# Disabled reptiles the 3-4 year barriers



## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

Afternoon all  

Most people who know me know that I run my little sanctuary for sick and disabled reptiles and I'm trying to gather some information so any input would be fab  

Looking to see how many other disabled reptiles are out there and what age they died at as well as species as I've been doing this for many years yet never managed to find many disabled reptiles past the age of 4 so use this as our life expectacy gauge.

Its interesting how you never seen many kinked snakes as adults about or lizards with issues in old age.

A lot of breeders purge these babies some are given a chance if feesable and moved to places like here.

So if you ave any reptiles which have any defect any info would be great includng carrier animals and those with actual disabilities really only the 3 years plus I'm looking for information on.

I myself lost 6 of my own disabled reptiles all aged 3-4 years n the last 2 weeks as lkooking at my records nearly all have been in that age range upon death.

Many thanks in advance Paula


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## vickylolage (Oct 5, 2008)

I have a beardie who is severly inbred.
2 missing limbs, no tail, prominent lower jaw and went through a phase of being totally insane.

Hes about 3 now. Never had a single issue with him. Hes happy - eats, poo's, sheds. Considering his size and lack of tail he still weighs 312g (weighed on 31/1/10) Fatty lol

Have another beardie with an incubation deformity. 90 degree angled tail from just below the base. Makes a perfect L shape. Havent had him long. Still a baby but for his age he should be A LOT bigger. Speaking to a friend who's bred them for years Ive been told its likely he'll always be stunted. He doesnt have much energy. I have to liquidise his food (insect shake) as he doesnt have the umph to chase his food. Had him checked out no infections or anything just weak and needing love. Age wise hes about 4 months old but the size of a hatchling.

Got a 3 legged leo but shes fine. 45g and lives with 2 other girls not a single issue with her. No idea on age.

We have a 1 eyed royal - shes fine other than that. It was a terrible infection and her eye had to be removed.

I did have a rescue crestie who had been brought up on baby food. He had MBD and I had no idea on age. Kinked spine. He as an adult but he sadly died.


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## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

HI Vicky  
Thankyou for your reply :no1:they sound great sounds like your doing a fab job its interesting how one of your beardies sounds very much like my ellie who is an oldie  but not had any issues apart from her falling apart at times  

Has anyone had issues with Cancer we had 3 brothers all pass of mouth cancer so would defo class as genetic  


Paula


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## vickylolage (Oct 5, 2008)

Havent had cancer problems in any reptiles but have in dogs.
One of ours had a tumour in the bowel. It was removed and she had acupuncture therapy. She did eventually pass away when it came back.

Her daughter passed a couple of years later from liver cancer.

Wouldnt have thought it was genetic as it was 2 seperate areas and the 2 older siblings we have are here fighting fit.


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## x_firefly_x (Sep 18, 2009)

vickylolage said:


> Havent had cancer problems in any reptiles but have in dogs.
> One of ours had a tumour in the bowel. It was removed and she had acupuncture therapy. She did eventually pass away when it came back.
> 
> Her daughter passed a couple of years later from liver cancer.
> ...



Many cancers can have a genetic basis and can be passed down through families and not necessarily manifest as the same cancer or affect all family members. It's all down to the genes they carry. Sometimes all it takes for cancer to arise is a single mutation in a gene or a protein. When DNA replicates, chromosomes can "swap" genetic information/genes, and when fertilisation happens the embryo ends up with a mixture of maternal and paternal DNA so each baby will have a different set of genes. Now in the case of the dogs, 2 of them may well have inherited a gene that predisposed them to cancer and the other siblings probably didn't get that gene hence they didn't develop cancer. Basically the genes that the embryo/baby gets is like a lucky dip, you can't predict which genes it will inherit from the father or which of the mothers genes it will inherit, so if one parent is carrying a gene that predisposes an individual to cancer its likely to end up in one of the offspring.

Sorry for the mini genetic rant, hope I explained that ok?! Just thought it would be useful to know that although the cancer may not seem to have a genetic basis because its not in all siblings or its a different cancer it doesn't mean that it doesn't have a genetic basis. Not saying it definitely will but it potentially might.

Good luck with your research into the disabled reps, hope it goes well!


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

i hope that the 3-4 age mark isnt the ''normal'' death age...
i think ice is past that... maybe 3/4
and i think matilda is probably 3/4 now too... eek..


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

I have a 6 year old blind leo, she's lovly and if she goes one the way she is i see no reason why she shouldn't live to a ripe old age. 

i have another leo that has no toes, i don't really class this as disabled though. She is now coming up to 2/3 years old. 

Jay


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## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

Thanks everyone for the input  looking at genetic disability including brain damage and internal issues these sadly are the one's we have mostly lost at 3-4 years good news is the eye's and missing bits generally after hatching inflicted are all doing great some are over 11 plus.

The main reason disabled reptiles live shorter lives is due to stress levels being at high 90% of the time and self induced infections such as coccida.

How about carrier lizards eg those which carry infection without any ill health any of those apart from ours?

Interesting to see as now on the brain damaged side we have fatties reaching 3 and 4 so keeping fingers crossed.

