open her eyes, she barely moved a millimeter when I pried her mouth open to give her medicine and food, and she hardly registered a complaint when I shoved a tube down her throat to force feed her.

Today she is opening at least one eye (if not both) spontaneously, she pooped, she drank VOLUNTARILY, and she really fought me and actually ran away as I was attempting to pry her mouth open again to administer her daily dose of medicine!

Granted, she is still one VERY sick lizard, but these signs all point in the right direction. That's quite a turnaround from my thoughts of having to bury her when I got home from work today. I hope to goodness that she makes it. I have already decided to name her Millie (short for miracle) if she does pull through. I have nursed many lizards back to health over the years, but none as sick as she. I hope I am not speaking too soon here, but she has certainly defied the odds so far.

Send Millie your best thoughts,

élan
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0.3.0 Collareds
1.0.0 Mali Uromastix
2.1.0 Green Anole
1.0.0 Chinese Dwarf Newt
1.1.0 California Newts
1.0.0 White's Treefrog
0.0.1 Green Tree Frog
1.0.0 Fire bellied toad
2.1.0 Felines
1.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Equine

oh, i hope she continues to do well. i had a milly, silly milly to be exact. she lived life very fast and died young, seriously. she would shed in like two hours and one day i went to work for three hours. in that time she dug a tunnel, laid her eggs and was back out with the tunnel covered by the time i got home. i did not even realize she had laid her eggs till a couple days later i got suspicious and checked the sand. she was my female who got in the accident with the rock last fall

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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Oh yes, I remember Milly's tragic accident. As horrible as it was, I suspect that she has saved the lives of many other lizards who might have succumbed to the same fate were it not for her hard-earned lesson.

I hope that it is not a problem that I've given mine a similar name. Consider it an honor. It's a good name

élan
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0.3.0 Collareds
1.0.0 Mali Uromastix
2.1.0 Green Anole
1.0.0 Chinese Dwarf Newt
1.1.0 California Newts
1.0.0 White's Treefrog
0.0.1 Green Tree Frog
1.0.0 Fire bellied toad
2.1.0 Felines
1.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Equine

i could not remember if you were around then or not, that was close to a year ago. milly or millie is a good name i don't care if you use it
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

ALL THE BEST for your sick little girl.

I have had them so emachiated, that they did not move, flat out after arriving, eyes shut, wondered if they were even breathing. And with round the clock , eating, water, and worry, they have pulled through.

Some don't try as hard and do not make it. But sounds as though you have a fighter!
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PHEve / Eve

Contact PHEve

That's interesting that you'd mention the breathing--the othe evening I stared at Millie for several minutes with my face only two inches from her body, desperately hoping to see her sides start to move in and out. It was scary.

I am glad to hear that you have had success with bringing them back from the brink like that. But I worry especially about this one because she is gravid, and laying eggs is hard on even the healthiest of girls.

élan
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0.3.0 Collareds
1.0.0 Mali Uromastix
2.1.0 Green Anole
1.0.0 Chinese Dwarf Newt
1.1.0 California Newts
1.0.0 White's Treefrog
0.0.1 Green Tree Frog
1.0.0 Fire bellied toad
2.1.0 Felines
1.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Equine

I've heard heat helps with digestion, but you would probably already know that. Glad to hear she doing better. Can't wait to see those pics of a nice fat lizard and some healthy babies!

Good luck,
Morgan

Yes, Morgan, you're absolutely right about the heat. Up until two days ago, I had her in the regular cage, but she kept dragging herself away from the heat time and time again. I couldn't keep her under the lights for more than a few minutes at a time. I finally got wise and moved her to a shoe box with a heating pad (on low) beneath her. She couldn't escape the heat in that setup, and that's when I started seeing pooping instead of vomiting. You'd think they'd naturally be drawn to the heat, but for some reason, I have noticed that sick lizards are not.

Good advice, thanks!

élan
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0.3.0 Collareds
1.0.0 Mali Uromastix
2.1.0 Green Anole
1.0.0 Chinese Dwarf Newt
1.1.0 California Newts
1.0.0 White's Treefrog
0.0.1 Green Tree Frog
1.0.0 Fire bellied toad
2.1.0 Felines
1.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Equine