Ricky the Lacy

[mysnakesau]

Instead of hijacking everyone else's threads I thought I should start a new one. I've called him/her Ricky since she is from Richardsons Crossing, Hat Head National Park.

You know about my dear little monitor I rescued off the road....

This morning I had to change a blown light and replaced his breeders choice bedding with coco-peat. This morning I was happy to see that he responded when he heard me opening his door. Up to now he hasn't moved but this morning, while he didn't move, he opened his eyes and watched while I changed the bulb. He struggled a bit when I went to pick him up and he stumbled onto the mat so I then just lifted the mat and moved him out while I fixed things up and lifted the mat back. He even lifted his head up - was a struggle but he did it so I am getting my hopes up now that he is recovering well.

 

[SamNabz]

Well done Kathy. I'm glad you took people's advice and adjusted tje living arrangements as most people would have shrugged any helpful info. off thinking they knew it all.

The set up looks better and kudos for adding multiple hides and the blanket for more security/cover.

Good to hear s/he is starting to become more alert as s/he should be. All the best and keep us updated.

 

[daveandem2011]

Well done mate,i bet it made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to see a responce from your new friend,it's good to know that all your TLC is starting to pay off. I think your a bloody champion for giving this little fella a second chance,good on you mate!!!!!

 

[imported_Varanus]

Any chance of X-rays, Kathy?

Goodluck in any case!

 

[mysnakesau]

Thank you Sam and Dave . Yes I couldn't wipe the smile off when he lifted his head. I am not afraid to ask for help and still ask questions I think I know the answers to. I can't shrug off advice. What's the point asking if one doesn't want to accept it. What ever is in Ricky's best interest is what goes. I still haven't seen him go to his water so I need to get the humidity up now to stop him dehydrating. I did mist him yesterday but he didn't like it so I wonder if I should do it anyway, or just leave him alone. He doesn't want me bothering him.

I_V - I haven't taken Ricky to the vet as yet. I have an experienced friend near me who said to wait, and he will come and check him out in a few days. If he says to take him to the vet I will, but for now it was more important to let Ricky stay put in his warmth. And that suited me because I didn't want to vet telling me I have to hand him over and I'd never hear anything more. With support from here I have done what he needs and I can release him back exactly where he came from, just further down the track away from the main road. The NP is riddled with lacies I was back out there two days ago and saw the tiniest lacy I'd seen yet. But he took off too quickly for me to be able to get my camera up.

 

[Serpentess]

Hey Kathy,

So glad to hear that there has been some (if little) improvement on this little fella.

In regards to misting: I notice that you now have him on what looks to be Kitty's Crumble, or coco/coir peat. If this wasn't dried out prior, you will notice that after a while the air in the enclosure will become humid. This stuff holds a bit of moisture in its packaging and if placed directly into the enclosure it will bump up the humidity for a day or two. When it starts to dry up you can just mist the coir peat directly and the the same process will occur. When it dries up, it gets very dry, so I give it a light misting every few days to ensure that the air doesn't get too dry in there.

 

[imported_Varanus]

The things that come immediately to mind are brain injury, skull fracture or a broken jaw and the fact that it's laying in full view without movement (or, I'm assuming, thermoregulating) suggest brain injury.

 

[mysnakesau]

Chantelle its coco-peat. Ricky's tank is nice and foggy today so hopefully that will help him not dehydrate. Thanks for the tips about spraying the peat.

He opens his eyes every time he hears the keys on his door rattle now. ANd he is always in a different spot, now, when I see him. Yesterday he even managed to get his head up and hold it there, still, for a while before he decided to lay down again. He seemed to have some control when laying his head back down.

I_V: I can tell for sure that his jaw is not broken. I held him and got my hubby to gently pry his mouth open with a paddlepop stick. Even his gum where the bleeding was coming from is looking clean. But what would you do for a skull fracture? Vet can tell me that when we visit in another couple days and I will take him back for an all clear check up before I let him go. As advised, I held off moving him too much while he was so traumatised. It was best for him to be calm and under the hot light to keep his immune system strong and to stop him going into shock. But now he is starting to show improvement I feel more confident in moving him without hurting him any more than he already was.

 

[Kimberlyann]

Sorry i totally missed out on what happened to him?

 

[mysnakesau]

Sorry i totally missed out on what happened to him?

I found him on the road, obviously been clipped by a car. He was bleeding from the mouth, couldn't run away and couldn't hold his head up. When I got him home I put him straight into an enclosure where he has spent the last few days now, curled up in a ball, like a cute puppy. With the support of a few good people here, I needed to make some changes to his enclosure - remove breeders choice bedding and replace with a damp, soil type bedding, more hides, keeping his temperatures up - 50c - and just leaving him alone. I started to think he may have sustained brain damage because he was very irresponsive of my movement around or within his tank. But, in the last two days he has been opening his eyes when he hears me open his door. That is a good sign that he is slowly but surely recovering

 

[imported_Varanus]

I_V: I can tell for sure that his jaw is not broken. I held him and got my hubby to gently pry his mouth open with a paddlepop stick. Even his gum where the bleeding was coming from is looking clean. But what would you do for a skull fracture? Vet can tell me that when we visit in another couple days and I will take him back for an all clear check up before I let him go. As advised, I held off moving him too much while he was so traumatised. It was best for him to be calm and under the hot light to keep his immune system strong and to stop him going into shock. But now he is starting to show improvement I feel more confident in moving him without hurting him any more than he already was.

