# Pepper



## Iaintanz (Sep 30, 2014)

Back in April we rescued a very sick adult bearded dragon named Pepper, who had been returned to a garden centre by the owner. The garden centre didn't really know what to do with him. They had gotten him to a vet and the vet had removed a golfball sized tumour from his chest a fe months before we saw him, but when we saw him he was extremely anorexix and blind in 1 eye. The garden centre didn't really seem to know what to do with him, so they left him in a viv and put food in which he rarely ate. We couldn't really leave him there so we took him off their hands (they actually charged us for him) took him home and got him seen by the vet (we are in walking distance of Highcroft in Bristol, a really good reptile/exotics vet who I notice is mentioned on the vets list on this site. He was put on a strict feeding regime, initially omnivore and electrolytes along with daily baths (unusaul for beardies, but he was also severely dehydrated), along with antibiotic injections and treatment for a yeast infection from the vets. He had to have his food intake increased very slowly as his liver and stomach had both shrunk, but eventually he moved from Omnivore to pureed veggies and hand feed locusts. Initially he did well, he became alot more active (he was initially to weak to even raise his head for more than a few seconds at a time). He was very affectionate, enjoyed being handled and even used to stay awake if I was on a late shift just to see me as soon as I got home. Sadly, in August his health took a severe turn for the worse, his stomach literally had given up on processing food, so we sadly had him put to sleep. I won't deny that it was the hardest choice we ever had to make, but the simple reality was that although he was a fighter, the damage done by the poor treatment he had received over probably a very long period was simply too much for him. Despite the fact that we only had him for 4 months, we at least know that in his last 4 months he had a loving home and he was clearly happy (he would scrabble against the door of his viv to come out and see us, then would lie there contentedly having his head stroked). we do still miss him every day, but despite our sadness if we ever saw a lizard in distress in that way again, we wouldn't hesitate to rescue it and give it the chance of a happier life.


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