Close call

[stockeh]

How many people out there have logs etc sitting on the floor of their enclosures??

This story is for you.....

This morning my male bearded dragon was fine and healthy.. being him self he puts on a show chasing my female beardie every morning... this could have been the last time i saw him do anything.

I left the house at around 10 and returned at 1 to find him looking limp and lifeless under a log in the englosure, he had dug away at the substrate something he had done many times before, so that he could hide under the log.... this time i guess he just dug that little bit too far.

The log had nothing to hold it up and now sat on the head of my beardie, i saw it, but who knows how long he had bee like that for.

I removed the log and took him from the enclosure, he was limp and lifeless.

The colour had gone from his body and his gums were pale, he was not breathing and there was no heartbeat.

I wasnt going to give up this fella is part of the family... the only thing to do CPR....

After about 5-10 mins of breathing into his nostrils for him and massaging his little chest he took his first new breath on his own.

It has now been about two hours since the ordeal and he is back in his enclosure and full of life.

He is moving a little slower and has a sore left arm i guess this is the one that dug the last piece of substrate supporting the log out, but other then that he appears to be fine.

His name was Gus..... now it is lazarus

Take care
Matt

 

[CHEWY]

Good to hear mate. Amazing how long reptiles can go without oxygen. As kids we found an Eastern Water Skink in the water quite "dead". Watching many episodes of boobwatch as a 10 year old, CPR was administered and the little guy did revive.
Hope your guy's arm gets better quickly. Where's the log now?

 

[Ricko]

without the log i gather? lol sorry to hear mate but glad he is ok.

 

[stockeh]

Thanks mate..... its on the fire heap waiting for next winter

 

[stockeh]

me to ricko i was devestated when i found him... wasnt pleasent

 

[Jarvis78]

"Feel good story of the year"

I'm glad the little falla is ok.

 

[Ricko]

hows all the rest going mate? specially the big guy?

 

[Guest]

Whoaaaa, what a story!! Your my hero Matt!!!

Good stuff mate, hope the little guy is 100% again in no time.

Due to me used to having fish that would dig, i was always told to put ornaments/rocks/logs on the bottom of the tank (in the case of reptiles, vivarium) so that way if any substrate is dug out it doesnt matter cause the log or whatever is on a firm surface therefor not able to move.

Just a tip for young players.

Cheers, Alan.

 

[stockeh]

Thanks Jarvis..... i feel good thats for sure.

Everyone else is fantastic mate..... i am looking for a girlfriend for the big man as we speak.... not having too much luck though.

 

[stockeh]

ordinarily i do put furnishings on the bottom of the cage.... last night i changed their water at about 10 o'clock and pushed the log along a bit so i could get the container back in... i didnt realise it at the time but it must have ridden up on the substrate... he usually digs under the hollow in the log so he can press up against it, that causes no problems... but this time he got more then he bargained for.

 

[Stevo]

Great ending matt. Hope your girlfriend didn't get jealous kissing the lizard......

 

[snakegirl]

thanks for the story.. good lesson to learn... WOW you resurrected him... Good fellow to be around..

 

[ether]

Great work mate, hope you and the beardie are recovering well!

 

[dobermanmick]

Thats great i dont know if i would have thought of doing that !

But I have to ask

What did he taste like? :wink:

 

[diamond_python]

Well done Matt. I am glad he is Ok as it would have been a disaster to lose him in that fashion.

 

[phantom]

good to hear he's on his way back to health,also great too hear you got to him in time,congratulations mate well done.

 

[africancichlidau]

Well done Stocky And thanks for posting it as it will ensure that people reading it will make sure if they use this type of "furniture" that it is well secured. Onya buddy

 

[soulweaver]

Good to hear the little guy is okay, would of been intersting to know how long he was out for.......although a lot better for it not to happen at all.........

 

[hugsta]

Good to hear Matt. Hope his arm gets better.

 

[Already_Gone]

Good to hear that you had a happy ending today.

I had a similar thing with one of my turts getting caught in the filter and 'drowning'.. he is still far from 100% but better than dead all the same. He walked all the way across the house yesterday.