Peil Wiggler
[Lizard Stuff/Pet Health] [lays down]
Peil Wiggler
I took Shifty out to examine her for the first time in a little while yesterday and
Peil Wiggler
she has some kind of weird. Crusty. Discolored scale situation going on on her chin/throat?
Peil Wiggler
I thought it might be dried on dog food but it wouldnt' scrub off
Peil Wiggler
She's about to shed so I'm not gonna. panic until she gets a layer off bc it may just disappear at that point
Peil Wiggler
but
Peil Wiggler
if she has some kind of scale rot or fungal infection I'm going to have a meltdown
Peil Wiggler
bc it'll be 100% my fault lmao
🐅 its harry
oh geez 8( i hope shes ok, for both your sakes
Peil Wiggler
yeah ;_;
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
oof. yeah wait until shed
Peil Wiggler
yeah.
Peil Wiggler
it'll probably be a few days
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
ganbatte ;w;
Peil Wiggler
IDEK how you treat something like that but i'm forcing myself to not look it up until I actually have certain reason to be concerned bc I'll probably just panic myself if I do lmfao
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
if it's still there after shed, a vet visit is in order, where a skin scraping will be done
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
but cross that bridge when you come to it
Peil Wiggler
Why did i get a merauke there's so much less documentation about keeping indonesian species vs. the australian ones
Peil Wiggler
orz
Peil Wiggler
yeah... urgghghh
Peil Wiggler
I'm
Peil Wiggler
just now realizing IDK if her primary vet is still at the practice anymore, he was planning on leaving to go work for the NE Aquarium
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
DANG
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
JEALOUS...
Peil Wiggler
YEAH
Peil Wiggler
I'M. REALLY GLAD FOR HIM LIKE HE'S A COOL GUY AND A REALLY TALENTED KNOWLEDGABLE HERP VET but also I'm like
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
mumbles I wanna leave private practice and work at an AZA....
Peil Wiggler
:') please don't leave you're the only guy in the area I've gone to who I actually trust
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
jkdksl
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
well maybe you can get in contact with him and tell him that
Peil Wiggler
lmao Fishbone you weren't on my Plurk at the time this happened but I have had some. RRRREALLY NOT GOOD EXPERIENCES with exotics vets in my area
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
even though he's not practicing at that place anymore, if you're a good client he may agree to see you anyway!!
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
HAHAH I BET.
Peil Wiggler
that's true!
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
I BET
Peil Wiggler
Earlier this year I almost put my bearded dragon to sleep because the local emergency vet misdiagnosed him with a calcified growth in his gut :')
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
i mean I currently work at a cat only practice but my HEART LIES IN EXOTICS and I
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
know
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
things
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
about
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
other vets
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
oh my god
Peil Wiggler
I showed the x-rays to my regular vet later and he was like "that is almost definitely just calcium powder from his food in there."
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
oh my god what
Peil Wiggler
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Peil Wiggler
It
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
did he ever bother to ask GEE DOES YOUR DRAGON EAT CALCIUM SAND/SUPPLEMENTS
Peil Wiggler
RIGHT LIKE
Peil Wiggler
OK no here's the thing
Peil Wiggler
this all happened bc
Peil Wiggler
I took him to the local e-vet bc I thought he was impacted? bc he hadn't pooped in a while
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
and even then my first htought would not be "mass" it would be "dumbass dragon eating things it shouldn't because GOD KEEP THINGS OUT OF YOUR MOUTH"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
and YEAH IMPACTED lmap
Peil Wiggler
Boston has a HUUUUGE emergency animal hospital that also does exotics
Peil Wiggler
but
Peil Wiggler
the problem is they don't
Peil Wiggler
obviously
Peil Wiggler
always have exotics vets on staff all the time that actually specialize in what you need?
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
and most vets get almost NO exotic training in school
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
all of my exotics stuff was elective
Peil Wiggler
the woman I wound up seeing on an emergency basis wasn't even an exotics vet she was just like. a regular dog/cat vet who had an interest in small animals
Peil Wiggler
YEAH
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
and if you don't know that reps eat calcium supplements and also beardies are renowned for their eating habits
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
you MIGHT BE LIKE 'ah yes a tumor'
Peil Wiggler
anyway they took some x-rays and mind you I brought Doggo in bc I thought he was just constipated
Peil Wiggler
and then they were like
Peil Wiggler
"yeah we're p. sure he has cancer"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
cries
Peil Wiggler
"and that's why he's not pooping"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
hes not pooping because he needs an enema because he's a bearded dragon
Peil Wiggler
LMFAO YE P PPPP
Peil Wiggler
BUT LIKE
Peil Wiggler
I'M NOT A VET SO
Peil Wiggler
OBVIOUSLY THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN ME RIGHT?
