Max

BarelyBreathing · 05-04-12, 01:32 PM

When I woke up this morning, everything seemed fine. When I came back in the house I notice Max (Varanus doreanus) was sitting in an odd position on his favorite branch and kind of waving his hand at me. I opened his enclosure to see what was going on, and he normally comes charging at the door with his mouth open looking to kill something. He didn't do that. He hobbled slowly on three legs about six inches and gave up. I noticed that the fingers on his front left hand were extremely swollen and bleeding, so I grabbed a towel to cover him with, put him in the crate, and we left for the vet.

Being at the vet's was awful. He kept thrashing, hissing, and trying to bite. I have no idea how, but he was restrained long enough to get a few x-rays. The bones in two of his fingers were twisted and broken, and skinned on the bottom and insides. He also had a minor fracture in his wrist. We're assuming he got stuck on something in his enclosure and the injuries are a result of him trying to escape. It also appeared that infection began to set in in the area that was opened.

The good news is the vet told me he had an otherwise very healthy skeletal structure, so as long as he's limited in mobility, he should heal quickly.

The vet gave him an injection of antibiotics and put some gooey yellow stuff on his toes and covered it with a bandage. The bandage lasted all of four seconds (we counted, because we were taking bets on how long it would stay on).

I have to give him oral antibiotics for seven days, so unfortunately this means I get to make a lovely blender concoction of ground turkey, ground fuzzies, and ground roaches with his medication. I also have to keep him immobile and keep the wound dry. Right now he is in a 30 gallon glass tank. It's in his enclosure, so it's still very much climate controlled. I will put the basking light on him twice a day, once for five minutes and once for ten. He doesn't have any substrate in there so I can assure everything is very clean.

Right now he's very lethargic. I'm not sure if it's from the injury (he wasn't lethargic in the vet's office at all), stress, medication, or just general defeat of being confined in such a small environment.

I'm leaving him alone right now, but tomorrow I will go in and tear up everything in his enclosure to figure out what he got stuck on.

Any tips, guys?

Lankyrob · 05-04-12, 01:34 PM

Sorry to hear it happened, seems like you have it under control tho

keep us updated with how it all goes

BarelyBreathing · 05-04-12, 01:43 PM

I am in COMPLETE PANIC MODE right now! I'm freaking out. If this was anybody else's monitor, I'd be calm. Heck, if this were any of my other monitors, I'd still (perhaps not be calm, but) be less frantic. But it's MAX!

jarich · 05-04-12, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarelyBreathing

I have to give him oral antibiotics for seven days, so unfortunately this means I get to make a lovely blender concoction of ground turkey, ground fuzzies, and ground roaches with his medication. I also have to keep him immobile and keep the wound dry. Right now he is in a 30 gallon glass tank. It's in his enclosure, so it's still very much climate controlled. I will put the basking light on him twice a day, once for five minutes and once for ten. He doesn't have any substrate in there so I can assure everything is very clean.

Right now he's very lethargic. I'm not sure if it's from the injury (he wasn't lethargic in the vet's office at all), stress, medication, or just general defeat of being confined in such a small environment.

I'm leaving him alone right now, but tomorrow I will go in and tear up everything in his enclosure to figure out what he got stuck on.

Any tips, guys?

Yikes! How the heck do you keep a healthy monitor immobile?! I dont envy you the next couple weeks. Sorry to hear about that. The lethargic thing sounds about right. After all that stress Im sure he is very worn out. His stress hormone levels are through the roof, so odds are at least he isnt feeling any pain.

Have you got a black light? Shining it around the enclosure should show you the blood he left from whatever he was stuck at.

varanus_mad · 05-04-12, 01:45 PM

Out of curiosity why did the vet not splint the breaks?

One other thing arent you limiting your monitors healing capabilities by restricting it in such a mannor?

Possibly the limb in question should of been restrained against the monitors body totally to further immobilise it.

BarelyBreathing · 05-04-12, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

Yikes! How the heck do you keep a healthy monitor immobile?! I dont envy you the next couple weeks. Sorry to hear about that. The lethargic thing sounds about right. After all that stress Im sure he is very worn out. His stress hormone levels are through the roof, so odds are at least he isnt feeling any pain.

Have you got a black light? Shining it around the enclosure should show you the blood he left from whatever he was stuck at.

I do! That's a great idea, Jarich! I'm not in any real hurry to do it because he's stuck in another tank, but I will do it as soon as I feel he's less stressed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by varanus_mad

Out of curiosity why did the vet not splint the breaks?

One other thing arent you limiting your monitors healing capabilities by restricting it in such a mannor?

Possibly the limb in question should of been restrained against the monitors body totally to further immobilise it.

The vet tried to splint it. It was off in four seconds.

I don't know. Max is such a high energy animal we both felt that he would further injure himself if he were left to his own devices. I don't think it was thought of to be restrained against the body. I'll call back and see what they think of that. It seems to be a great idea. Thanks.

alessia55 · 05-04-12, 02:03 PM

Poor Max! I wonder what happened

At least you seemed to have found him just in time. Giving him the antibiotics isn't going to be easy... good luck with that!!
I hope he improves quickly. Poor bugger probably doesn't like being cooped up in a 30gal.

SpOoKy · 05-04-12, 02:10 PM

Oh my gosh, i am so sorry to hear this...poor guy

Hopefully he makes a full recovery for you guys.

Trollbie · 05-04-12, 02:15 PM

Poor Maxie! I'll send him good vibes!

infernalis · 05-04-12, 02:22 PM

Owe... hoping for a speedy recovery.

Gungirl · 05-04-12, 03:02 PM

Wow.. that is rough. I hope you find what he got stuck on/in.. Any chance of posting up a few pics of his enclosure and him? I would love to see what he is housed in and see him also

BarelyBreathing · 05-04-12, 03:08 PM

I plan on taking a few of his injuries tomorrow, or at least once he settles down. He seems really stressed right now. I'll snap a few of his enclosure when I look for what he go snagged in.

Gungirl · 05-04-12, 03:09 PM

Ok thanks..

marvelfreak · 05-04-12, 03:24 PM

Hear hoping for a spend recover for the poor guy.

varanus_mad · 05-04-12, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarelyBreathing

I do! That's a great idea, Jarich! I'm not in any real hurry to do it because he's stuck in another tank, but I will do it as soon as I feel he's less stressed.

The vet tried to splint it. It was off in four seconds.

I don't know. Max is such a high energy animal we both felt that he would further injure himself if he were left to his own devices. I don't think it was thought of to be restrained against the body. I'll call back and see what they think of that. It seems to be a great idea. Thanks.

I hope it works out for him.

Ill be very surprised if he doesnt lose his fingers though.

The other problem with that set up is while yes he risks injuring himself further but with your method... his ability to fight infections will be compromised at least thats how i feel anyway.

Good luck with him anyway.