Thursday, April 28, 2011

Heart Broken

I try not to put downer posts on here too often.  I like to keep this my fun space.  But I am so sad right now and just really need to share this.
Almost two years ago we got a pet iguana named Dizel.  We worked hard to care for him and enjoyed him.  Larry even built an awesome cage for him that I posted about here.  Unfortunately he got sick the beginning of this year.  We took him to the vet and found out despite all our good intentions we didn't know quite enough and he was smaller than he should be and hadn't gotten all the nutrients he needed.  We set up a schedule to start on weekly shots.  But just a couple days after that visit he passed away.  We had started making the changes the vet told us to, but think they were wrong on some so we lost our buddy.  You can figure that turned us off from the vet.
A month later we got a new iguana named Paco.  We have done better with his cage and made changes that were better suited than the vets.  We also did a much better job with his diet and he is growing like crazy.
We have had to up his feeding to twice a day.  He will come to the window and stare at you to feed him and if you don't pay attention to that he will climb his long and jump down over and over till you get annoyed with the noise and feed him.  He was doing this on Tuesday afternoon so I had fixed him some berries.  He was running to greet me and get his treat so I decided to try and pick him up.  Normally he will just run from me.  This time he jumped over my hand causing him to jump out the cage.  My cat hearing this ran over.  So I was trying to get a hold of Paco and trying to yell at my cat to get back.  I got a hold of him but he moved right when I went for his back and I got a hold of his tail.  So he let it go.  So now my fabulously growing iguana with the over foot long tail only has a 2 inch tail.  Holly got home shortly after all this and was able to help me catch him.  I had gotten all the other animals locked out of the house.
He is ok we just have to keep his cage clean and keep neosporin on him to keep him from getting an infection.  Being so young he will be able to grow back his tail but it will take a year.  And now his body will focus on growing that so he won't get real big.
I am so worried over him getting sick and feel horrible since I had just been admiring how big he was getting the day before.  His tail gave him balance so he is having to learn to climb again.
Many say he is just a lizard, but he is a pet and I am attached to my pets.  So please say a little prayer that his tail heals without getting an infection.  And please pray for me to help me to forgive myself.  I am really bad at beating myself up over things.  I know this was just an accident and I was only trying to do what I thought I should, but I keep doing the "if I only had...."
On the good side he is telling me right now that he is hungry so I will go now and fix him a plate of greens and berries.

1 comment:

Charisse said...

Awwww Poor girlie. I know that it sucks when something happens to your pets. And I know how hard you take things. You did the right thing...you didn't need a cat attacking him..or vice versa!!! I will "say a little prayer for youuuuuuu."

Love ya! Call me if you want, my phone is broken so I am waiting on a new one and I can't text or call anyone right now.