The Karma Progress Thread

Thank you! :D I'm pretty happy with the enclosure so far. I think I'm going to get a "cover pot" for the schefflera's ugly plastic, though. I saw a neat one with faux wood patterns the other day, and it might fit. Or at least, I can make it fit haha!

I can't believe how quickly Karma's growing! He's starting to show his bars now, and is full of attitude. I kind of feel like I ought to have named him "Oscar"! I fuss and worry about him not getting enough food (especially since he's not really feeding himself very well), but his body condition still looks good. I hope his rocky start won't affect his growth/lifespan too much :(
 
yea I was about to say, he's showing tremendous progress!! I'm so glad he's doing better and now you know he should be around 5-6 months old! Karma is growing quickly and me and I'm sure others are thrilled to see his growth and progress!
 
One more pic, with the improved lighting installed (ReptiSun T5HO UVB LED hood) (y) Judging by the suspicious triangular bite marks in a few of the Pearl and jade pothos, he's sampling some of his surroundings haha!

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Not even 24 hours in with the improved lighting, and Karma's already looking better! His colors are very relaxed, and he's roaming more. I wish I could have afforded this upgrade sooner - I think it would have really helped speed his recovery. I'm excited to see what sort of improvements there will be once he has his MistKing up and running!!

I'm really pleased with the live plants so far, and Karma seems to really like the pothos. They're helping to maintain the humidity so much more than I expected! Even when the rest of the enclosure dries out, the foam MagNaturals planters still have water droplets on them, which I'm sure helps as well. I was struggling to keep the enclosure at the bare minimum of 40% for veiled chams before (tbh, it was often closer to 35, 30 by the morning), but now even after a solid 12 hours of drying overnight it was staying at 50%! I may still get a fogger for overnight use, but that really eases my mind. Karma definitely seemed less thirsty this morning, and spent most of his morning misting focusing on cleaning his eyes instead.

I'll definitely be emphasizing the importance of proper lighting and humidity even more than I already do with clients!! I'm so glad that Karma's starting to properly settle in and relax.

~Amanda
 
Karma's being a brat and is on a hunger strike, but he'll come around eventually! For now, we're back to syringe feeding. He has a recheck tomorrow, in any case!
 
Karma's still on a hunger strike, and unfortunately his fecal float shows that he continues to have pinworms. The infestation isn't nearly as bad, but he'll be receiving another course of deworming medication. The vet and I are somewhat concerned about his lack of weight gain this month as he continues to weigh in at 14 grams, so we've also increased his daily syringe feeding amount (0.5mL, up from 0.3) and will adjust upward as necessary. Karma's right eye is still bugging him (squinty, slightly sunken, not very mobile), but the vet still doesn't see anything physically wrong with it. Hopefully it's just slow to heal! Continuing with hydrating drops and shower sessions 2-3x weekly. I may do a couple saline flushes, but I don't want to stress him out more than I need to.

Otherwise, Karma's activity levels are good and he has been very eager to explore his cage once he warms up. Today I actually caught him hanging out around his umbrella tree at the bottom of his cage! It's the first time I've seen him venture to the bottom half of his cage, so I was pretty pleased (though i did immediately check his temps in case he was being cooked somehow, haha!). He seems much less concerned about me now, and while he's still very wary he also doesn't posture or try nearly as hard to get away. He even came out of his enclosure this morning without me needing to coerce him! He was very slow and reluctant, of course, and I swear I could almost hear the put upon "if I must" sigh. :LOL:

I found myself looking at antique display cases while I was out and about the other day, and I'm eager to start a build. My dad's an engineer, my brother's a fabricator, and I'm somewhat of an artist so I'm sure between the three of us we could do something pretty awesome! I just need space first. There's absolutely no way I could get one of those beauties down my narrow, winding stairs! I'll have to put a pin in the idea for the next year or two... though that does give me lots of time to research and plan! I think I'd like to go bioactive if I can swing it, though I'm also happy with heavily planted. Decisions decisions! I think I'd want to try out making a foam background, too. Maybe I'll do some "test runs" on a wall mounted free range or something. :)

~Amanda.
 
