Nanshe
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I am owned by Elvis & Angel :)
Posts: 167
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Post by Nanshe on Sept 26, 2004 4:06:12 GMT -8
Andy handed me Iggy, and he was pretty limp, more so than the week before. This time he wasn't even gaping. He was ice cold, & very dark. We scooped him up and took him home so we could begin his rehabilitation. I was very worried that we didn't get him in time. Very worried. What little fight & life he had in him the week before was gone. Iggy rode the entire way home on my lap, looking out the car window. When we put him in his enclosure, Iggy wasn't interested in drinking, eating, nor exploring his new surroundings. He just laid there. But I also knew he needed to warm up, so I didn't write too much into it. I didn't sleep much Thursday night, I spent most of it checking on Iggy, and researching on the internet about more extensive rehab. Iggy had an appt with the vet for Friday, but I worried that he needed to be seen sooner. During the night, Iggy seemed to have a hard time getting comfortable. He fidgited a lot, and seemed to prefer hanging out on the cooler shelf. I finally convinced him to sleep where it was warmer. He got really upset with me when I tried to give him a "pillow". It was one of only two times during the 20 hours, that he actually showed any "spunk". He opened his mouth, and slowly tipped his head at an angle as if to bite my fingers. Eventually he kicked the pillow off with his tail. It made me feel a little better to see him do this. Friday morning I was peeking in on Iggy, talking to him, and he brought himself to the edge of the shelf, hung his backside over, and defacated. There was no poop, only a very little bit of thickened urine and chalky urates. My husband (James) and I decided that we were going to have to force fluids into him. We gave him small amounts of fluid with a dropper & he swallowed it! I was very excited about that. Soon after, we decided to put him in the shower and clean him up, he didn't poop, but he did drink a little bit, but not much. Pretty much he just laid there, letting the water rain down over him, his head on the shower floor - he didn't have the strength to hold it up. After about 15 minutes, he mustered a bit more energy and started scratching at the shower walls - that was the last of the energy we saw out of Iggy This all took place between about 10am. While hubby was drying him off in the bathroom, Iggy went completly limp and appeared to be dead. James immediatly tried to stimulate him, changed his position etc... and Iggy opened his eyes. We decided to just let him bask under his lights and leave him alone for the most part - except for talking to him so he knew he wasn't alone - we didn't want to cause anymore stress for him. I was so wishing we could have gotton him an earlier appt with the vet. A short while later, James went to the store to pick up more supplies that we needed for him. When he got back, we decided to give him a little bit more fluids, hoping he would get enough to stimulte him to drink on his own in the next day or 2. When we took Iggy out of his enclosure, his head was so black! A horrible, deep charcoal black. His eyes looked more sunken than they had before, and they weren't open all the way. He looked so bad. It terrified me - I didn't know what to think. I tried to give him a VERY small amount of fluids, being careful to put the dropper in from the side of the mouth so I didn't choke him. I gave him about .3 cc's of fluid, and about 2 minutes later he suddenly got worse. I have no idea if this had anything to do with trying to hydrate him or not. I am pretty certain that I didn't aspirate him, but maybe I did - I am having such a hard time dealing with that - wondering if I killed him. He started to gasp, immediatly James scooped him up and raced to the vets office. It was 2:30pm. James said the vet was in with another patient, and as he waited, Iggy stopped breathing twice. He gave him mouth to mouth and Iggy came back. He said it seemed like forever before the Vet got in there, and he kept hollaring for someone to hurry up, that he was watching him die. Ultimately it was only about 2 or 3 minutes that he had to wait, but he said it felt like forever. When the vet came in, she said Iggy was very close to death. Desperatly wanting to save him, my husband asked if there was ANYTHING that could be done, what would SHE do if it were her pet - the Vet said she would put him down. He was dying of kidney failure, was SEVERELY emaciated and dehydrated, and prolonging his life would only cause him to suffer more than he already had. The Vet said that when he defacated earlier in the day, he was probably eliminating the last of what was left in his system, in preparation of dying. She said if we really wanted, they could keep him overnight and see what they could do for him, but she really didn't think he would make it. My husband called and told me all this, asking me what I wanted to do. I was totally crushed - of course my first instinct was to try to save him. I had already fallen in love with him, but deep inside I knew that would only be prolonging the inevitable. It took everything in me to tell my husband to have the Vet put him down. I just cannot, for the love of God, put into words how incredibly hard that was to do....... He promised me he would hold and talk to him before & during the euthanization, and he did, letting him know how much we'd loved him, and how sorry we were for all he'd been through. He kissed and caressed him. He said Iggy was so close to death that they didn't have to give him very much before he peacefully closed his eyes and went to sleep forever. It was 3:00pm, almost exactly 20 hours from when we picked him up to bring him home. I wish I could say that was the end of the story, but it's not - it gets worse
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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 4:06:47 GMT -8
20 Hours Equals A Lifetime (Part III)
James told me the vet wanted to know where Iggy came from - how he had gotton into such bad condition - she wanted to know WHO let him starve. When James explained to her that he had been living at the Critter Cabana for about the last 4 to 6 weeks, she was apalled that he hadn't been taken to a vet. She urged my husband to call the police and turn them in for animal abuse, & said she would be "more than happy" to make a statement to the police about Iggy's severe condition.
