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Post by zeke101 on Sept 26, 2004 6:08:37 GMT -8
Okay.. Thanks, but i was thinking, maybe i could get a shallow enough container to put him in, and put maybe a window screen over it.. Just so that he can't get out of it, or climb up out of it, and the sun can still get at him.. would that work?
-Melissa & Zeke-
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Post by Yoda on Sept 26, 2004 6:29:40 GMT -8
;D
I would suggest you will want a more open type outdoor cage...so the sunlight can penatrate from all sides... ....In a jam if you have a laundry basket that has mesh style sides ...that would work ,with some screen over top....even better for the top a
oven grate..would work .as it will allow for much more penatration of sunlight than a screen....I know these seem like weird Ideas ...however on a limited buget ....we will need to use our imagination...
Cheers
James and Yoda
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 26, 2004 8:01:57 GMT -8
Just make sure you do provide some way to get out of the sun. Zeke needs UVB, but the hot sun can be deadly, too. Stay outside with him for about 30 mins a day if you can swing it. The more the better. That way you can move him in and out of full sun when needed. What a great way to get homework done! In the sun with your ig...
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Post by zeke101 on Sept 26, 2004 8:14:30 GMT -8
Well he's outside now, in a little tub, with a screen over it.. and he's got shade in there also if he wants to move out of the sun.. I just chopped up some green beans, a little bit of lettuce, apples and carrots, and then i mashed up some peaches, cantaloupe and pears.. I don't have a blender so it wont be able to go in a suringe..
but what if i took some of the fruits juice, and crushed some calcium pills, and put it in that, and then gave it to him through a suringe? would that work?
-Melissa & Zeke-
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 26, 2004 8:20:29 GMT -8
Chop the foods as small as you can by hand...the teeny tinier the better. The foods really do need to be better. I know you are having trouble with support, but the greens are only a total of about $5. See if your dad will let you have the $5 for doing something extra around the house.
If you have a baby spoon, the kind with rubber on the part that goes in the mouth, you can help spoon it in to Zeke's mouth. The rubber will keep him from getting sores in his mouth, or breaking teeth.
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Post by WillemsMom on Sept 26, 2004 9:46:06 GMT -8
Hooray! Things are beginning to happen! I wonder if a straw would work to hold the slurry. We did this as a kids..Suck up some stuff in the straw, put your finger over the end you were sucking and then release it in Zeke's mouth..ha...as if it was that easy. I've just been syringe feeding Willem and it's NOT easy. But I have another concern about Zeke. You mentioned Zeke's jaws were soft...James, Prism, Mark, Iguana King and all others who know this so well..... How should Melissa handle Zeke's delicate jaws?
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Post by zeke101 on Sept 26, 2004 10:01:01 GMT -8
Well its not hard at all to feed him through the suringe. He's quite small, so its easy enough to do it myself.. I just wrapped him up in a towel (not too tight) and i held him on my thighs, and put a tiny bit of pressure on the sides of his jaws,and he opened his mouth for me.. And i saw his esophogus (spelling?) and aimed for that.. I stayed away from underneath his tongue too.. I was really worried that he might choke, but I only gave him a little bit at a time,and gave him a few minutes to completly swallow the liquid first.. Then I let him take a drink of fresh water..
Tonight or tomorrow i'm going to ask my mom to lend her blender.. And today I did ALOT of chores around the house while my dad was at work, so I'll ask him to take me to the grocery store and buy some butternut squash and collard greens, and some more green beans in return..
-Melissa & Zeke-
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 26, 2004 10:33:44 GMT -8
A straw is an EXCELLENT idea Nancy! Melissa...putting pressue on the sides of his jaws is not wise. The state his bones are in you could easily break them. As was mentioned before, pull gently, but firmly on his dewlap. Here are a couple of pictures to show you where to grasp the dewlap. Pull down gently and his mouth will open:
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Post by zeke101 on Sept 26, 2004 10:35:44 GMT -8
Oh, and i know this is a silly question, but iguanas like strawberries right? well what if i put some strawberry jam in the suringe and feed him that? i know you'll all probly say "NO! don't give him that!" but its the closest to puree foods i have right now... And my dad just came home then, and i showed him how much chores i did, and he was impressed, and then i asked if i could get food for zeke in return, and he got mad and said it was my sister, heather's, responsibility, and hes not going to buy anything for him What am i going to do?! -Melissa & Zeke-
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Post by zeke101 on Sept 26, 2004 10:37:05 GMT -8
oh okay.. i wasn't shore what the dewlap was :S
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 26, 2004 10:47:33 GMT -8
No...jams/jellies won't do. I know he thinks it's your sister's responsibility, but you have to try to make him understand Zeke is in your care now...you have overtaken responsibility since you are already trying so hard to make him better.
You are trying harder than anyone to do what's right and the extra chores were to prove that you mean it.