Ohhhh Karma... Naughty baby. Well at least he is on then mend and looking so much better then before. Now if he would just eat for you. It is crazy that he is only 14 grams. He seems bigger. Beman was 96 grams when we went to the vet. Do you know how old he is? That is fantastic that he is exploring and being more trusting of you. Maybe he knows that you are helping. :)
 
Karma's definitely a little skinny, but judging by the bars he's starting to show he's about 5 months or so. I double checked his weight with my kitchen gram scale at home just in case (they can be unreliable if the batteries are low!), but he's still coming up as about 14.5g. I was also very surprised, as I expected him to weigh considerably more given how much he's growing! o_OIt's definitely not where I'd like him to be, and I'm sure some of his current weight issues are in part due to his current parasite load. Ideally I'd like him at a solid 20g+ for his size. I don't think I helped much when I was attempting to starve him out periodically, and I won't be attempting another starve until his fecal comes back clear/he's gained some weight. I'll be sure to get weekly weights to keep a better eye on his progress!

I like to pretend that Karma knows I'm trying to help. I just want him to eat and be fat and happy, for goodness sake! But we're getting there. I'm pretty good at being patient when it comes to recovery! (y)

Also, Karma has developed a ridiculous bed time routine. About an hour before his lights go off (I stagger them slightly, so he has a chance to adjust to the darkness), he squeezes behind some foliage and frequently clings either to the mesh or to the leaves. Scared me the first time I couldn't find him, haha! Can't see him at all until you lift the shower curtain.

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GoodKarma19 said:
Karma's definitely a little skinny, but judging by the bars he's starting to show he's about 5 months or so. I double checked his weight with my kitchen gram scale at home just in case (they can be unreliable if the batteries are low!), but he's still coming up as about 14.5g. I was also very surprised, as I expected him to weigh considerably more given how much he's growing! o_OIt's definitely not where I'd like him to be, and I'm sure some of his current weight issues are in part due to his current parasite load. Ideally I'd like him at a solid 20g+ for his size. I don't think I helped much when I was attempting to starve him out periodically, and I won't be attempting another starve until his fecal comes back clear/he's gained some weight. I'll be sure to get weekly weights to keep a better eye on his progress!

I like to pretend that Karma knows I'm trying to help. I just want him to eat and be fat and happy, for goodness sake! But we're getting there. I'm pretty good at being patient when it comes to recovery! (y)

Also, Karma has developed a ridiculous bed time routine. About an hour before his lights go off (I stagger them slightly, so he has a chance to adjust to the darkness), he squeezes behind some foliage and frequently clings either to the mesh or to the leaves. Scared me the first time I couldn't find him, haha! Can't see him at all until you lift the shower curtain.

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Hehe so cute! I think they do have a clear idea of who they trust. So does he not show interest in horn worms either?
 
Beman said:
Hehe so cute! I think they do have a clear idea of who they trust. So does he not show interest in horn worms either?
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Not even hornworms! I've tried small supers, hornworms, waxworms... anything to entice Karma to eat. He hasn't eaten anything on his own other than those crickets and a couple bsfl. Brat! :cautious: He was looking like he was on the hunt earlier, though, so I'm hoping he'll start to cooperate soon! I saw him creeping around wearing his stealthy jammies, and he was very focused looking!

Benny bird is loving her extra treats, though! She really does make an excellent bug recycling program. I think I may have blown her diet and put her in an early breeding cycle. Oops!
 
GoodKarma19 said:
Not even hornworms! I've tried small supers, hornworms, waxworms... anything to entice Karma to eat. He hasn't eaten anything on his own other than those crickets and a couple bsfl. Brat! :cautious: He was looking like he was on the hunt earlier, though, so I'm hoping he'll start to cooperate soon! I saw him creeping around wearing his stealthy jammies, and he was very focused looking!