After my husband came home, and we all cried together, he called Scott at the Critter Cabana, and let him know that Iggy had died. Scott seemed surprised - of course he asked him what he died of, & when James told him, Scott seemed really shocked. It was then that we learned the truth about Iggy's past.
Scott told us Iggy used to live in a classroom at Medford High School (about a 9 hour drive from here), and during the summers, the school would hand Iggy over to Andy (the co-owner of the pet store) to take care of him - and in the fall Iggy would go back to the school. Then about 4 years ago Andy was moving up here, & the school gave him Iggy. Iggy had been living in ANDY'S basement for the last 4 years, and Andy brought him into the Critter Cabana about a month ago in hopes of getting rid of him.
THE PET STORE OWNER HAD STARVED AND DEHYDRATED HIS OWN PET TO THE POINT OF DEATH - AND THEN LIED ABOUT IT![/color]
Immediatly we called the state police, and were given the name & number of the officer that handles these cases and left a message for him. We expect to hear back from him on Monday, and we will do EVERYTHING in our power, right along with the Vet, to make SURE Andy isn't able to do this to anymore animals. However, Matt - Andy's business partner, Brittany (Matt's wife), and Scott (Matt's brother) are ALSO RESPONSIBLE for Iggy's death - since they ALL either work there, or own the place! We are going after all of them.
Being sick to our stomachs, and now very worried about all the other Iguana's, we knew someone who was looking for one, so we asked Scott if we could pick out another Iguana in lieu of Iggy - I know it sounds terrible, but it wasn't for us, it was so we could possibly save another Ig from these idiots who don't know how to take care of them!
Today we took Rich down to the pet store, and he fell in love with a juvinile who quite obviously needs a new home. He was missing a toe off one foot, a nail off another, and had thermal burns on his tummy and both back legs. They aren't the worst I've seen, but they definatly need taken care of.
I'm thinking about having this guy take the iguana to the vet that took care of Iggy so she can see the burns and document them. The Ig needs to see a vet soon anyway. It could strengthen the case.
In the meantime, while all of this was happening, we have a friend who has an absolutly gorgeous female that he needed to find a new home for because his job is just so demanding now that he isn't hardly ever home - he feels bad because he cannot spend the time with his baby that she deserves - so he has given her to us - her name is Margarita, and she's gravid right now. I'll write more about her later.
That's the story of Iggy's life. We will never, ever forget him. In the very short time we had him, he touched so many hearts. He truly was a very special, and much loved baby.
With a tear stained heart,
~Nan
May you finally rest in peace my dear, sweet Iggy. Frolicing in the warmth of of the sun. Never to go hungry, thirsty, or ignored again. I will visit you in my dreams until we can be reunited at Rainbow Bridge. I love you. ~Mama[/i]
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Post by Yoda on Sept 26, 2004 5:20:24 GMT -8
The loss of this Igyy is truly trajic, my heart goes out to you for caring soo much, you have done a wonderfull thing by providing such care in the last days of this Iguana
You have allowed this Iguana to feel loved and pass away peacfully in the knowledge that he did not leve this world un-loved... If it was not for your care ...he would have died sick and lonley ..
To be critically ill is terrible
To die allone .......would have been a much worse.
You have provided a miricale for this Iggy through the love you have provided...
I realize it must be extremly difficult to deal with this loss, take a deep breath and relize that the help you did provide in the final days ...allowed this Iguana to die in peace ..and feeling loved.
Bless you ,
You are truly a hero...
Regards
James and Yoda.
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Post by WillemsMom on Sept 26, 2004 6:07:34 GMT -8
Oh, Nan, I'm writing you now through my tears.
I agree with everything Yoda just wrote. Iggy left our sometimes very cruel world in the arms of someone who loved him. He knew, he knew..as you told Zeke the other day. Iggy knew your love.maybe it was his last hope that he would feel love before he passed over and you and James gave it to him. The look that passed between you two will last forever, I think. he has taken that with him.
And the Rainbow Bridge..what a busy and joyful place that will be when we are reunited with all our beloved babies who went before us.
But, back to now and this world. Look what Iggy acheived in his last days. Look what emanated from his suffering. He could be memorialized for what he did through you and James. He stayed alive until you came, gave him the love he longed for and he passed knowing that now the rest of the igs with him, on the other, side of the enclosure would be safe. If he died before you and James came to him all the rest probably would have come to tragic endings.
