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Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
[Note: Buggsie is a rescue and has been with us for a little over a week. I'm waiting till now to post about him because I was afraid he was to far gone. Even now, with him showing improvement, I worry that he's been to far gone for to long and may suffer organ failure. I've started a diary for him on the SSS FaceBook page and will post updates there first. You can read it here. I'm posting in the picture section because it is going to be a picture heavy thread, but I hope that someone may learn from this shared experience - even if that someone is me.]
Even I don't know when Buggsie's story begins - those that passed him onto me didn't get all the information on him when they received him - so I'm in the dark on all of the details. However, I do know he found his way to a big box pet store that shall remain nameless within this thread and I'm sure we can all extrapolate how that went. There is a reason, after all, that so many of us are against buying animals from them. Buggsie's treatment at this store was no different. Based off of the timeline I was given when he came to us, Buggsie could be a Sept hatchling or older. I say 'he', but the truth is we haven't popped or probed him as he is distressingly skinny and we haven't wanted to risk the stress it could cause, or the danger because of his condition. Upon arrival, his initial weight was 76 grams. His spine was prominent, as well as other obvious signs of undernourishment.
Sold to a large pet store, most likely as part of a bulk lot, Buggsie didn't fit into the store's plan. Animals are expected to follow the corporate guidelines, eating what they are told to, and living in what is available regardless of the individual animal's husbandry requirements or needs. Buggsie didn't eat for them. A month went by, and he still would not eat. At this point, the pet store gave up. They offered him for adoption with the expectation that he would die.
Some friends of mine run a rescue from their home, and Buggsie went to live with them in November. However, as well meaning as my friends were, they also couldn't get Buggsie to eat. He stayed in the corner of his terrarium, jammed into it as far as he could go and when a a tiny rat was offered, he shied away. As he continued to refuse to eat, Buggsie grew skinnier and skinnier.
[December] Here is where SSS enters the story. While visiting, I saw this tiny little snake and was distressed by how underweight he appeared. I asked about him and we discussed ways to get him to eat. I thought he felt intimidated by the open space of his terrarium. Compared to his size, it must have appeared to be a massive, dangerous place to him. She listened to what i had to say, and a few days later I showed up with a 6qt Sterilite tub, a small UTH, a hide, and a thermostat.
It was the basic kit each beginner should get instead of the massive glass tanks that a pet store will tell you you need, and I set it up in her closet with instructions to let Buggsie get comfortable for a few days before trying to feed him. I was concerned he would even make it long enough to get a meal in his new home. A few days later, Buggsie ate two mouse pinks. A couple days after that, he repeated his feeding and we were both ecstatic.
[January]This was short lived, however, as once again he started refusing meals and absolutely wouldn't touch anything bigger than the mouse pinks. In retrospect, he probably didn't have the strength to eat anything bigger at the time. It was quite disheartening, though, to have him refuse after having eaten so little and my taking over care of Buggsie was discussed.
This is when we discovered he also had mites. As they say, for every mite you see, there are fifty that you don't so even though we only saw a few we knew on top of everything else, he would need mite treatments. This was a bit of a set back, and I was hesitant to bring mites home where they could potentially find their way to our own healthy snakes, but I was concerned for Buggsie's very life if he didn't start eating soon. His journey to SSS
was postponed until he could get at least his first mite treatment to kick start being rid of them.
I was honestly pretty down about the delay as Buggsie seemed very weak to me. When picked up, he would barely move and any part of him that wasn't being supported would drape as though he didn't have the strength to carry it.
At that point, he might not have had the will to survive the stress from changes in his environment. We waited for Buggsie's mite treatment to be delivered to the rescue, as they didn't have any on hand. Safe in his shoe-box, he ate two more mouse pinks. We waited some more. He ate another two, slightly larger, pinks. The delivery finally arrived! Buggsie received his first treatment, and then came home with me.
Here is where Day 1 begins of Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery.
"Day 1 - Arrival. He wants nothing to do with anything. A quick weigh revealed him to be 76 grams! Pictures were taken to document his condition. I had hope for him and thought his could be an educational story.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...25068748_o.jpg
"Day 1 - Belly Documentation." The little guy had no energy. When I moved to uncurl him, it was no more difficult than unrolling a sock. Snakes are sometimes referred to as 'noodles', and Buggsie would've been an overcooked noodle for all the resistance he offered.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...01739095_o.jpg
"Day 1 - After putting him back down after the belly shot, he just sat there."
This was heartbreaking. Here was a living thing that had all but given up. I was determined to give him a fighting chance.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...37428682_o.jpg
"Day 1 - Spine documentation." He was so pointy! And when you sat him down on his belly, it was even worse - there was no meat on him to speak of. You saw nothing but spine! I would carefully pick him up, very conscious that I could feel his tiny little ribs under my fingers. That was a new experience for me, as our ball pythons are all of a healthy weight.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...81931485_o.jpg
"Day 1 - Front shot. Hang in there, buddy!"
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...52947573_o.jpg
"Day 1 - When I picked him up to give him a mite treatment before putting him in his new home, Buggsie just draped over my hand." It was really strange. I'd never had a snake that did that before! I was much more used to feeling them tighten around my arm or wrist and look about or start wriggling.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...89324581_o.jpg
"Day 1 - This poor guy, I was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold his head up enough to drink out of the water bowl!" I felt like this was a real concern and worried that he would drown in his water bowl for the rest of the day.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...30248003_o.jpg
"Day 1 - he looked a little more lively and flicked his tongue out after sitting in my hand for a few minutes before his mite treatment. With nothing more I can do for him, I reach out to a Paint morph breeder. The original rescuer thought Buggsie was a Paint, but the breeder confirms my thoughts - he is a normal." This didn't mater in the least bit to me. Buggsie needed help, and he was going to get it no matter what he was. He was placed in quarantine, on a shelf all by himself far away from our snake rack [Note: As far as we can get him!], and when I placed him in his small tub, he moved at a glacial pace into his hide.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...43509972_o.jpg
The next day was rat day for the rest of our snakes. We weren't hopeful, but brought Buggsie a rat pink just in case. To our surprise - and delight - he ate the pink! This was something he hadn't done before, instead leaving the rats in his tub in favor of mouse pinks.
