FFSTRescue
New Member
I can't decide if I should euthanize my Meller's cham who is dying of pancreatic and kidney failure, or let her live out her life comfortable and peacefully. She is not showing stress coloration, and accepts the food and fluids I give her orally. I have her on a pillow, in a very quiet room, by the window, by her favorite tree, and she looks out the window which overlooks the woods. Her ideal temperature right now is 75 degrees which is what I keep her at. I carry her pillow outside daily to be in the sun at different times of the day, and she will move in and out of the shade as needed. I spy on her so she cannot see me watching, but she will lay on her pillow, looking around, watching the insects fly around her, and like I said, she shows completely normal coloration and shows no signs of stress. Her body is failing, there is nothing more I can do, and it is as though she has accepted it. She is very week, and I thought she would have died sooner, but she is still holding on, and every morning I expect to find her dead, but she won't let go. I have awoken every morning for a week expecting to find her dead, but she isn't. She isn't even losing weight due to the management of the condition. But death is inevitable.
I obtained her from someone who recently bought her online, and after learning how difficult this species is to maintain without the correct set-up, she came to live with me in a room size cage, as well as a huge outdoor enclosure. I am a vet tech that works at a clinic that sees reptiles, so I often am given ill reptiles to care for. The person had her for 2 weeks, then I had her for about a week before she started going downhill. She started showing signs of dehydration despite sufficient and even excessive hydration, and her food was passing through whole. Literally, wax worms came out looking the exact way they went in, hence the pancreatic failure. As most of you know, this species stresses easily, so minimal poking and prodding is best. When she would become dehydrated, I would give her SubQ fluids, and it would perk her back up, but then a few days later she would become dehydrated again, as she is not able to utilize much of the water she is ingesting, so needless to say, she is given syringes full of water and pedialyte daily. Constantly giving fluids SQ is stressful, and I think it is inhumane to keep doing it, so I won't. Blood profile indicated pancreatic, liver, and renal insufficiency/failure, so obviously nothing more can be done. She has had her diet modified, receives supplements for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, etc. And she is on morphine given the fact that I wan't her to be comfortable during her last days, which seems to be working well and she apparently seems to like ;-).
The problem is, I don't know how long these last days will be. This is not a cut and dry, black and white decision. My vet I work for even says it is up to me, and I could go either way. I just want people's opinions, experiences from the past, if they had a similar situation and wished they did or didn't euthanize. I am not asking for help and I really don't want any unnecessary criticism or unnecessary questions, as it is pointless and I am already watching a beautiful life drift away. I just really want to know if anyone has an opinion on the matter that could put me at ease.
Thank you for those who reply, your kindness and time is greatly appreciated.
This is the plight of many wild caught reptiles and it breaks my heart.
I obtained her from someone who recently bought her online, and after learning how difficult this species is to maintain without the correct set-up, she came to live with me in a room size cage, as well as a huge outdoor enclosure. I am a vet tech that works at a clinic that sees reptiles, so I often am given ill reptiles to care for. The person had her for 2 weeks, then I had her for about a week before she started going downhill. She started showing signs of dehydration despite sufficient and even excessive hydration, and her food was passing through whole. Literally, wax worms came out looking the exact way they went in, hence the pancreatic failure. As most of you know, this species stresses easily, so minimal poking and prodding is best. When she would become dehydrated, I would give her SubQ fluids, and it would perk her back up, but then a few days later she would become dehydrated again, as she is not able to utilize much of the water she is ingesting, so needless to say, she is given syringes full of water and pedialyte daily. Constantly giving fluids SQ is stressful, and I think it is inhumane to keep doing it, so I won't. Blood profile indicated pancreatic, liver, and renal insufficiency/failure, so obviously nothing more can be done. She has had her diet modified, receives supplements for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, etc. And she is on morphine given the fact that I wan't her to be comfortable during her last days, which seems to be working well and she apparently seems to like ;-).
The problem is, I don't know how long these last days will be. This is not a cut and dry, black and white decision. My vet I work for even says it is up to me, and I could go either way. I just want people's opinions, experiences from the past, if they had a similar situation and wished they did or didn't euthanize. I am not asking for help and I really don't want any unnecessary criticism or unnecessary questions, as it is pointless and I am already watching a beautiful life drift away. I just really want to know if anyone has an opinion on the matter that could put me at ease.
Thank you for those who reply, your kindness and time is greatly appreciated.
This is the plight of many wild caught reptiles and it breaks my heart.