Benny bird is loving her extra treats, though! She really does make an excellent bug recycling program. I think I may have blown her diet and put her in an early breeding cycle. Oops!
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Well at least he is trying to hunt. I love the pajama colors! Lol what does your starling look like. I googled her to see pics but got quite a few different ones.
 
Beman said:
Well at least he is trying to hunt. I love the pajama colors! Lol what does your starling look like. I googled her to see pics but got quite a few different ones.
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Benjamina Button (mistakenly thought to be male) is a European Starling, one of three invasive wild bird species in North America that are legal to keep as pets. Benny was brought to the clinic I work at when she was less than a week old (best guess is 5-6 days), and I've had her for nearly two years now. She's not releaseable, partially because she is human imprinted and has no concept of being a bird, and partially because it's frowned upon to rehab/release invasive species. She's a voracious eater, and really very clever! She can say a few small words ("Benny biiiird~, pretty bird, good girl, hi, hello, shhhhh, no, don't, quit it"... lol), and copies all sorts of environmental sounds. She does a very good Monty impression (my cockatoo) and a pretty spot on Athena (my cockatiel). They actually make very nice pets, if you can get over the mess and the work involved in preparing a nutritionally sound diet. :)

I'm a big animal advocate, and a huge softie haha! I have three rescues right now, and seem to take home at least one foster case a year. Usually birds, but occasionally reptiles as well. The last reptile was a young female leopard gecko with an advanced case of MBD resulting in "rubberjaw", who I rehabilitated for her owners (they meant well, but the primary caretaker was young and capable of dealing with such a sick lizard). Benny will likely live out her life with me unless I can find someone better equipped to meet her needs. I'd really like to set up an aviary for her, but I just don't have the space. One day!

Here's an older picture of Benny. Shes very hard to photograph, as she is intensely interested in my phone and will immediately go for it. You can see the gears turning... :ROFLMAO: Sorry about the babbling- I'm always excited to talk animals people!


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GoodKarma19 said:
Benjamina Button (mistakenly thought to be male) is a European Starling, one of three invasive wild bird species in North America that are legal to keep as pets. Benny was brought to the clinic I work at when she was less than a week old (best guess is 5-6 days), and I've had her for nearly two years now. She's not releaseable, partially because she is human imprinted and has no concept of being a bird, and partially because it's frowned upon to rehab/release invasive species. She's a voracious eater, and really very clever! She can say a few small words ("Benny biiiird~, pretty bird, good girl, hi, hello, shhhhh, no, don't, quit it"... lol), and copies all sorts of environmental sounds. She does a very good Monty impression (my cockatoo) and a pretty spot on Athena (my cockatiel). They actually make very nice pets, if you can get over the mess and the work involved in preparing a nutritionally sound diet. :)

I'm a big animal advocate, and a huge softie haha! I have three rescues right now, and seem to take home at least one foster case a year. Usually birds, but occasionally reptiles as well. The last reptile was a young female leopard gecko with an advanced case of MBD resulting in "rubberjaw", who I rehabilitated for her owners (they meant well, but the primary caretaker was young and capable of dealing with such a sick lizard). Benny will likely live out her life with me unless I can find someone better equipped to meet her needs. I'd really like to set up an aviary for her, but I just don't have the space. One day!

Here's an older picture of Benny. Shes very hard to photograph, as she is intensely interested in my phone and will immediately go for it. You can see the gears turning... :ROFLMAO: Sorry about the babbling- I'm always excited to talk animals people!