"Day 2 - We weren't to sure he would eat for us because he'd only had roughly 36 hours in his new home, but we put a rat pink in with him and left him alone. A few minutes later, we heard the pinky squealing, and [later] lifting off his hide revealed a small lump in Buggsie's sides."
"Day 2 - If you look closely, you can see a dead mite on the paper towel. The treatments are working!" I felt wonderful! Not only had little Buggsie eaten his rat, but the mite treatments were working! We gave him a few days to digest, and then treated him again, as per directions.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...49463326_o.jpg
"Day 5 - The day after a mite treatment, Buggsie eyes us warily." He still looks super skinny, but seemed a little bit more lively. Instead of the slow crawl back into his hide, he's got a new quickness to his movements.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...84681343_o.jpg
"Day 5 - He moves a little more, tucking his head in to avoid us."
"Day 5 - We quickly weigh him, because we don't want him to expend to much energy unnecessarily. He's up to 94 grams! I was shocked at how much weight he had gained from one little rat pink! I'm sure he was putting the nutrients to good use, especially since he gained more weight than he ate!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...83995719_o.jpg
"Day 5 - He sits so still, it's easy to line up close up shots."
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...19557283_o.jpg
"Day 5 - Hours later, we offer him another rat pink. I was impatient and wanted to see if he would eat it quickly, so I removed his hide to watch. Less than 2 minutes later, he wrapped it up!" I was so happy to see this! I really couldn't wait to see if he would eat for us again, and the little kid in me won out. After dropping the pink in and not seeing any movement from the hide, I picked it up to find Buggsie flicking his tongue. He started looking around and as soon as he realized where the rat pink was, he did his best to coil around it.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...82853393_o.jpg
"Day 5 - His scales look so small - I realize he's put any energy he's had toward staying alive and has had no extra for scales. With the influx of food, I'm sure he'll shed soon." I had noticed it before, but seeing him wrapped around the rat pink made it really obvious - his scales were super small and there were lots of gaps between them. Growing new ones had fallen down the line on the list of priorities when you're busy trying to keep your vital organs working. There are also a few damaged scales along his neck and back that look as though they've scraped off on something, but the skin underneath looks undamaged. While I'm curious about how that happened, I will likely never know.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...56351728_o.jpg
"Day 5 - Buggsie wraps his rat pink with more of his body in an attempt to kill it. He did get it, after a few minutes of squealing. Having not eaten for so long has definitely affected his strength. Even with the influx of new energy from the first rat pink, Buggsie has to double wrap his meal before he can put enough pressure on it.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...49345864_o.jpg
"Day 8 - As I suspected, Buggsie has gone blue! I'm actually quite concerned by the timing because I had hoped he would get another meal or two before going into shed and possibly missing meals. He is able to ball pretty tightly while poking his little nose out."
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...81305260_o.jpg
It only took a few meals for Buggsie to go blue, and I both look forward to it and dread it. I'm afraid that he hasn't recovered enough strength that if he doesn't eat while in blue, the shed itself will exhaust him to much. I've added a damp paper towel to his tub to raise the humidity. Who knows when the last time he shed was and what kind of conditions he's been in since?
"Day 8 - Buggsie is able to tightly grip my thumb and resists my efforts to uncurl him to look at his belly. I'm unwilling to force him due to his condition." Maybe I'm underestimating him? Although I wouldn't force him, he did put quite a bit of strength into not letting me see his belly.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...34398312_o.jpg
"Day 8 - While gripping my hand, he no longer drapes or dangles, but keeps his body close. A quick weigh shows his continued weight gain after only two rat pinks and he is now at 102 grams. In the past week, he's urinated twice, but I don't expect a defecation anytime soon. This was pretty unexpected. I didn't think he'd be able to hold himself up after only two meals. We only had him like this for a few seconds for the picture, but it surprised me!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...43572470_o.jpg
"Day 8 - After providing a mite treatment, a few more pictures are taken of Buggsie while his tub is also cleaned and treated. He sits still, but doesn't seem to have the same resigned attitude. While waiting for his tub to be ready, Buggsie seemed much more interested in what was going on around him. Even though he didn't move or try to slither away as our other balls would, he flicked his tongue frequently which is something he hadn't done the first few days.
"Day 8 - Last quick snap before placing him back in his tub."
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...20978356_o.jpg
Looking at this last picture, I can imagine what it would look like if he were a nice, healthy, plump hatchling and it makes me sad. He didn't have much of a chance when he arrived at that pet store, and it took him months before he finally felt secure enough to really start to thrive. I pray that we got him in time because he may be just a normal, but I can see he's beautiful.
[Note: Seeing the change in him just over the last week with only two feedings, I really do believe Buggsie will survive this and thrive, even if I am concerned it is to little to late, I believe he has shown a will to live.]
Tomorrow is rat day, and despite being deep in blue I hope he eats. He needs it.
[Note: If anyone experienced with rescues would like to offer advice, tips, or just share experiences they've had with similar situations, please feel free! I would like this to be an educational experience for anyone who wishes to follow Buggsie's story.]
