Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It is with profound sadness that I must tell everyone that the beautiful Kismet Ramoth Mule' passed away early yesterday morning, from complications following an emergency spay. Her body was not releasing the right hormones to shell her eggs properly, even though we did everything right. Her x-ray just ten days before showed no eggs and everything about her exam showed a nongravid female in perfect health. Then, last week she started having some blood in her feces, similar to what she went through last year. The vet put her on the same antibiotics and they seemed to be working. Then, Monday morning she started hemorrhaging. We rushed her to the vet and she had emergency surgery. She did come out of the long and messy surgery and the vet was cautiously optimistic, but she passed away early the next morning.

I don't know if any of you have ever read the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne MacCaffrey, but the way she describes what happens to a rider who loses their dragon sums up how I feel. But I am not alone in my grief. My whole family is torn to pieces -- we feel like we lost a person. And Kismet was loved by so many people all around the world. She will be missed by her internet fans and by classroom children everywhere...

I am so sorry to hear of your loss!
Jeff

I am so sorry for your loss. She was super awesome and got to experience more than any lizard could have in her lifetime. She was super loved, pampered and made human. Wishing you and your family (and Sebastian) all our love.

-Melissa & Petranellies.

A friend made this tribute to her:

The youtube did not embed, but this is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gZPD1OUie1U

So sorry. Did she get supplemental calcium? Hope you find a new one

Yes, Mark, she did. And she spent at least 30-40 hours a week outside with access to real sunlight. Her bone density and blood calcium levels were excellent. Last year she didn't shell her eggs and had an oviduct infection. She was treated with antibiotics and saw three different vets -- we had even driven her across country to see Dr. Jarchow in Arizona. Her last ultrasound and bloodwork were perfect last year.

This year she seemed fine, appeared to be gravid and then looked like she had maybe laid eggs. She didn't use the nest box and I was actually worried that she had laid eggs in the yard somewhere. Her x-ray was completely clear and she appeared to be a healthy non-gravid female. There was a very small amount of blood in her stool, but she had become receptive to the male again so we thought it was from that. The vet did find some bacteria so he put her back on antibiotics. Six days after that she started to hemorrhage. There were two eggs, almost completely shelled stuck in the oviduct. I am not sure if the oviduct ruptured or now, but I am guessing it did because there was yolk in the abdominal cavity. We rushed her to the vet and he tried surgery. She did wake up from the surgery but died later that night.

My heart is literally broken. It all happened so fast... She was more than just an iggy to us -- she was a real family member.

Well it sounds like you did everything you possibly could to save her. I'm sure a new baby cyclura will help in your healing process.

Susan, no need to mention how I feel about this. I agree with Mark.

Thank you all. Other personal issues have kept me away.

We did find out that it was not an oviduct rupture -- something was wrong with the oviducts that our vet had never seen before -- the yolk was literally oozing through the wall of the oviduct itself.

If anyone wants more information I do have the vet records.

That was one well loved lizard...RIP..sorry for your loss

Sorry for your loss!