Peil Wiggler
SO I TOOK IT FOR GRANTED THAT THEY WERE RIGHT
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
WITH EXOTICS, NOPE
Peil Wiggler
So eventually after asking a lot of questions it basically came down to
Peil Wiggler
If he doesn't poop soon he could go septic and suffer a lot so you should take him home for a bit and if he still doesn't go we recommend putting him to sleep
Peil Wiggler
so obviously I was fffffucking devastated about this?
Peil Wiggler
Spoilers, he didn't poop
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
like I ama huge proponent of trusting your vet, knowing they have expertise, etc. But it's also within your right as a client to get a second opinion
Peil Wiggler
yeah, which I should've done and like. that was one of my big lessons coming out of this, lmfao
Peil Wiggler
anyway so I brought him in the next day to have him put down and I was a miserable emotional mess.
Peil Wiggler
I tell the girl at the desk "can I just speak to a vet again before we do this i just want to make doubly sure I'm doing the right thing" and she's like yeah OK, and puts us in a room
Peil Wiggler
so I'm in there bawling and waiting for someone to come in and eventually a tech or something comes in and is like "OK we're confused because you said you wanted euthanasia but you also want to talk to a vet? If you want to talk to a vet you need to go back out to the lobby and wait for an emergency appointment"
Peil Wiggler
and I'm like freaking out bc I don't know what to do, I'm pre-emptively grieving and like, crying and trying to make a decision
Peil Wiggler
while this is happening
Peil Wiggler
Dog
Peil Wiggler
is getting squirmy
Peil Wiggler
and he
Peil Wiggler
climbs off my shoulder
Peil Wiggler
onto the examanation table
Peil Wiggler
and just
Peil Wiggler
takes
Peil Wiggler
a HUGE SHIT.
Peil Wiggler
ALL OVER THE TABLE.
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
A HUGE STINKY DEUCE
Peil Wiggler
LIKE LITERALLY RIGHT AS I'M ABOUT TO HAND HIM OVER TO BE PUT DOWN
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
LMAO
Peil Wiggler
I started straight up like hysterical crying I feel bad for the poor tech in retrospect bc I was like, screaming like
Peil Wiggler
NOW YOU GO??? NOW YOU GO TO THE BATHROOM???
Peil Wiggler
I probably seemed totally insane.
Peil Wiggler
Anyway. So Dog is still alive and I took him to see his regular vet after the fact and that's when I found out that the emergency vet fucking misdiagnosed him and also misread the x-rays like fuck woah
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
good lord
Peil Wiggler
:|
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
But seriously you lay a CANCER DIAGNOSIS down on the basis of ONE radiograph of an animal you arent even familiar with
Peil Wiggler
Like, they said he had fluid or something in his abdomen and his regular vet was like "Yeah I guess you could read it that way if you didn't know anything about reptiles and you were reading this lizards x-rays like you would a mammal"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
Do a chem at least! LOOK AT A BOOK
Peil Wiggler
YEAH.
Peil Wiggler
So.
Peil Wiggler
That's when I learned to always get a second opinion when it comes to my lizards :')
Peil Wiggler
It was extremely traumatizing at the time but I can laugh about it now thankfully LMAO
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
pulls on my entire face until it comes off
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
I am
Peil Wiggler
and I'm also not going to take my lizards back to that hospital unless it's a literal life or death emergency pfffffft
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
On behalf of the entire veterinary community
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
so sorry
Peil Wiggler
LDSKfMKMLklmsd
Peil Wiggler
IT'S. OKAY.
Peil Wiggler
IT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND MY BEARDED DRAGON IS STILL ALIVE SO.
Peil Wiggler
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, I GUESS
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
IM GLAD
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
STILL GETTING CONSTIPATED ON THE REGULAR IM SURE
Peil Wiggler
YEAH
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
lord. Beardies
Peil Wiggler
He basically doesn't poop unless I soak him
Peil Wiggler
he's. a poop criminal
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
how do they survive in the wild
Peil Wiggler
good goddamn question
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
"YUM. SAND!"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
I look at so many animals still alive today and ask myself "how are you not extinct"
Peil Wiggler
I have him housed on slate tile so sand is fortunately not an issue for him but he still manages to get constipated sometimes even eating the correct diet of greens and stuff
Peil Wiggler
I wonder this about my skink all the time
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
wtf even lizard
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
That is impressive
Peil Wiggler
"you're a tube with tiny legs and your only defense mechanism is to open your mouth and flash your tongue at predators in the hopes that the blue color startles them long enough for you to get away"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
I want herps some day when I don't live at home
Peil Wiggler
"How are you alive and successful"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
Puts those bitches on reptocarpet
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
PUTS THAT SHIT IN THE DISHWASHER
Peil Wiggler
I wish I could keep shifty on a non loose substrate but she burrows?