[Note: If this is in the wrong section, Admins please feel free to move it. I will continue to update on Buggsie's progress, both on SSS FB and on here.]
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Glad you stepped in and rescued the little guy. I hope he continues to thrive.
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Wow! Thanks to you for taking care of this little soul. He seems to have gotten so much better after only a week under your care. Hope we'll get more good news for this little guy. :gj:
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Amazing job. I must say, he's adorable
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magalo
Wow! Thanks to you for taking care of this little soul. He seems to have gotten so much better after only a week under your care. Hope we'll get more good news for this little guy. :gj:
Thank you! Part of me is afraid it's a temporary reprieve before he gets worse, and I'm prepared for that. At least, I tell myself I am, but I've gotten attached to the little guy so really I'm not. :P
Quote:
Originally Posted by CantHelpIt
Amazing job. I must say, he's adorable
Thank you. He is, isn't he? Although I secretly hope 'he' is a 'she', we just started calling Buggsie a 'he' before he had a name. He'll have to get a bit more plump before we risk checking!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DellaF
Glad you stepped in and rescued the little guy. I hope he continues to thrive.
So do I! Seeing any animal in that condition is just heartbreaking and I really wish the big chain stores could be held more accountable for how they keep their reptiles.
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Omg! I am literally in tears reading this. So glad this little guy has someone like you to care for him. Fingers crossed that he eats for you during his shed. I hope to hear more good news about him.
Sent from my SGH-T399N using Tapatalk
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In a few years, you'll be able to start a line starting with Buggsie. You know, the Survivor Line. With your care, I'm sure he'll make it.
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"Day 9 - Due to a scheduling conflict, we are unable to meet our rat supplier today. Arrangements have been made for rats tomorrow."
"Day 10 - Buggsie ate! Even though he is deep in blue, we offered him a small rat pink - 13 grams. He was very quick about coiling around it and when checked on later, he had consumed it. I feel quite a bit of relief about this because he will soon have to expend a lot of energy shedding."
I can't begin to express the weight I felt lift when Buggsie wrapped up his little rat. I'd really like to start giving him a little bit larger prey, but at his current weight, 13 grams still falls into the 10-15% and I would be hesitant to put something larger in with him until he gets stronger. Even as small as a 13 gram pinky is, it leaves quite a lump in Buggsie's sides. With the expectation of feeding him yesterday, his mite treatment was scheduled for today. However, I would rather push it off a day so that he can digest undisturbed and not risk a regurge. However tomorrow he will be treated as well as his tub and hide, and we'll take a few photos of him to share. He still hasn't passed a waste, and when he does it will be bagged for vet testing.
I've considered recording a small video of him showing how he's doing if people would be interested in seeing more than just pictures. Let me know and if there is enough interest, I'll make it happen. ;)
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I would be very interested in a vid. Following Buggsie's journey all the way. ;)
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Glad to hear he ate for you in blue! I, too, would love to see a video of buggsie! 😄
Sent from my SGH-T399N using Tapatalk
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Aw, he's just precious! That's so great that you've been able to help him!!! Look forward to more updates on this little cutie.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Updated Pics!
Today was Buggsie's mite treatment, and I must say, he was very lively!
"Day 11 - A little tongue flicking action!" My partner held him because for the first time, Buggsie did not sit still when he was placed on the tray for cleaning! He slithered around, and we were afraid he would fall off!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...a8&oe=57310186
"Day 11 - Slithering between my partner's hands." The slithering didn't stop when he was picked up. Gone was the tightly balled little guy hiding his nose! He was on the move, and a little out of focus! Cell phones make for horrible action shots. :rolleyes:
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...9f&oe=5771807C
"Day 11 - Much more active!" There was no stopping him! Buggsie wanted to show off his new found energy. It was amazing to see the change after such a short time! :oops:
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...5e&oe=57314B2D
"Day 11 - Little guy is on the move, exploring what we'll let him." He was really moving! I'm not even joking that I was in tears over the change we've seen in him. If you look along his back, before the break in the neck stripe, you can see the damaged scales I've mentioned before. I'm really hoping his shed will fix the damage, but if not this one then the next! Or the one after that! We got this!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...23&oe=576EB04A
"Day 11 - Ready for his close up!" Isn't he just adorable?
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...51&oe=5768CD1E
"Day 11 - No more dangling for this guy!" He's holding himself up so well! I keep saying it, but I just cannot get over how much strength he's recovered. Once again I'm impressed by this little guy's will to live!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...2e&oe=573C947F
"Day 11 - Sitting still for a moment. You can still see how grey he is and his skin is a little wrinkly looking. I've re-dampened his paper towel to make sure he's getting enough humidity [for his shed]." I really hope his shed goes well, even though I doubt it. Can 11 days of proper environmental conditions counteract whatever he's had to face in the past few months? I guess we'll find out in the next few days.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...08&oe=573385BD
"Day 11 - Buggsie sat so still for this one, it was like he was posing. Or showing off his new strength!" After getting his mite treatment, Buggsie hung out with me for a minute. He gripped my finger with his tail and kept his head pulled up close as if to say 'Look, ma, no hands!'
