Latest on Zoe...UGH!...the bugger! (it's a long one!)

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Posted by icequeen on April 14, 2003 at 00:12:55:

Well...I thought I lost him last night!!! He has not eaten OR drank on his own in WEEKS. I hadn't force feed him in about 4 days hoping his hunger would encourage him to hunt on his own...but it didn't. He dropped the weight he had put on very quickly and is as skinny, if not skinnier than he was when he was sickest. I couldn't stand to see him like that again, so I took him out of his enclosure, and got some water into him, and a couple crix...he went PALE!! More pale than I have ever seen him...he closed his eyes, and just laid down. He even let me lay him over on his side!!!! I was convinced he had died right there in my hands. I was talking on the phone while this was happening and was practically hysterical..crying...and doing the "oh my god, oh my god" thing. I picked him up and held him against me, near my face, trying to hear if he was breathing or not....couldn't hear a thing. I'm not sure what it was that made him perk up, but while I was holding him against my cheek, and ear he started to wiggle around and his colour deepened again. I kept him with me for a few more minutes, making sure his breathing was regular and that he seemed to have some strength to his grip...then I put him back in his enclosure...he climbed right up onto his sleeping branch, and seemed to be fine again!
I swear to God, this lizard is going to give me a heart attack!!! He seems to have more lives than a damn cat! I don't know what that was all about last night, but I hope I never experience it again!
Today when I got up...he was already awake (I was the one that slept in today) and seemed in pretty good spirits.
I took him outside for about 1.5 hours today, and he seemed to REALLY enjoy it. He walked through my "garden" (pretty much dead plants and leaves) he climbed up on some dry stalks and basked there for the longest time...the sun was shining right on him and I think he was getting the heat from the bricks on the other side.
When I took him back inside...I noticed he was eyeing the meal worms in the bowl in his enclosure, but he never makes an attempt to shoot for them.
I've called around looking for silkies, or wax worms and no one seem to have them.
I even looked for ground peas to I could turn his food green like you guys suggested...couldn't find any. So...I bought some dried peas, and I will puree them into pea powder...hopefully I can get it fine enough! The dried peas won't be bad for Zoe?? Should I just go with the food colouring?
Should I just keep force feeding him, and just assume that's the way it's gonna be from now on?
Do you think I'm just forcing him to live...maybe prolonging something that I shouldn't?

I just don't know what to do with him! I just want him to be happy and healthy!

Thanks for "listening" everyone...as always...I appreciate it!

Follow Ups:

Re: Latest on Zoe...UGH!...the bugger! (it's a long one!) anson 04/15/03 (0)
Re: Latest on Zoe...UGH!...the bugger! (it's a long one!) chimbakka 04/14/03 (0)
Re: Latest on Zoe...UGH!...the bugger! (it's a long one!) Paws_Ont 04/14/03 (3)
- T-Rex bulb be careful tanyacska 04/14/03 (2)
  - Re: T-Rex bulb be careful Paws_Ont 04/14/03 (1)
    - Re: T-Rex bulb be careful tanyacska 04/14/03 (0)
Re: Latest on Zoe...UGH!...the bugger! (it's a long one!) Chameleon996 04/14/03 (2)
- ditto tanyacska 04/14/03 (0)
- Thank you! That was very nice of you to say! (n/p) icequeen 04/14/03 (0)