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Tiari View Profile |
Update on Madison
Lumps on his neck, crook and hunch in back near tail, and black marks underneath him. He was looking scrawny and otherwise unhappy. The vet said, the lumps were "just air pockets" (did not buy this), and the black marks were "injuries" (again not buying this, that would have taken one hell of an attack), and that the hunch was scoliosis from his earlier MBD. Okay, I’m aware Madison had scoliosis of the spine due to MBD over two years ago when we were using what "stated" was the correct lighting, and it wasn’t. Treatment saved his life. However this curve is upwards, where before he had an "S" curve, not bulging upward. He’s having trouble moving around, his front body is fine, his back "stutters" like a flailing fish trying to stick on things. So finally, my regular vet came back, and I made an appointment immediately. He was rather horrified that the other vet dismissed Madison’s problems as he said it was clear this poor lizard had a dislocated pelvis! An x-ray confirmed this as well as the lumps which are, thankfully only calcium deposits which he states are not abnormal in an aging anole. (we have had Madison 3 years, but we have no idea how old he was when we got him). The black "rot" underneath him, is simply feces smear, as he is having lazy liquidy stool likely in his sleep and he’s just laying in it. His thought is, there is no reason to put him down as long as he, A, isn’t outwardly suffering or in stress, B, is still eating and drinking, and C, is able to maintain being aboreal, and able to get up off the ground. Our treatment course is injections of antibiotics (as there could be some kidney damage, there is some blood cells in the urine), calcium injections when we take him in for check on progress, good food / water, every other day warm water "soaks" for about five to ten minutes, and otherwise leave him alone with observation. Since diagnosis, I can’t say there has been miraculous improvement. However, the improvements are enough to be hopeful. His tongue is no longer pale white/gray, but back to the little pink tongue I’m used to lapping up water. He is eating, although currently, the only thing he will eat is meal worms as he can’t run around to catch crickets. (not the best diet I know, but as vet said something is better than nothing!), and instead of finding him trapped on bottom of tank, he is able to get to the highest reaches of basking area in plant limbs. He still looks frail, and dehydrated, but we are doing our best. The prognosis at first was a 40/60 chance which as of the last check up has risen to 70/30. I could not figure out how he would gain such an injury, thinking perhaps daughter mis-handled him, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Daughter has not handled him in a long time (with my warning he shouldn’t be), but the vet gave us the probable cause. Likely while chasing a female for mating, he was rebuffed, or, jumping from one side of tank to the other, he likely missed a target. The culprit is likely simply falling wrong, on lower back on worm bowl, or some other obstacle in tank. He said Anole’s are flat jumpers, meaning they are meant to land on feet/stomach down. They are small and fragile, and can crack like an egg if they have a bad mis-step. Here’s to hoping on Madison’s progress, we adore this little guy. |
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| 10/02/09 09:37am |
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