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...15945630_o.jpg
"Day 11 - No more sitting still! When I placed him on the tray next to his cleaned and treated tub, he started slithering off!" He was off and running! After all his earlier activity, I expected him to be tuckered out, but no! when I sat him down so I could prep his tub (paper towel, hide, water bowl), he made a break for it!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...ee&oe=573B7C85
"Day 11 - Showing off his balancing skills! Still so skinny." His balance is actually pretty bad. lol I'm sure it's a combination of his tummy being full of the recent rats and lack of muscle from the long starvation. It doesn't seem to be slowing him down, though!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...de&oe=573A4F5F
"Day 11 - Slithering around, just because he can!" Do snakes really need a reason to slither? It's so great to see him moving around just because he can! He's definitely wanting to shed, though. While he was slithering in his tub, I saw him rubbing his nose against the sides, trying to get the shed started. If he gets both eye caps off, I'll be happy! Anything else stuck on will be gravy.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...37&oe=572FDEB7
"Day 11 - Hello, there!" I interrupted his nose rubbing for a quick pic. He was really into it, and just to adorable! His butt is starting to resemble a sausage - a really skinny sausage - so I'm expecting at least a urate soon. I keep thinking he's only had three tiny rats, but my partner reminded me that Buggsie had eaten a few mouse pinks before coming home with us so he may move some waste faster than I thought. Either way, he is so much more lively and I'm so happy with the progress he's showing!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...cd&oe=5768FBB2
We'll take a video of him this week - we're going to try for tomorrow, but I have a doctor's appointment, so we'll see how that goes. Tomorrow is also weigh day for Buggsie. I've been keeping pretty close track of his weight since coming here to make sure he's progressing.
Enjoy your Buggsie update. :)
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
I'm so happy for Buggsie :D he/she is getting so strong. I can't wait to see his cheeks come in when he's gained enough weight back. His head is so thin, but I know in your car those squishy cheeks will come in with time [emoji4]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Awe man! This reminds me of my Houston. I am so proud of Buggsie. Best of luck and continued health little guy.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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:gj: Buggsie is adorable! Glad he is making progress.
Keep growing, little fella :D
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
I love seeing an animal in need rescued and getting the love and care he/she deserves. It warms my heart. Best of luck to Buggsie! You're doing a great job!
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Oh he's so tiny!
Grow, buggsie, grow!
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Day 12 - Buggsie is continuing to grow, he's up to 108 grams!
Not quite the extent of the update I wanted to give, but someone has misplaced the gopro batteries. (That person shall remain nameless.) [It wasn't me!] But the search for batteries continues, and if all else fails we'll record it with a cell phone tomorrow.
But I do have an epic surprise for tomorrow! So I swear it will be worth the wait. :D
Tomorrow is also Buggsie's extra feeding day, so maybe we'll get that on camera, too. Everyone one else (snake everyone, not people) would be jealous if they knew he was getting 2 feeding days to their one, but little guy needs it.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
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He looks like he's made such strides since you first got him. I can't wait to see how he grows and develops under your care!!!:gj::gj:
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Buggsie's story is so similar to my Tyrion's.
Tyrion came to us last June from a friend of my daughter's weighing in at a whopping 50 grams. :tears: Our guess is that he was at least 9 months old at the time. She had only had him 3 weeks, so this was the fault of a big box pet store that shall not be named. I am happy to say that he has fully recovered and is a healthy, happy 325 gram wiggly bundle of noodleness. Thank you for rescuing this beautiful sweetie!
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
This was so breathtaking!!! I was reading this and praying it didn't end with a sad note, but you're a SAINT and Buggsie is looking so much better and healthier and happier!!!! Thank freaking goodness for people like you who can do so much to make a difference to a life. Truly, deeply inspired. Thank you so much for saving little Buggsie.
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Nice work! Thanks for documenting this too - he's adorable. :gj:
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Day 13!
I'm behind the camera because I've got a bit of a cough, so my partner is handing the in front of the lens business. It only took us 3 tries to figure out how to do it, so there's been quite a bit of editing. :rolleyes: Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JomF6fSe6-Y
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Go Buggsie!! That song is going to be in my head all day, but I won't even be mad bc it'll make me think of how awesome Buggsie is doing [emoji1] (Also, there are much worse songs to have stuck in your head)
So proud of him!!
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Way to go!!! It is so heartwarming to read a success story like Buggsie's. I've been following this story, and at first I was worried that it wouldn't have a happy ending, but now I truly believe that the little guy will go from strength to strength thanks to your care.
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Day 14 - Buggsie might actually be a girl.
First, I want to thank everyone for their comments and show of support! It really means a lot and I hope that everyone is doing great! It's amazing that after only two weeks, little Buggsie has made such a turn around! It really shows just how resilient these little guys can be - from day 1 when he could barely move, to now when we can't get him to sit still! He's reached a point where I feel I can finally take a deep breath because he is going to make it!
He's come quite a long way, and yet he has a ways to go. It may not be that apparent in the video, but he is still severely underweight. Back in the day 1 photos, you can see he's sort of flopped over on his side. I think this is a combination of lack of muscle and lack of energy - he was just to weak to hold himself up. While his energy has been coming back with a vengeance, when he actually stops moving for a few seconds I've noticed he still has a tendency to end up on his side. Most notably is when I've just lifted his hide off when getting him from his tub. Does anyone have experience with a snake doing this? If yes, was it something that was corrected and how? I thought maybe having him slither through my hands for a time each day as a sort of 'exercise' might help him build muscle tone.
We've also yet to have a fecal elimination from him, though he has moved urates and peed approximately twice a week.
Now, onto something interesting - Buggsie might actually be a girl. We hadn't previously tried to pop 'him', taking the rescue's word that he was a 'he' because he looked more like a string impersonating a snake than an actual snake. Tonight we decided that - while still not a healthy weight - that he had put on enough padding that a gentle hand would be unlikely to harm him. Nothing popped out. :confusd: Now we're not sure if we were a little to gentle, or if he's actually a girl but after three attempts, nothing that I would categorize as a hemipene came out. While I'm not ready to say for sure 'he' is actually a 'she' right now, it would be interesting. We've decided to wait until Buggsie has filled in a bit better and then check again when we're not so apprehensive about his size.