Peil Wiggler
so like
Peil Wiggler
idek
Peil Wiggler
you wanna talk about lizards eating DUMB STUFF
Peil Wiggler
I had her on cypress mulch for a while and she was eating it and pooping out huge chunks of wood.
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
Yeah that's the problem
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
"I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO HAVE NATURAL BEHAVIORS. BUT ALSO NOT DO DUMB THINGS"
Peil Wiggler
YUP
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
cries
Peil Wiggler
Dog is p. chill with not burrowing like its' not. AS big of a thing for beardies as it is for skinks and he mostly just sleeps all the time anyway
Peil Wiggler
but Shifty is like
Peil Wiggler
"I must be underground at all times because I am a spiteful sausage with legs and I don't want anyone looking at me ever"
Peil Wiggler
(I say that but she's actually on my lap rn and being very good)
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
"Wow what a great pet you are."
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
Lmf my friend has an enormous tiger salamander she keeps in potting soil basically
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
And I have seen him maybe twice
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
I want
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
A sand boa
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
that is my dream
Peil Wiggler
omg
Peil Wiggler
like the kind with the weird eyes?
Peil Wiggler
I love those
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
YES
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
they're like a noodle and a muppet had a child
Peil Wiggler
YES. GOD
Peil Wiggler
good. Good shit.
Peil Wiggler
I was looking for something else and found this pic of Dog being handsome
I was looking for something else and found this pic of Dog being handsome
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
Look at him. Look at that bestest boy
Peil Wiggler
He's a very good son. The best secondhand lizard.
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
rubs my face all over him
Peil Wiggler
He might actually be she, I'm still not sure about that
Peil Wiggler
one of the possible explanations for the swelling/calcium on the x-rays was eggs??? LMAO
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
WHO KNOWS
Peil Wiggler
but I made a dig box and he never laid any
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
not me not without a blunt probe
Peil Wiggler
YEAH
Peil Wiggler
god
Peil Wiggler
I will never know wtf shifty is bc Skinks are even more impossible
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
stupid animals with no stupid sexual dimorphism!!!
Peil Wiggler
YEAH. GOD.
Peil Wiggler
Fortunately they don't give a shit about their pronouns presumably so.
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
Pronouns are not something they can eat so they don't care
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
I do miss my exotics rotations god
Peil Wiggler
do more exotics the world needs more knowledgable herp vets
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
Picking up all the animals and RUBBING MY FACE ON THEM is my favorite activity
Peil Wiggler
LMFAO
Peil Wiggler
I DO THAT WITH DOG ALL THE TIME
Peil Wiggler
Shifty won't tolerate it but Dog just sits there
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
"YOU ARE SOFT" "Doctor..." "shhhh"
𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬💀𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔶
why go through four+ years of hell if you can't rub your face against animals I ASK YOU
🐅 its harry
LMFAO
🐅 its harry
rubbing your face against animals is lifes true purpose honestly
Peil Wiggler
zombine
i love bearded dragons
🐅 its harry
THE ENTHUSIASTIC NODDING
🐅 its harry
YES. YES, FUCKING
Peil Wiggler
I got into a head bobbing match with a baby beardie at petco the other week
🐅 its harry
omg
🐅 its harry
i love reptiles!!!
Peil Wiggler
me too ;;
Peil Wiggler
I like how this plurk started out as me panicking and turned into just
Peil Wiggler
lizards r great
🐅 its harry
sfgjdfgh
🐅 its harry
i mean
🐅 its harry
they are.
Ptriciadactyl
lizards are great.
Ptriciadactyl
I hope Shifty's okay, because both of your lizards are excellent.
Peil Wiggler
thank you ;;
Ptriciadactyl
(Crestie Club patch is too big for anything fabric I own, btw, but it's up on my wall now)
🐅 its harry
omg good
Peil Wiggler
LOL
Peil Wiggler
Yeah I have .... the beardie brigade and skink society ones now and I have no idea wtf to put them on