Paula


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## White_raven666 (Mar 20, 2007)

I have a beardie with half a tail, half a back leg, one full leg minus a couple of toes and no front legs apart from 2 stumps bless him. When my camera is working Ill take some photos of him.

I got him off of a complete di£$ head as a small baby but I have a feeling that since he never had the best start in life he may have been older than he looked.

I have had Jakey since January 2008 and am soooo happy to say he's still going :2thumb:


Treackle is a 13 yearold leopard gecko with no toes

Ive got another leo (pixie) with eye defects (not my doing, she was a rescue from one of these big breeders who think they can throw lives away because they dont make the scratch all in the name of business. people like these make me sick!!!! and should be banned from owning any animal let alone make a living out of them) ok rant over. Pixie is coming up 2 I think.

Mylie is a little gargoyle gecko with quite a bad spinal deformity. It looks like her back has been twisted like a straw but she's eating, pooping and jumping around fine like any rhachy would.

If you want piccys I could sort you out some Molly


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## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

Aww bless always nice to see people like yourself who also takes them in sounds like your doing a really gret job  if you have a min pics would be lovley meay be all us with disabled could add thier own  

thakns again for the reply paula x


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## CreepyCrumpet (Feb 26, 2009)

I have a rescue Crestie called Flynn, he is around 2 years now, ive hand him for nearly 1, he had really really bad MBD in the past (due to baby food being his only source of food by the previous owner :bash ive got him back to health but his deformities are quite severe, the first time I saw him it was upsetting.

But now his calcium levels are fine, he is eating pooping and ke-splatting like a Rhac should!

He's adorable and out of all my Rhacs is the most cheeky, inquisitive and fidgety!

He's got a great little personality and I hope he can continue with a normal life span


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## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

He's got a great little personality and I hope he can continue with a normal life span [/QUOTE]

Aww bless he sounds very cheely LOL he should live a good life I find the metabolics manage I have one here she has a twisted spine and she's around 11 years old now also a trio of gargs who all were so bad everything was floopy all those are also doing fine and around 4 years the rhaccs seem to bounce back  
p


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## White_raven666 (Mar 20, 2007)

> Aww bless always nice to see people like yourself who also takes them in sounds like your doing a really gret job  if you have a min pics would be lovley meay be all us with disabled could add thier own
> 
> thakns again for the reply paula x


Thankyou Paula:blush:

Heres a few piccys of Jake and Mylie




































Hope I havent put the piccys up to big:gasp:

Kellyx


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## CreepyCrumpet (Feb 26, 2009)

Awww Kelly i just love Jake:flrt:

I may require more Jakey cuddles when i come up 




White_raven666 said:


> Thankyou Paula:blush:
> 
> Heres a few piccys of Jake and Mylie
> image
> ...


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## Reptilerescueden (Jan 2, 2006)

We have an eight year old female Corn Snake that has the most lumpiest spine ever due to being inbred. Also have a seven year old female Sulcata Tortoise who was born with no eyes.


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## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

Aww bless what dear lil dragons they look very happy  I'm getting a new camera this week so my lot will be joining in soon 



CreepyCrumpet said:


> Awww Kelly i just love Jake:flrt:
> 
> I may require more Jakey cuddles when i come up





Reptilerescueden said:


> We have an eight year old female Corn Snake that has the most lumpiest spine ever due to being inbred. Also have a seven year old female Sulcata Tortoise who was born with no eyes.


Aww bless how does the tort cope do you find she copes ok? as most mine do we have a hinge back with one eye and he gets on ok  

p x


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## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

Few of mine 
enjoy  if a little sad ;( Smilebox Playback
paula x

copy and paste I hope that works LOL


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## White_raven666 (Mar 20, 2007)

OH wow Paula

Ive just watched your slideshow you made on Smilebox

and I want to say you are a credit to the human race for taking in all those reptiles. Not to say I wouldnt have done the same but the amount you must pay for vet bills must be phenomenal. 

You have some beautiful reptiles there!! The one that touched me was the royal thrown at a wall. FFS how can anyone do that!! animals are not a necessity or an object, they are a priviledge and hearing stories like that makes me sooo angry. Us humans (not exactly all of us) cant be trusted with animals and sometimes I wish the animal rights ackies got their way and banned reptile keeping, that way the reptiles are out of harms way.

Still, at least theres kind people like you and Creepy crumpet and of course others out there who genueinely care for their reptiles.




Of course Emma. Jakey can never get enough cuddles:flrt:


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## Reptilerescueden (Jan 2, 2006)

Molly75 said:


> Aww bless what dear lil dragons they look very happy  I'm getting a new camera this week so my lot will be joining in soon
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The tort is fine. Baby (named by her previous owner who had her from a baby) is amazing, she uses her breathe to gauge everything around her so she doen't bump into things. She breathes out hard and if her breathe bounces back she knows there is an object in front of her. And never fails to find food.


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## rachel132002 (Dec 4, 2006)

I have a kinked snow corn who i've had for 3-4years and must've been 1-2yrs when i got it.

It has stopped eating and is losing a bit of weight but there's nothing evidently wrong with it so i put it down to either seasonality or this 3-4yr barrier.

We shall see though...


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