A conversation came up earlier as to when we'll be satisfied enough with Buggsie's recovery to declare his journey complete. Actual numbers aside, I would love to not be able to feel his little ribs. While I don't think he'll be able to catch up to Terrestria or Sharona (who are by our best estimates a month younger than Buggsie) and comparing him to Frank is just setting yourself up for failure (she is a Sept hatch, as we suspect he is based on the time line), I would like for him to achieve the same body shape they have.
If anyone would like to share their opinion on this matter, I would welcome the input.
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
I did notice him flopped over like that in the first day pictures. I don't have any particular thoughts on that or experience to add that you haven't already thought of. But in addition to lacking muscle tone, maybe it's also just that he needs a little more padding on him to fill him out to where his body rests in the normal position?
Anyway, I love following his story and I would love to keep seeing photos of Buggsie even if he gets pleasingly plump! It's so nice to see him making progress!
I did have one comment to add about how quickly he went from being limp and listless to having more energy and behaving a little more like he should. This may sound a little out in left field, but I think maybe it isn't too far off the mark.
I do a lot of long distance cycling events - many of them 24 hours or over, sometimes a lot over. You have some short pit stops, and maybe you take naps, but you mostly keep riding straight through. The biggest thing you have to worry about when you do that is fueling yourself. While you're riding, you basically have to keep averaging a certain number of calories per hour (between 200 and 400, depending on your size, how tolerant your stomach is, the weather, lots of things...); not to mention water and electrolytes (primarily sodium - that's the one that will get you into real trouble the fastest). Getting behind on calories is known as "bonking" and it is not fun. Really, if you get behind on any of that stuff (food, water, sodium), you just feel like something limp scraped off the bottom of a boot. No energy, no will. Everything hurts. You might start crying for no reason without even feeling like you're upset, or you might start snapping at people, or you might just not say anything even when people ask you questions. But basically, you feel like Buggsie looked in that first picture.
Needless to say, this is not good and you really, really want to avoid it. People devise all sorts of strategies for keeping track of calories, etc. But occasionally, you run out of food on the bike and it's hotter than you expected and then you take a wrong turn or it turns out to be hillier than you thought, etc, and it takes you longer to reach the next gas station convenience store than you thought, and by the time you get there you're running on empty. But the amazing thing is how much better you feel, and how quickly it can happen, when you finally do get some food in. You still have zero reserves, and if you don't keep eating and drinking as much as you can get down, you're going to be right back to feeling like crap. But just that first little bit makes such a huge difference. The aches and pains go away, you feel like you can enjoy life and look at the scenery again.
Obviously this is different because it's a short term athletic event as opposed to long-term starvation; you can be chubby and still bonk, because your body can't utilize stored fat all that quickly. And it's also different because Buggsie is a snake, not a bicyclist; and because a bicyclist or other endurance athlete does what they're doing by choice and Buggsie didn't have a choice.
But all that is to say, I think I can relate to how quickly and how much better he started feeling once he started eating more. It just makes me all the more glad to see things looking up for him.
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
wonderful story and rescue. good job and bless your heart! :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothScales
Day 14 - Buggsie might actually be a girl.
Now, onto something interesting - Buggsie might actually be a girl. We hadn't previously tried to pop 'him', taking the rescue's word that he was a 'he' because he looked more like a string impersonating a snake than an actual snake. Tonight we decided that - while still not a healthy weight - that he had put on enough padding that a gentle hand would be unlikely to harm him. Nothing popped out. :confusd: Now we're not sure if we were a little to gentle, or if he's actually a girl but after three attempts, nothing that I would categorize as a hemipene came out. While I'm not ready to say for sure 'he' is actually a 'she' right now, it would be interesting. We've decided to wait until Buggsie has filled in a bit better and then check again when we're not so apprehensive about his size.
boy or girl, i think u gotta put a hat on it. ;)
when Buggsie gets big and strong enough, it's photoshoot time with a nice, pretty hat. :)
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
It is so good to hear he/she is doing great. I loved the video you posted! Keep up the amazing work and keep going Buggsie!!
Sent from my SGH-T399N using Tapatalk
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just replying because i think i hit the unsubscribe button by accident :snake:
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothScales
He's come quite a long way, and yet he has a ways to go. It may not be that apparent in the video, but he is still severely underweight. Back in the day 1 photos, you can see he's sort of flopped over on his side. I think this is a combination of lack of muscle and lack of energy - he was just to weak to hold himself up. While his energy has been coming back with a vengeance, when he actually stops moving for a few seconds I've noticed he still has a tendency to end up on his side. Most notably is when I've just lifted his hide off when getting him from his tub. Does anyone have experience with a snake doing this? If yes, was it something that was corrected and how? I thought maybe having him slither through my hands for a time each day as a sort of 'exercise' might help him build muscle tone.
Could it be that's just how he likes to curl up in his hide? Every so often when I look over at Manasa's tank, it's the top of her back, and not her side that I see blocking the entrance to her hide. I'm still a (relative) newbie though, so just my 2 cents :P
Nonetheless, it's great to see Buggsie's turnaround :gj:
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
"Day 15 - Buggsie got a mite treatment today." It's been a while since we've found a dead mite in his tub, and even longer since we've found a live one on him, but we continue to treat him and his enclosure because those little pests can be very persistent. Not to mention, their little eggs can remain viable for quite some time.