If he is taking in food without you pureeing them, then let him eat it that way. As long as he is taking something in. They swallow pretty much whole anyway, just make the pieces as small as you can without the benefit of a blender. The calcium will help immensely. Grind up 1/2 a tablet and use that for the whole days feeding schedule. You can hurt him with to much calcium, also.
Just urge your dad that YOU are now his caretaker. You are the one working so hard for his life. Throwing a few tears in there might help, too??
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Post by Yoda on Sept 26, 2004 10:50:06 GMT -8
Roll your pennies...find some bottles to return....
you only need a few dollars ...If all fails and you cant scrape together any money at all...talk to the guy/gal in the produce department ..they throw out greens every day..... they wont be rotton just a little more wilted than the average customer will want to purchase.. If you know a place where you are sure no pesticides are used ...pick some Dandilion leaves ...The jam wouldnt hurt your iggy but wont do any good either....
You sound like you are dooing a great job taking responsibility .....Keep up the good work..
Cheers
James and Yoda ..
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Nanshe
Senior
I am owned by Elvis & Angel :)
Posts: 167
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Post by Nanshe on Sept 26, 2004 12:02:35 GMT -8
I, as well as my husband, kids, my mother, our Grandmaster, and our Grandmaster's Sempie (personal assistant), have been following Zekes story from the beginning - and it's been heartbreaking to watch Melissa have to fight her Dad and Sister so hard to save Zeke.
Today, after reading the post about Melissas Dad being so pleased with all the extra chores she did, and then getting angry when all she asked for in return was a few inexpensive, healthy greens from the grocery store, and his refusal to buy them - our Grandmaster couldn't take anymore. Here's the deal.
He's willing to send you a UVB light, and a small amount of money ($10.00 or so) to get Zeke some good food from the store, but we don't know how to get it to you - and we don't know how your parents would feel if you gave us your address. (Of course you should never post that sort of information on any message board, because anyone with access to the internet would have access to your address.)
If you, or anyone else, can think of a way for us to get this stuff to you, we'll see that it gets sent out right away. If it's okay with your Dad for you to give me your mailing address, then you can send it to me in a private message through this site, or you can email it to me at nanshes@yahoo.com
If anyone has any extra supplies that might help Zeke (I know I have a brand new dropper that I never used - bought it for Iggy - that I intended to use to feed him the slurry that I will throw in, along with a couple of smaller items), and you want to toss them in the "care package", perhaps we could send off the package from here to the next person, who could add what they want and send it to the next person and so on, with the last person sending it to Melissa. It would take more time to get it to her - but if we overnight it to each other, it should still get there pretty quickly. Just an idea.
Also, if someone could type her up a "specialized for Zeke" progressive care sheet that she could follow step by step, day by day, that she could print out and follow, would that help? Just another idea.
Anyway - as always, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
~Nan
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 26, 2004 12:39:23 GMT -8
Better yet, if we each sent it to her individually it would get there faster and still cost as much collectively then sending it to each person.
The biggest thing is UVB, heat, and diet. In Zeke's debilitated state, the smaller 20 gal aquarium will do for now. It will keep him under the UVB. A 55 would do better, but we all know the situation.
The UVB would need a fixture. What size tube are you going to get, Nan? I can get the fixture.
List of items: *UVB (list length/type being sent and how many...this way I know which fixture to purcahse) (Nan) *$10 (Nan) *UVB fixture (Veronica) *Digital Therm/hygrometer (Veronica) *Clamp lamp fixture *package of 75W bulbs *Blender *Homemade recipe for pedialyte (Veronica)
I think this will help immensely. Very good idea, Nan! All of these items will help this ig get healthy again.
One thing we have bben neglecting for his rehabilitation is hydration. He will need lots of fluids and mixing his food with the pedialyte will quicken his recovery.
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Nanshe
Senior
I am owned by Elvis & Angel :)
Posts: 167
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Post by Nanshe on Sept 26, 2004 12:56:36 GMT -8
Awesome! How long is a 20 gal aquarium? would a 36" bulb work? Or would it need to be smaller, maybe 24" or 18"? Whatever he needs UVB wise we'll get, however when he's better and is able to be moved to a larger enclosure, the UVB needs to be adequate for that too. I also have 2 bottles of Pedialyte left that were never opened that I will toss in, and I have a couple of the cheap thermometers - they're not digital (reason they weren't opened LOL), but the strip kind - if we can't get any other kind of thermometer it would be something anyway - I can toss that in just in case. I just gave away my 2 extra clamp lamps so I can't help there - but maybe someone else will have an extra? I will also check out my bulb situation. Excellent idea about mailing seperatly! We hope to get a package off tomorrow if we have the address by then. ~Nan OOPS! LOL Never mind about the cheesy thermometers - I just noticed you have one!
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