Reptile & Amphibian Forums

No, not that one. The word I had in mind was "fat." Lupe has always been prone to obesity, but right now she's coming off some heath issues. Still getting Fortaz injections every other day, in fact. So whatever she wants to eat, I kind to want to give her, especially since if her egg production goes into overdrive before she's back to a hundred per cent any excess weight she's carrying might pretty much disappear anyway. However... she IS really fat. And she's been off crickets for a while. Over the last several weeks, she's eaten mealworms, superworms, roaches, calcium dust, Carnivore Diet (at the vet,) and Mazuri Bird of Prey Gel (a couple of times right after I got her back.) She looked at a cricket with interest today, but didn't actually pursue it, and when I hand-feed them to her she shows no interest at all. The other bugs I listed will still be accepted from my hand, but crickets have just not been a hit with her lately. I expect that to change eventually; sometimes they get bored with whatever bug for a while and then suddenly rediscover it. But meanwhile she's eating a lot of fatty prey items, LOOKING like she's eating a lot of faty prey items, and still has not displayed full breeding colors this year, so I tend to suspect that what I'm seeing is more ham than egg.
Should I worry at all about excess weight at this point? I mean, to be honest, I think she would probably be at least as healthy on two thirds her current food intake. But "think" is the key word here. I don't actually KNOW.
-----
0.1 2006 Western Hognose (Bebe)
0.1 age unknown Cane Toad (Hengo)
1.0 2006 Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Queequeg)
1.0 2006 Madagascan Speckled "Hognose" (Sigmund)
1.0 2008 Bullsnake (Winkle)
1.2 2008 Eastern Collared Lizards (Pancho, Lupe, and Chica)
2.0 2009 Eastern Collared Lizards (Cesar and Nino)

Hey Jack... I just popped in after not being here in a week and no one was here except you, lol. Anyway in my opinion, If she has been sick and taking medicines/ anitbiotic, I would let her eat what she wants if shes interested. Some when on meds have no desire and lose weight become weak and die.

So fat or not I say let her EAT! ;0) Glad shes doing well

Also is your vet saying anything about a probiotic for her tummy since shes on antibiotics? And keeping her really hydrated too!
-----
Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

She was eating this weekend, then stopped. An occcasional off day, like maybe before a long-overdue shed, isn't that surprising, so I made sure she was hydraed and left her alone. Then, yesterday, she was acting really lethargic, and this morning she died.
I didn't know if I'd given a shot wrong or if she'd been prescribed too many meds or WHAT had happened. So I cooled the body down and called around for a good second-opinion vet who could check out the body.
Her body cavity was full of blood from a ruptured ovary. He was pretty confident that the ovary problem was not only responsible for the bacteria she had to fight, but also that the resulting infection was what had destoyed her liver. Her blood cell count was back to normal, so the meds did do what they were supposed to, but the problem that caused that original infection was still in there getting worse. It was blood loss that killed her, but if it somehow hadn't then the liver damage would have.
He didn't feel that even if she'd been diagnosed correctly on the day that the original rupture began that her chances would have been good.
I liked it better when she was just fat.
Really good vet, though. Much, much farther away than my basic "check this poop and tell me if I need Panacur or something," one, but still less than half the distance of my other one.
-----
0.1 2006 Western Hognose (Bebe)
0.1 age unknown Cane Toad (Hengo)
1.0 2006 Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Queequeg)
1.0 2006 Madagascan Speckled "Hognose" (Sigmund)
1.0 2008 Bullsnake (Winkle)
1.2 2008 Eastern Collared Lizards (Pancho, Lupe, and Chica)
2.0 2009 Eastern Collared Lizards (Cesar and Nino)

I'm really very sorry to read this as I'm sure your feeling pretty lousey typing it. Thats very sad, I sooooo understand as I have lost some pretty SPECIAL ones over the years.
If I have learned anything in the years working with these guys is they are not an easy lizard to keep in captivity,,,, or should I say they are "less hardy" than some other species I have.

Again buddy, I hope ya feel a bit better soon. You are up there in my book as a super GOOD GUY for everything you did for both your girls in trying to get them better.

;0( Sorry!
-----
Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

I'm so sorry. At least you won't have the "if only I had..." regrets haunting you. My condolences.
-----
Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.2 Saharan Uros (Joe, Arthur, and Hitch)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
1.3 Collared Lizards (Ripcord, Thiamine, Riboflavin, and Niacin)
1.0 Green Anoles (Sprocket)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)