His treatments will continue until the 2nd week of March, which will give him 6 weeks total. Thus far, we haven't found any on the rest of our collection and have been vigilant about making sure we're not carrying the little buggers from Buggsie to them. [Note: I've gotten far to comfortable with stripping down in the laundry room.]
Little guy (or girl) is being lively as ever, wrapping himself around my hand and wrist while I was treating him. Afterwards a quick weigh has him at 120 grams. Slow and steady, but winning the race!
An idea occurred to me - I would like to do some comparison photos to his day one documentation pictures. That is, if I can get him to sit still long enough in a similar pose. I would then crop these photos together to show the changes he's undergone thus far. It's only been a short time, so I don't expect there to be a drastic drifference, but it might be informative in a more long term sense.
"Day 16 - Little guy ate again today! He's getting quicker about snapping up his little rat! It was only 15 gram one today, but that is still 12.5% of his body weight. He's gaining pretty well, and started to fill in a little, but still looking quite skinny and hasn't passed a fecal for us yet. Urates this morning, though!" I'd be more concerned about the lack of a solid poop, but it's only been a short while and Ball Pythons can utilize a lot of their food. If anyone needs to be economical about what is waste and what is not, it's this little guy. Plus, we've got some that will go three weeks without pooping. I'll be more concerned if he were up to a healthy weight and going longer than Blackout without passing something more than urates. This does make me think about advice new people get sometimes about feeding schedule. I know most of us don't do this, but I have seen the advice given on these very boards when the question was asked - How often? - and the answer was to feed, then wait for a poop, then feed, etc. I had commented at the time that poor Blackout would only get to eat once a month on that type of thought process, but Buggsie....Well, I just hope that there isn't a BP out there somewhere in a similar situation because its owner got that piece of advice.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...d4&oe=576F8A67
"Day 16 - Little guy wrapped around my hand while his tub was being cleaned and tightened up. It was like wearing a fancy snake bracelet. You can still see the damaged spot in his neck stripe, but it's not as noticeable [as pre-shed]. I'm sure in a few more sheds, you'll hardly be able to tell!" Live and unharmed is the best kind of jewelry, imo. :oops: There's a few new scales in the damaged area, which is a good start! It may take 2, or 5, or 10 sheds, but I'm sure the area will fill in and probably not even be distinguishable.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...70&oe=5726E927
Quote:
Originally Posted by das_nooblet
Could it be that's just how he likes to curl up in his hide?
It's possible that he curls up that way because it's comfortable, but I really don't think so. I was using the hide as an example, because these days that's the place I can find him sitting still. When he's out and about, he does it as well once he stops moving for a moment. He'll be on the cleaning tray and then be on his side. Almost like a ship taking on water will start listing. I do understand, though, as Mr. Bubbles has scared the bejeezus out of me on multiple occasions - check his tub only to find him in a loose whirl on his side. My first thought is usually f#*@! Reach in and touch him, and his head pops up, like 'What?' I'm sure he does it on purpose to try to give me a heart attack. But Bubbles only pulls this stunt once a month or so, so I'm sure with him he's just being lazy, or comfortable, or a jerk (trying to scare me) and that it's not an issue with muscle weakness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ax01
boy or girl, i think u gotta put a hat on it. ;)
Careful, someone might think you're obsessed with snakes in hats! :rofl: I need to make another visit to Toys R Us. Maybe the Barbie isle?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coluber42
But in addition to lacking muscle tone, maybe it's also just that he needs a little more padding on him to fill him out to where his body rests in the normal position?
This is an excellent point! While I have no plans to start a 'snake exercise' program anytime soon - he needs his energy for other things right now - once he gets up to a healthy weight, the issue may resolve itself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coluber42
you can be chubby and still bonk
And Buggsie was far from chubby! Thank you for this explanation/insight. It's very likely that Buggsie had depleted his reserves by the time he arrived here. The little mouse pinks he had eaten at the rescue were probably just enough to keep him alive. The turn around has been fantastic! From barely moving to a slithering, wriggly worm that you'd be hard pressed to find sitting still. Well, he's sitting still right now because he's busy digesting his little rat. Even his feeding is the difference between night and day. His first meal with us, he had to be left alone with the pink for a while before we heard it squeal. Today, as soon as I popped the lid of his tub and he started smelling the rat, he was poking his head out of the hide and his tongue was flipping. I'm so proud of him. :D
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Just love to read about your wonderful job with Buggsie. There is already an amazing improvement, and I'm sure in my heart that she'll be thriving for you.
