Kalatoa 100% Pure SD Retic Progression (Pic heavy...)

[zina10]

Thank you, Taylor and Zina. My vet doesn’t want us to give up just yet, she’s going to see if she can’t think of something else to try out. I’m really beginning to fear that I’ll have to put her down. I just can’t afford to keep up with the cost of maintaining her veterinary treatment at this rate, not to mention the dark cloud hanging over my head all day everyday just wondering how fiercely she’s pushing while I’m gone and then coming home, where relaxation is no longer an option, because i can hear her from across the apt destroying herself. Definitely feeling my most defeated and lowest of morale in over 20yrs of keeping reptiles right now


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I understand that you feel this way. She is your animal, your responsibility. But you also have to give yourself some credit. You already KNOW that she is far from the only retic that does that. It seems that this is a rather wide spread issue with them. And there seems to be no rhyme or rhythm to it. You are either lucky with your retic, or you are not. Even the best of care, the most innovation and the willingness to spend big bucks on enclosures and vets seems to make no difference when its bad. It was just that. Bad luck. Its nothing you did or didn't do. I've been reading reptile forums for years, on all kinds of species, and I've rarely come across anyone that was as committed to an animal with that problem as you have been.

I commend your vet for keep wanting to try. Surely they are also intrigued about this issue and wonder if there is a way to fix it. I wish there was a team of experts/researchers that would spend some years on studying this phenomena, to see if their is some sort of common denominator in the animals that push until they destroy themselves. Until its understood, there is no way to prevent it or fix it.
Every so often you get researchers and labs interested in such a thing, sort of like they did with German Shepherds and their quirk about becoming addicted and neurotic to light/shadow movement if you let them chase the laser dot. Some of them become so obsessed, it destroys their and their owners quality of life. Its sad and scary.

I know you are down. What you should do is have a sit down with your vet. Before you go, write down all your questions, your concerns. Explain your limitations financially. Explain how far you are willing to go if her quality of life becomes compromised. Ask them to be completely honest when they think treatment is not going to do much difference anymore. You and the vet need to be 100% on the same page.

You have been told by all the members following your journey with her how much they admire you, and that it is not your fault, not to beat yourself up about it. Believe them.

I wish there was some sort of Elizabethan collar for snakes. Like there are for dogs and cats to keep them from messing with their wounds. Of course on a snake it would just slide down their bodies..