Lynx and Paint
[Alphys] Having a real bad time now because I honestly don't know what to do
Lynx and Paint
talked to the vet and he said that it's ultimately my decision if I want her to have surgery now or just wait and see and that somehow makes it worse
Lynx and Paint
I feel like I'll be ultimately responsible either way and I don't know what's the best choice to make and it's kind of making me miserable
Lynx and Paint
like the vet suggested that it would probably be best to do surgery now while she's in pretty good health otherwise, but I'm still scared of her not getting out of the anesthesia or anything like that
Lynx and Paint
like...what should I do??
Un(t)sundered
If it helps, I'd imagine that the vets are pretty good at knowing how to deal with anesthetizing animals!
Un(t)sundered
Like... I've had cats basically all my life and only one came out of anesthesia weird
Un(t)sundered
So like, even with lizards being very different I'd say do it now, when there are fewer potential complications?
Lynx and Paint
I guess that logically...yeah since she's not laying eggs on her own, it would be best to do this now when her health's pretty good
Lynx and Paint
just emotionally I'm wrecking myself about it
Lynx and Paint
but was talking to mom, and like...I don't know if dragging it out is going to help any, or if I'll just be on edge and continuing to make myself miserable worrying about if she'll suddenly get worse due to a sudden problem with the eggs or not
Lynx and Paint
it seems like there's some degree of risk either way but I don't know what exactly those degrees are and I hate it 
Un(t)sundered
I know some other people with lizards on plurk, but I have no experience myself
Lynx and Paint
yeah, feels like most of the people I know have no experience
Un(t)sundered
If you give me a bit I can ping the lizard folks I know when bitty naps
Lynx and Paint
that could be good <2
Lynx and Paint
<3
Xenonucleic
Best to do it now
kawaiigami
I have no experience with lizards, sadly, but I do know that any body deals with stressors like surgery and anesthesia better when it’s in good health aside from the issue needing the surgery. So I’ll add my agreement to the vet’s and Sceadu’s that sooner is better than later.
Xenonucleic
It's risky no matter what, but less risk doing it sooner when things haven't possibly gotten worse
Cmdr.Crackers
hi I'm one of those lizard people atarka pinged. I have a bearded dragon. not sure what yours is. but very recently my girl had eggs that she would not lay and I was faced with a similar possibility of needing to spay her
Cmdr.Crackers
ultimately my girl reabsorbed hers as they were her first clutch and recovered without the surgery but if she hadn't, I would have elected to do it.
Cmdr.Crackers
I think your vet is right that you will have the best chance of a favorable outcome if you do it while she is in good health. especially because lizards mask their illnesses a lot (kind of like cats)
Cmdr.Crackers
it's possible for her to go downhill quickly without you being able to tell immediately
Cmdr.Crackers
you can pm me if you want to know more
Lynx and Paint
yes, she's a bearded dragon, and it's my first time ever with a reptile, so I have been learning a lot on the fly
Cmdr.Crackers
I'm very experienced with them. this is my third one. my second had critical health issues I helped him through for a long time
Lynx and Paint
and yeah, I'm not sure if she's reabsorbing the eggs now (last time they did an x-ray at the start of the month it looked like they were still there) but I am worried about her suddenly going downhill without being able to tell
Lynx and Paint
what were the critical health issues you had with the second one?
Cmdr.Crackers
in the course of making our decision we got three x-rays, each showing the eggs progressively going away. you might want to have another x-ray done to gauge what's going on
Cmdr.Crackers
my 2nd had a heart murmur and had to be on heart medication. lived for 5 years despite the birth defect
Cmdr.Crackers
does she have access to a lay box?
Lynx and Paint
I tried her with a lay box in multiple ways: a bigger one outside of her main tank, and then a smaller one inside her main tank that she could access whenever, and she had no interest in digging in it
Lynx and Paint
and then the last thing we tried was to give her hormone injections to force her to have contractions. Tried that and got her in the lay box again, and still nothing
Lynx and Paint
which is why the vet was suggesting spaying at the next step
Lynx and Paint
*as the
Cmdr.Crackers
I might be missing some of your reply, sorry. but yes if a dragon is healthy, she will lay clutches often. so it will be a continuing challenge for you
Lynx and Paint
ugh yeah, that's going to be really hard if it keeps coming up again and again
Cmdr.Crackers
yeah. I may yet have to have it done for mine if her next clutch goes poorly.
Lynx and Paint
thank you guys so much for responding; it sounds like following the vet's advice and doing it now is the best thing logically
Cmdr.Crackers
it might be the most humane thing
Lynx and Paint
just my emotional brain is really hitting me hard in the face with a baseball bat
Cmdr.Crackers
glad to help
Lynx and Paint
but yeah, the vet suggested I talk to friends and family first before getting back with him, so I really appreciate it 