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What a gorgeous girl! :love:
 
Oh Amanda she is just beautiful! I had read that they are incredibly smart birds. That is very cool! Thank you so much for sharing! I am a huge animal lover as well. We have a dog (Zoey my moms rescue who is 5 years old now), a dwarf lop mix bunny(Monet my daughter's 1 year old who I now get to call my own lol), and of course Beman. Growing up I had all sorts of animals... cats, ferrets, love birds, pet rats. Beman was my first Reptile ever. I know everyone says they don't form attachments but I sure would swear he has. If he sees me walk into a room he comes to the front of the cage. But not with my mom or daughter. If my daughter tries to hold him he is very hesitate but all I have to do is open the cage and he climbs right out on to me. He loves his outdoor play area that I put next to my desk. He will come all the way down the vines to get eye level with me. I give his jaw a little rub and he will sit there for a few minutes before he goes back up to bask. Anyways I totally get the animal love thing. :)
 
Beman said:
Oh Amanda she is just beautiful! I had read that they are incredibly smart birds. That is very cool! Thank you so much for sharing! I am a huge animal lover as well. We have a dog (Zoey my moms rescue who is 5 years old now), a dwarf lop mix bunny(Monet my daughter's 1 year old who I now get to call my own lol), and of course Beman. Growing up I had all sorts of animals... cats, ferrets, love birds, pet rats. Beman was my first Reptile ever. I know everyone says they don't form attachments but I sure would swear he has. If he sees me walk into a room he comes to the front of the cage. But not with my mom or daughter. If my daughter tries to hold him he is very hesitate but all I have to do is open the cage and he climbs right out on to me. He loves his outdoor play area that I put next to my desk. He will come all the way down the vines to get eye level with me. I give his jaw a little rub and he will sit there for a few minutes before he goes back up to bask. Anyways I totally get the animal love thing. :)
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I grew up on a little hobby farm, and we had just about everything at one point or another! Dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, geese, cows, horses, sheep, goats, a llama, wild boar... and my cockatiels, lovebirds, and various aquariums haha! I'm down to three birds and Karma, now, though I suspect I'll accumulate more. Most of the animals that come to me these days are temporary placements while I rehabilitate and find them homes. I'm in pretty deep with Karma, though, and I'm pretty sure I'll be keeping him. :)

I hope to one day establish the level of trust you have with Beman, but if Karma never becomes "friendly" I'm totally ok with that too! I'm pretty good at working around animals that don't much care for physical contact, and generally speaking a little bribery goes a long way! While Benny bird's very excited to be around me and happily snatches food from my hands or sits on my arm, she really really doesn't like being touched. Benny would be impossible to get back in her cage if we didn't have an agreement. Show her a grub and a fresh water bowl, though, and she lets herself back in without a fuss! I imagine I'll be using similar tactics once Karma is eating on his own and doesn't need to come out twice a day for meds and feeding. I'm happy to go at his pace once he's out of the proverbial woods! Some form of choice goes a long way in making animals feel more secure.

~Amanda
 
Oh my lord, Karma's going to give me stress ulcers! He was looking a little bloated this morning (normal, I gather, when they're likely to have a bowel movement in the near future) and had some pretty intense diarrhea in the early afternoon with some straining afterward. I'm concerned that his increased meal regimen is giving him some GI upset, and I'll reduce his feedings and talk to my vet if it continues. I did make his formula a little more watery than I intended yesterday, so that's a possible cause.

Karma's behaviour is otherwise within his normal range, but his right eye really isn't showing as much improvement as I'd like. When he's at rest/doesn't think I'm watching he'll keep it really squinted up, though he makes an effort to keep it open and looking around if he sees me. He appears to be shedding around his turrets a bit, and it's quite flakey. Hopefully his eye will look better once he finishes shedding! Still no interest in feeders, but at this point I'm also syringe feeding him quite a lot in an attempt to fatten him up so I'm not at all surprised.

I'll consult with my vet regarding using Emeraid long term (it's been a month now), particularly if I need to supplement it at all. It says "no supplements needed", but it's also a very broad spectrum intensive care diet for carnivores and insectivores ranging from geckos to birds of prey. That leaves a lot of potential for deficiencies when using it long term. Diets like this shouldn't be used for more than a week without veterinary guidance for a reason!

I'll also mention vitamin A to my vet. I know it's a more common cause of eye issues in panthers, but I dont want to overlook anything. I doubt a small course of preventative dosing would harm matters, in any case!

I'm going to try and get some sleep before I research my way into the wee hours, haha!

~Amanda
 
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