Annie - failure to thrive

[LBonawitz]

I really don't know what to do for this girl. there was about a 3 week window in all of the time that i've had her that she lived on her own. and then for some reason she stopped.

a few weeks ago i thought she had broken her leg by falling in her cage. today i got home from school/work and she was on the bottom of her cage again. This time she did break her leg. just below the knee on [her] left side. she can still move that leg and grip with that foot. But for months i have been force feeding her and force hydrating her(half the time she spits the food out). When i picked her up after the fall and was inspecting her i noticed her casque is bendable, its getting soft. If anybody else wants to work with Annie please let me know. unfortunately i don't think i can anymore. i can't live for her, and being force fed everyday is not a way to "live". to me she has simply failed to thrive, she has no want to live and after 4 months i can't live for her anymore.

Call me a bad person for giving up but please understand its not what i had envisioned for her. I truely thought that i could get her back up and feeling great. And now i just feel terrible for not being able to "save" her. So, hate me all you want. and if anybody else would like to work with Annie please let me know; other wise i guess my next step would be euthanization

 

[beeze]

This member takes in rescues. Try to contact her.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/chamelisa/

 

[Crazy Pet Lady]

That's so sad. You did everything you could for her. At some point we have to ask ourselves if we are doing the animal justice in forcing them to survive. Is it for their well being or our own? I, for one, do not hate you for your decision, I commend your courage. Peace.

 

[chameleonman57]

Really sad to hear that, hope something works out.

 

[LBonawitz]

That's so sad. You did everything you could for her. At some point we have to ask ourselves if we are doing the animal justice in forcing them to survive. Is it for their well being or our own? I, for one, do not hate you for your decision, I commend your courage. Peace.

I agree and i feel like i'm just drawing out her suffering by making her live. its obvious she doesn't want to.

 

[nick barta]

A good choice on your part. And for those of us that know you, there is no doubt that you went above and beyond, and there is no shame in letting her go.

Nick

 

[laurie]

Laura I feel so bad for you. I know you have did everything you can for Annie. I don't think anyone would hate you, you have been nothing but wonderful to Annie. I have no reason to believe I can do any thing you can't, except I am home all time, and will do my best for her. Let me know the shipping and I will paypal the money. I just can't give up on Annie without one last shot. Then you can hope for me!

 

[kinyonga]

In the post "lump...egg" she was looking so much better than when you rescued her...but looking very eggy. You said she broke her leg, so it sounds like she is still having calcium issues. What have you been doing to bring her calcium levels back in line since you got her?

I think she needs a vet...if she's carrying eggs and lacks calcium that might be part of the reason she isn't able to lay them. An x-ray might show the eggs and it might be possible to get her to lay them by giving her a calcium injection and oxytocin....but you defintely need a vet for this.


If she can't lay the eggs, if she's strong enough she should be able to be spayed.

Does she still close her eyes a lot?
What (specific) supplements do you give her and how often for each?
You mentioned force feeding her....do you mean force or assist?

 

[LBonawitz]

i've been talking with her vet about the egg issue. she never saw a reason to do an Xray. wether there were eggs or not we had to get Annie healthy again. then she started showing gravid colors. i was giving her liquid calcium and vitamin d at first. then suplimenting her food with "T-Rex" Calcium no phosphorus W D3, Rep-Cal Calcium W/O D3, and crickets get R-Zilla Gut load "cricket drink" with calcium, along with other veggies of the day. She also got tons of butterworms, i heard they were high in calcium, she got alot of hornworms for their moisture content. she lost interest in butters, which was her favorite, then she wouldn't eat hornworms which she loved biting and spraying everywhere. then crickets were last. i still have butter worms. my male doesn't like them, never has so i really want her to eat them. I also just bought her mealworms to see if they would spike any interest in her...nothing

and by force feeding i mean force feeding, no assisting. getting her to open her mouth, or me opening her mouth, with a rubber spatula the way the vet told me to and placing a bug just inside the lip. that leaves it up to her to take it.

i probably did something wrong in there. maybe i should have never taken her. i don't know. i'm sorry.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."i probably did something wrong in there"....personally I think that you did a great job to get her back to where she was in the pictures in the "lump...eggs" post....and I just wish she could get through this.

It seems odd that if the calcium is back in balance, she broke her leg...so perhaps its because she is producing eggs now?

Does she still close her eyes a lot?

I don't want to have to read the threads again...so I'll ask...she is pooping, right??

 

[ronnie]

No hate here,you've done your best for her as far as i can see and you can't ask for more than that,Good luck to you both,Ronniexx

 

[jannb]

Laura I feel so bad for you. I know you have did everything you can for Annie. I don't think anyone would hate you, you have been nothing but wonderful to Annie. I have no reason to believe I can do any thing you can't, except I am home all time, and will do my best for her. Let me know the shipping and I will paypal the money. I just can't give up on Annie without one last shot. Then you can hope for me!

Laurie, I am so glad that you are going to give Annie another chance. I think with you being home 24/7 to give full time attention might help. I have followed Annie's story since it started and so sad to read this thread. Until lately in her pics, it looked like she had greatly improved. All I could think about was the pic of her driving the car to the vet. My very best wishes to you and Annie. Keep us updated on how she does. Jann

 

[AJA]

Laura,

The only person to hate in this thread is the guy who put Annie in this position in the first place. You have done a wonderful job in rehabbing her so don't beat yourself up over it. There are some things that are not meant to be and then there are some things that are.

I am going through the hoops with Kizzy and she isn't even close to being as sick as Annie was and I am tired and frustrated with her recovery.

It takes a team to get things done, so let Lauri be the closer on this game and the rest of use will cheer her on.

Peace be with you...

 

[zeechiller]

I remember when you rescued her. she was in bad shape. even if she cannot be saved which hopefully she can you did the you could and you gave her some love and happiness that she did not have before. no one blames you. you did the best you could.

 

[LBonawitz]

her last poop was 2 days ago. its hard to have stuff come out when you can get stuff in.

she still closes her eyes alot. i've been giving her reptaid hoping it would help with her appetite and over all feeling better, but i've not had much luck

 

[chamelisa]

I understand it's a hard choice to allow a chameleon to continue like this or not. I always hope for the end to come naturally and quickly but for some that is not soon enough. I am sorry you are going through this.

If you need me to take her in, I have room and the resources. I have a great vet within a couple of miles and I have various enclosures depending on the chameleon's handicap. But in all honesty, I don't recommend shipping her anywhere. It could hurt her and the stress would not help.

I have not been on the forums very much in the past few months as I've been busy with my family and the chameleons. And I apologize for the short email. Let me know if you need me to take her in. My email address is chamelisa at yahoo dot com.