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Posted by jmorris on March 01, 2003 at 19:33:00:
I expected to see a healthy animal when I went to pick up the C. tropidosternum today, but what I found was anything but that. It has had some sort of chronic eye infection (possibly a form of conjunctivitis), and both eyes seem to be crusted with a kind of plaque. It is also extremely dehydrated, and has never had access to proper lighting. The good news is, the fecal I had done came back normal, so despite the obvious neglect he has faced, the stress has not caused parasites to build up.
My vet and I are following standard protocol for the health issues present. For the eyes, I am warm compressing twice a day, followed by a Lactated ringer's flushing, and a dap of antibiotic ointment. As for the dehydration, I am delivering 1/2 cc of lactated ringers daily, and following up with soaking and misting. I will be starting to give some Jump-Start, Calcionate syrup, and BeniBac next week, and I will soon be offering freshly molted meal worms, small roaches, and waxworms. Our goal is to get fluid back into the body before any food, therefore hopefully preventing liver/kidney problems associated with recovering dehydration patients. I am exposing the animal to UV by placement in a screen cage outside, with heat from a lamp keeping him warm in the cool spring air.
I currently have paper towel rolls as hide areas, a single rounded rock for a basking area, and a sterilized 5 gallon for his sleeping quarters (he is in the mesh cage outdoors all day). I will be setting up a Zoo-Med 5.0 light and a heat lamp in a 20 gallon enclosure within the next few days, as come Monday I'll be in classes on and off all day, and he'll have to stay inside. I'm keeping the basking temps around 90, and the ambient temps around 75, with no significant night drop until his health starts to return (fingers crossed).
Any advice would help,
Jared