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"Day 19 - A little out of focus tongue action. He came in at 118 grams today, which is a small loss, but I cant' even be disappointed because he's so much more lively and active. Plus, he left a pretty large urate for me to clean this morning. Still no fecal, though." Little guy had actually moved his hide to get away from the urate. It was about the size of a nickle, and kinda smooshed from the hide moving over top of it. Made me laugh a little, even though it meant his hide needed cleaned. Today was mite treatment day anyway, so it was going to get wiped down either way.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e3&oe=576BFAD2
"Day 19 - Hard to tell in this picture (stupid cell phone!) but he's going a little pink in the belly. Could we be looking at a second shed so soon?" As I suspected, the flash on my phone pretty much overpowered the slight pink he's showing, but it's very slight and uniform across his belly. I clean every time there's even a slight mess, and his UTH is regulated with a thermostat and monitored via AcuRite indoor/outdoor thermometer as well as getting checked with a IR heat gun, so I have no reason to think it's something else. Although Mr. Bubbles and Blackout freak me out just about every single time they go into shed because their bellies are so white that them going pink for shed is a startling contrast to their usual. I have a minor melt down for 10 minutes or so, then realize that they're both actually fine after having bothered them and poked them and readjusted their whole tub. :rolleyes: I'm a worrier, I guess! Buggsie is probably a few sheds behind for his age due to lack of food anyway. And as you can see in the picture, there's still a small gap between his scales (no where near how it was, though!) so maybe it will fix itself this time around.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...54&oe=57331B7E
"Day 19 - A bit of slither time on the carpet. I thought he might enjoy having a little 'free range' slithering for a few moments. There was certainly lots of tongue action while he moved around." Buggsie was being quite active and really didn't want to sit still, so I thought he might enjoy some time where I wasn't restricting him to my hands, or the cleaning tray. I let him have his way for 5 minutes or so - not to long, I know, but I don't want him expending all his energy running around when he needs it for growing and gaining weight!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...bb&oe=575ED245
"Day 19 - Still looking pointy, but so much better! He's [also] started to look a bit wider along his belly." He's started looking more like an underfed snake and less like a half starved little noodle. His spine is still pretty noticeable, but much less prominent. I'm not sure if slow and steady would be everyone's choice in trying to put weight on a snake, but he was so weak when he arrived that even the big pink he got on day two was difficult for him to constrict. Personally, I'm of the opinion that the slow gain would be healthier in the long run over blowing him up with bigger meals. He has still been getting a meal that is 10-15% of his body weight, his body weight is just so low that the meals are really tiny. His last two meals tipped the scales into fuzzy sizes and I'm hoping in another meal or two he'll be strong enough (and big enough) to move up to pups.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...9c&oe=57683C9C
"Day 19 - He stopped moving for a moment, and I held my breath. It was only for a moment, but I didn't see the slow list to the side that he's previously shown. Things are looking up!" And then he was off again! But that one moment of him sitting still and not starting to flop over really made me smile. Maybe, as Coluber suggested, he just needs some extra padding to put everything back in place. He certainly looked like he had a bit wider of a 'base' today while he was exploring! :D
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...40&oe=5731EDBC
"Day 19 - He's got some strength in his squeeze these days! He certainly wasn't to cooperative with today's mite treatment!" He was quite the little wiggle worm, in fact. But when applying the treatment, instead of spraying on the animal and potentially getting it on their face or in their eyes, we spray a paper towel and then wipe down the snake, running it over them and letting them crawl over it for their underside. It seems less stressful for them, based on how the snake reacts and you can be sure the spray isn't getting anywhere it doesn't belong. We use Reptile Relief on the animal, and PAM to treat the tub and hide. The PAM is good for 30 days per application, but I wipe down the top edge of the tub at the same time Buggsie gets treated and then give ample time for any fumes to dissipate before he's placed back in. It's been more than a week since the last time I found mites (dead or alive) on him or in his tub. While I like to hope that they've all been eliminated, treatments will continue until the 2nd week of March. Of course, any mites that get seen will push this back, but I can be hopeful that Buggsie's mite days are over!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e3&oe=57265094
"Day 19 - Throw back to Day 1 photo that never got shared. From this angle, you can see just how prominent his spine was. I almost want to cry just looking at it, but he's looking quite a bit better now! Tomorrow is feeding day, and Buggsie has been taking those little rat fuzzies with a fervor!" It's still amazing to see the changes he's undergone in such a short amount of time. It was scary when he first showed up and didn't want to move. I was afraid I would break something every time I picked him up! Maybe he's so wiggly now because he's making up for lost time. ;) I'm still very careful because while you can't see his ribs, you can still feel them. I still need to take comparison photos, and I've been thinking of doing an update video for him maybe once a week, even if it's just him slithering around, showing off how much energy he's got.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e8&oe=57244597
He's making progress, moving forward one baby step at a time.
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Yay, Buggsie! Keep the updates coming!:snake::snake::snake::gj:
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Another Fuzzy Down!
"Day 20 - Buggsie took down today's offering with a quickness, striking from his hide and wrapping it up in under a minute of it entering his tub." I checked on him a few minutes later, and found that he had fully exited his hide and turned himself into a ball of snake with a little fuzzy rat butt sticking out of the center. I really should have gotten a photo of it - it was unbelievably cute...from a reptile lover's point of view, at least. I passed, though, in favor of leaving him to eat so now he's cuddled up on his warm spot happily digesting. It's astonishing to think that he could've died from poor husbandry and bad information. :taz: I really can't say how glad I am that my friends running the rescue passed him off to me. I've also made sure to pass on information to them to avoid this type of situation again. Also, I'm hoping that they'll bring me into the loop sooner should they run into a BP related problem in the future.
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I believe in slow and steady too. Glad to hear every good report!
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Yay! Wish I could've seen that cuteness! Lol Keep going Buggsie and SmoothScales. Love the great news.
Sent from my SGH-T399N using Tapatalk
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Woo Hoo for Buggsie I'm loving your progress.
Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk
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Day 22 - Comparison Photos!
It's Day 22 of Buggsie's recovery, and I've got those comparison photos I promised! He is quite a bit more difficult to get to sit still these days - so unlike that first week where he was such a limp little noodle that you could sit him anywhere and he wouldn't even twitch. Buggsie also had a mite treatment today, as well as moved a urate. There was a small bit of brown on it, so we may finally get a fecal from him soon! How sad is it to be excited by the prospect of poop? :rolleyes: He actually had a pretty busy day - the urate, getting weighed, a mite treatment, and a photo shoot!
Oh, I didn't tell you how much he weighed? Our little boy (or girl) is up to 131 grams. :oops: He's started filling in a bit more, but you'll be able to tell that from the pictures. We'll probably try sexing again next week because our little guy doesn't look quite so much like a scrawny bag of bones.