You, James and Iggy made a powerful trio. Sounds like you have a great Vet, too.
Your Iggy did not die in vain thanks to you and James. Please let that thought warm your heart and dry your tears.
Love and hugs, Dear Nan You, James and Iggy are all Heros.
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Post by EsotericComposer on Sept 26, 2004 7:58:20 GMT -8
That is absolutely awful. Makes me want to run around to all the local pet stores and make sure they're taking care of the iguanas properly. Because I only bought Eki at a petco where he was wonderfully taken care of and now I'm so upset at petstores. People are so stupid. It's either about money or love, rarely is it love =/
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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 15:23:26 GMT -8
Thank you all, for such kind comments. Nance - I hadn't looked at it from that perspective - that kind of sheds a whole new light on for me. It still hurts, but I think maybe you're right. God does work his miracles in strange ways Also, if Iggy hadn't come into our life, we wouldn't have built an enclosure, so we wouldn't have been able to take care of 'Rita, whose gravid and her daddy has been having to work 16 hour days. You're right about saving all the other Ig's. I have 2 life missions right now. 1) Make sure everyone that owns and/or works at the Critter Cabana is not only aware of the cruelty the subjected Iggy to, but to make sure they don't ever treat another animal with such disregard. 2) Make sure the rest of the Iguana's at the Critter Cabana either find good homes, or are cared for in the manner they are SUPPOSED to be, and in the manner they deserve. I can remember looking at Iggy and thinking back on the post Des made about "Knowing Your Iguana". How she checks over each of her animals every single day, she knows if theres even a slight scalation out of place. I wish someone had cared enough to do that for Iggy As time passes, I've been second guessing my choices I have coming up to make. I have to admit that the pet store is immaculatly clean, the staff really seems to know about all the animals, and I don't get the "feeling" that they're your typical "animal abusers" (except for Andy - Andy is an animal abuser of the WORST kind!) Do you guys think it would be better to turn them ALL in (I am turning Andy over to the police no matter what!), or just Andy - and then sit down and talk with the rest of them about revamping their Ig enclosure and stuff? I always FELT like they were trying to do the right thing. I am very confused and still pretty emotional yet - but if there is the opportunity for there to be a GOOD Ig rescue here, I don't want to ruin that you know? But at the same time, I will NOT stand by and watch people kill these animals - I just can't do it... What do you think? ~Nan P.S. Our experience with Iggy has finally solidified the decision to start our own Iguana Rescue here. We hope to have it all in place, and up and running, within 6 to 12 months (we want to do it right). We'll run off of local donations, low adoption fees, and selling the basic supplies - affordable, hand made cages being one of them (we'll make them, and sell them to those that need them). There's a very large area of the building we live in that we are NOT renting - the rest of the building is ours. The room we don't have yet is the size of a medium to large gymnasium. I think that space should do to at least start out in, and the landlords will rent it to us for only an additional $500.00 per month. It would be VERY convenient. We already have 4,000 square feet down stairs for our Martial Arts Dojo - and we live in the house that was build on top of the building - so now all we need is the gym! I wouldn't even have to travel far to work! I'm very excited about the idea
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Post by IguanaKing on Sept 26, 2004 16:06:25 GMT -8
A very sad story Nan. I know exactly what its like to lose an iguana that you love dearly. In case you don't already know, my sweet baby girl, Mercury, died last year of a concussion. I took her to the vet immediately that morning and she spent all day in the care of my vet (a very good reptile vet), but it wasn't enough to save her. I took her home from the vet that evening because I knew he had done all he could for her and I didn't want her to die among strangers. She waited until she got home, I laid her down on her favorite blanket. I spent the rest of her time here petting and talking to her while she looked right into my eyes. After only a few minutes, she decided it was time to go, closed her eyes, and died peacefully on her blanket. I had raised her for almost 8 years from a tiny hatchling, when I lost her, I lost a part of myself. Just try to think of the good times you had visiting Iggy, good memories of Mercury's life helped me a lot.
On the issue of Critter Cabana, I think its best that you just go after Andy. Its pretty clear that he was the head guy there and the others really couldn't do much about the situation. I know, they could have told somebody about it, but they also had to worry about where they were going to work. Hopefully, making an example of him will convince the others to be more conscientious about their care of the animals. As you said, they all seemed very knowledgeable, so, getting everybody, and having the animals seized by the state (people who know even less about properly caring for reptiles...believe me, I know) is probably not the best idea. Hopefully, legal action against Andy will get the rest to fall in line and start doing their jobs.