I've not had to rehab a Lacie, so far, but I've had a few Bluetongues and Elapids (Browns and RBB's) wth skull fractures(along with assorted other injuries) and it was decided, after consultation with a vet, that euthing was the best option in all cases, unfortunately, as all were deemed not releaseable.
Here's hoping it's only a minor injury and the Lacie makes a full recovery, but I would be a bit concerned with it's lack of defensive behaviour. I have it on good authority that they can and will self medicate, however, so stay positive!

 

[mysnakesau]

...... but I would be a bit concerned with it's lack of defensive behaviour. I have it on good authority that they can and will self medicate, however, so stay positive!

Haha! When he's ready to chew my arm off will be the day he goes home I've been talking with a couple of ppl who keep lacies and have done for years. They consider these guys bullet proof. I had a bigger fella last year with an open gash on his back. Came to me very sad sack, I laid him on my kitchen bench to flush his wound. Popped him into an enclosure on heat, next morning he was on his feet showing me his defence - throat puffed out, hissing loud and lunged at the door. PM'd my friend HELP - let him go. He is fine. So had to cool him back down so he wasn't so active, wrapped him up in blanket and took him back where his rescuer got him from. Put him on a tree, he was happy chappy, stayed put for a few moments and then took off up the tree like lightning.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Here's a relocation from last year. He was a real handful, probably because he'd been chased by a Jack Russell, poked at with a plastic rake and hosed for 15 minutes prior to our arrival. Our head relocator at the time decided to tie him with electrical tape for transport (rather than bagging) and he subsequently escaped in the car while driving to the release site! A fun day had by all!!

 

[Renenet]

Thanks for keeping us updated on this guy, Kathy. I really hope he recovers.

he subsequently escaped in the car while driving to the release site! A fun day had by all!!

Ha ha. That reminds me of when I was doing rescues for WIRES and I had a ringtail possum escape in the car. What looked so cute was suddenly all claws and muscles and seemed to be everywhere at once.

 

[mysnakesau]

My very first call-out client escaped in my car. I was called to the local ambo station to get a bearded dragon off the window flyscreen but instead of finding a beardy I was confronted with a decent sized lacy. All I had in the car was a styrofoam box but he flipped the lid off as quick as I secured it. But we managed to tolerate each other until we got to safety and off he went.

I had a grave fear of lizards for most of my life until about 4yrs ago. I did volunteer work with local wildlife park, in their reptile section to learn about their behaviours. Now, my main call outs are either the goannas or red bellies. The goannas give my bravery a good run thats for sure.

 

[crocdoc]

You're doing a good thing, Kathy. Keep us updated on his/her progress!

 

[mysnakesau]

Ricky is showing improvement every day now Today I went to check on him and reached in to touch him, and he nearly made me crap my pants. He swung around so fast I whacked my hand on his glass door to get it out his tank before he could bite me He can lift his head up stronger - still a bit shakey but he is holding his head straight now, not lop sided like he was. Still no tongue flicking but he's doing well

 

[thomasbecker]

Must be a great feeling helping out the injured wildlife. It sure was a great feeling for me when I saved the local ring-tailed possum from dehydration last summer.

Hope he turns out great and will be a happy release for him.

 

[andysnakes]

im sorry but i dont see how misting its cage is going to rehydrate it.... unless you are spraying the water down its throat all you are doing is wetting the lizard. sorry but it dosn't make any sense to me

Chantelle its coco-peat. Ricky's tank is nice and foggy today so hopefully that will help him not dehydrate. Thanks for the tips about spraying the peat.

He opens his eyes every time he hears the keys on his door rattle now. ANd he is always in a different spot, now, when I see him. Yesterday he even managed to get his head up and hold it there, still, for a while before he decided to lay down again. He seemed to have some control when laying his head back down.

I_V: I can tell for sure that his jaw is not broken. I held him and got my hubby to gently pry his mouth open with a paddlepop stick. Even his gum where the bleeding was coming from is looking clean. But what would you do for a skull fracture? Vet can tell me that when we visit in another couple days and I will take him back for an all clear check up before I let him go. As advised, I held off moving him too much while he was so traumatised. It was best for him to be calm and under the hot light to keep his immune system strong and to stop him going into shock. But now he is starting to show improvement I feel more confident in moving him without hurting him any more than he already was.

just read your last post... looks like you have done well.... rehydrated and all

 

[mysnakesau]

I read it in a book and on a care sheet that when they are ill they tend to not move. So to help prevent dehydration you can rise the humidity levels. Something is working, anyway, because he is now showing improvement every day.