"Day 22 - Belly shot comparison." You can see a little of the pink in this shot on the Day 22 side where he's going into shed again. I'm pretty sure they've all gotten together and conspired to go into shed at once, because we've got 4 more with pink bellies and one that just came out of shed. She must've missed the memo. :D Anyway, you can see he looks a little wider in the middle of his belly, filling in a little at a time.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...46115649_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Sitting pretty." Not quite the same pose, but you can see he's sitting up instead of flopping over! Also, holding his head up and looking much more interested in what was going on. The lighting wasn't the greatest, so it may be hard to tell, but he's darkened up a bit as well. If that's the [last] shed, his scales being not so far apart as they were, or a bit of color coming in now that he's got a steady supply of food remains to be seen. I'm glad we got this shot, because he started listing a little when first placed on the tray. Then tried to slither off the side. :rolleyes: A little gentle snoot booping got him to curl up a little for this photo.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...08205441_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Spine comparison." Still a bit skinny, but not nearly as pointy as he used to be! So hard to believe it's the same snake!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...58830053_o.jpg
Tomorrow will be feeding day. I don't expect any problems with Buggsie, even with the pink belly. Last shed he ate so blue it was a wonder he could see! I'm excited! It may sound weird, but seeing these photos next to each other really makes me want to see him at 40, 50, 60 [days]! It makes me wonder what day I'll look at him and see the plump little body of a healthy sized snake.
I've got more pictures from today's photo session that I'll post up tomorrow along with the feeding update. I just wanted to get this up here while it was only a few hours old.
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Re: Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story
Its amazing to see just how far this little guy has come. From being extremely skinny and listless, to a more energetic and filling out snake. The dedication to see him thrive is just as amazing! 😄
Sent from my SGH-T399N using Tapatalk
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fantastic turnaround :snake:
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Less than a month and they're already a completely different snake. :gj:
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Late Shed photos, Day 22 pics, and Feeding Update
I have a few photos to post! This is sort of a picture dump - a couple are post shed from Day 12, and a few from Day 22 that were taken during the photo shoot.
"Day 12 - I made dis! Dis is mine." I was really surprised that his shed came out so well! I know we showed it off in the video, but I guess having the proper husbandry for even those first 12 days was enough to really get our little friend headed in the right direction. He's pink again, so I'm hoping his next shed comes out in one full piece!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...31761497_o.jpg
"Day 12 - Freshly shed and looking fine!" His eyes look a little buggy in this one, don't you think? I swear he doesn't look like that in person. Maybe an effect of the picture angle or his head still being so skinny? We'll revisit that idea when he puts on a little more weight. Either way, I just had to share this because he looks so cute in this pose.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...41490313_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Hello, camera!" Buggsie was very interested in the big black, not gonna scare him at all, box that was flashing at him. Not interested enough to sit still for any length of time, though! Even in this simple pose, he looks so much more alive than on Day 1. I swear, that entire first week I was on high alert because I was so scared for him.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...33693835_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Sitting pretty." Here is the Day 22 side of the 'Sitting Pretty' comparison photo. I just noticed that his eyes don't look quite so buggy in this picture as the Day 12 post shed photo, so maybe it is a combo of the angle and how skinny he was. While he's not much bigger now than he was 10 days ago, he IS putting on the weight - slow and steady.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...74337065_o.jpg
"Day 22 - A little tongue out Thursday action." That was something that he never had the energy to do in his first few days. Now, it's pretty much a constant anytime he's out and about! :oops:
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...11165383_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Is safe to slither?" And just like that - he was off! I think he sat still for all of three minutes and then was ready to have his way with the world!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...55380868_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Can slither this way?" No, Buggsie, I don't want you to fall off the tray.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...83113143_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Can slither that way?" He's such a quick little thing, I almost felt like an octopus trying to block him from heading over the edge!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...45152512_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Where can slither?" Someone really enjoys their new energy! And I gotta say, it makes me smile that he's so active when he's out of his tub. Always like he's got someplace important to be.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...52313386_o.jpg
"Day 22 - Don't touch my snoot!" I'm a bad person! I did boop his little snoot. :( I was trying to get him to curl up a bit for pictures but he was having none of that because it was slither time as far as he was concerned. I'm pretty sure he's forgiven me, though. :D
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...92371311_o.jpg
"Day 23 - Urates! We've got urates - again. Still no fecal, but I'm sure it's on its way!" Buggsie must really be making every gram of his little rats count. Or he's holding it all in so he can explode all over the place. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to option 2, but this urate - like the last one - had a small bit of brown smeared on it. Soon!
"Day 23 - Another rat fuzzy bites the dust! 19 grams down with no problem." Okay, there was one small problem. Buggsie didn't get a very good grab on it, but wrapped it up anyway and ended up with him and his fuzzy in the water bowl. :rolleyes: I gently picked them out and set him in front of his hide. He had a really firm grip on its tail! Which was the part he had gotten in his mouth when he struck. Totally didn't stop him from having his dinner.
Little guy is starting to outgrow his hide! I noticed when I checked him last night that it was lifted up on one side so I checked and he was double stacked on that side which was apparently enough to lift it up. Still no sign of mites, treatment continues. I'm thinking we'll offer him a fuzzy again on Monday and then next Friday we'll try a small pup. If he's got the strength to take it down he'll be switched to pups full time and we'll scale back his feeding days from every 4 days to once a week. He's out of danger from starvation now and while he's still underweight, I don't want to over do it to quickly. He's already nearly doubled in weight in the 24 days we've had him and now that he's out of the woods, there's no need to rush him to size. Slow and steady because we're in this for the long haul and Buggsie's over all health, not just a quick recovery!
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