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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 16:43:26 GMT -8
OMG - I'm so sorry to hear about your Mercury. I had only had Iggy for 20 hours, plus 3 or 4 visits at the pet store, and somehow he managed to steal my heart in that short time. I cannot imagine how I will handle it when it comes time for my precious Elvis (who is currently being the "wicked lizard of the west" right now!), or my dear sweet Angel to cross Rainbow Bridge. As badly as I emotionally handled Iggy's passing, they will probaby have to lock me up when my others pass on - which I hope will not be for a VERY long time. I think you're right about Andy and the other people at Critter Cabana. I absolutly feel Andy has his just desserts coming. He was 100% responsible for Iggy for the last 4 years of his life - and so he should be held 100% responsible for his cruel death. Scott was totally shocked to hear that Iggy was so badly emaciated and dehydrated - he seemed as though he genuinely did not know. Also, the more I think about it - maybe everyone at the pet store THOUGHT Andy was taking care of Iggy while he was there too. The reason I suspect that is because the 1st time I asked to hold Iggy, Andy was the ONLY person there - and he said he was too afraid to go in and get him (I don't think he wanted us to see him up close - not to mention that Iggy knows who abused him - and probably treats Andy accordingly!). But the 2nd time, both Scott AND Matt were there, and when I told Andy we were there to get Iggy, I asked him in the same breath did he want my husband to get him out "again". Andy quietly said "Oh no! I can get him for you!" I'm thinking he didn't want the others to know. Just a guess. Anyway, I'm going to talk it over with my hubby - and maybe if we get Andy out of there, I can go down and help them get the enclosure set up the right way for those babies. One other thing that really bothered me about the Iguanas there - was the food. They would put in these HUGE chunks of food - big ole pieces of broccoli, whole heads of cabbage (ugh), huge, WHOLE turnips (with the greens on it) etc... The littler Ig's had a hard time eating! Once, I saw a Juvinile with this huge piece of broccoli hanging out of its mouth! I reached in and pulled it out of his mouth, broke it up and gave it back. Poor guy! Anyway, thanks very much for your words of support, and your opinion and advice - it is appreciated Sincerely, ~Nan
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Post by IguanaKing on Sept 26, 2004 17:22:35 GMT -8
Yup, Iggy probably DID have some justified hostility toward Andy. They do hold grudges...FOR A LONG TIME. When I brought Mercury home, I was painfully inept at handling iguanas, so I ended up accidentally pulling part of her tail off. She HATED me for at least two years, and I didn't even mean to do that to her. But, when she finally forgave me, knowing that I would never hurt her again, she became my best friend...we were inseparable, she always wanted to be with me.
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 26, 2004 17:26:14 GMT -8
I knew from the symptoms you described there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that what you were describing renal failure. There was nothing you could have done...nothing you did wrong. His body was already shutting down.
You gave him something he may have known at one time, but was kept from for 4 years. Love and the exquisite pleasures of good care. He knew your love and your husband's love. He knew the care from the dojo.
Don't knock yourself out. You would not have saved him a week earlier either...nor 3-4. He was in to deep a state of renal failure to bring him back. What you did give was a warm end, not the cold dark end he was doomed for in the Critter Cabana.
You are good people. You did what you could and he will remember you and will be waiting for you at the Bridge.
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Post by WillemsMom on Sept 26, 2004 18:04:52 GMT -8
That's beautiful, Prism.
But leaving the beauty of Prism's post and moving on to Critter Cabana. I'm still furious with the entire staff there. I'm a red headed Leo so don't pay any attention to me, but I think they should all be tossed out and jobless for a while.
I LOVE the idea of your Rescue.
I'm out of words tonight. What a day this has been.
I hope everybody sleeps well and tomorrow will be another day with our igs.
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Post by Merlin on Sept 27, 2004 15:45:29 GMT -8
This story just tears at the heart! I don't know what to say above and beyond what the rest of my fellow iguana family here have stated so eloquently other than that you did the best you could and you are turning a darkest sensless tragedy into something positive. As for Andy,... do everything you can to get the b*st*rd! Fight the good fight! To you, Zok and I send headbobs, hugs, and love.
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Post by sillywoman1969 on Sept 28, 2004 9:13:38 GMT -8
I'm just heart broken over this and trying very hard not to start crying about it myself while I'm at work. I'm SO glad he was with someone who cared for him while he passed, I can only imagine that it would have given him peace. I wish you the best with your new female iggy. ****BIG BIG HUGS****
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Junior Member
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Post by on Oct 26, 2004 9:46:21 GMT -8
i would like to give my condolecence to you and ur family. i know iggy was at peace when he left, now hes in a better place. i went through a similar experience a whie ago i had bought a small iglet from a petshop that was about 2 mos old it died about 24 hours of me bringing him home i did cage him withanother iguana bus she she was small also maybe about 5 mo. old so i called the pet shop and they tried to tell me that my other iguana scared the little guy to death im like shes only a few inches longer but i didnt know what to do i called a vet and they told me the little guy had suffered from dehydration i swear the golden rule do onto others as you would have them do unto you should apply animals to.
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