General Care Discussion :: At what point should you give up?

[Col]

A brief history of my baby RES who I've had for about 4 months...

I got him from a dealer who possibly didn't treat his reptiles too well, because within a couple of days little Jacques was showing signs of an RI - lethargic, not eating, etc. Took him to the vet, got Baytril, and treated him for six weeks. His RI cleared, but over the course of giving him the meds he developed a thick yellow coating around his mouth which I didn't realise the severity of. I couldn't find any answers online and presumed it was just staining around his mouth from what I'd been giving him. Anyway, shortly after his course ended the little guy developed a voracious appetite. Tragically, two or three days later, the whole area that was coated in yellow completely broke off while he was eating.

I took him back to the vet and they prescribed me more antibiotics (this time Metronidazole) to try and prevent infection of his wound. That was about a month ago, and today his mouth is completely clean and he's still going strong, with lots of energy and a healthy appetite.

The problem is (to put it bluntly), he has a huge hole in his face. Right from his nose down to under his chin there's no tissue, and it's actually quite incredible that he can still eat food. I mean, he does struggle. I can't just drop food in there and leave him to eat it - I have to help him by soaking everything he eats in water and holding my finger against his mouth so that the food doesn't pop back out.

I have Carnivore Care, a liquid form of food prescribed by the vet, which I sometimes give him when I'm not convinced he's been able to swallow enough food. However, the concept of keeping an animal alive on antibiotics and syringe feeding is one I'm not totally comfortable with. It doesn't seem natural. I guess it's probably because I blame myself for the mouth infection that I'm doing it, but I wonder at what point you should just accept that whether you f*cked up or not, this animal is not supposed to be alive. From what I've read, it's very unlikely that his jaw will grow back, because this is more than a beak issue, it's the whole front of his face from his nose down.

I'm starting to wonder if I should try and keep him alive with normal feeding, and if he dies then he dies. He can't be on antibiotics his whole life, can he? Can anyone help me with this moral dilemma?

[steve]

It's a tough situation. You need to keep doing your best but yes, people do euthanize them (even healthy ones). I'm not advocating that because RES are resilient and don't fully know the extent of your situation. Maybe check with rescuers and rehabbers and see how they do with severe injuries and their decision process on their encounters. Beaks do grow back, injuries do heal and they do adapt.

[Kansasslider]

It took me a while after I read your story before I decided to answer your question just because its a tough situation and I had to think what would I do? I guess my heart would ask whats best for my beloved pet and its quality of life. Its a hard decision to make and we cant do that for you. I wish the best for you.

[Col]

Thanks so much guys! I really appreciate your input, and Steve I'm keen to try and contact some rescuers.

I'm going to persevere for now and see how his mouth and, of course, his spirit is looking after 6 months. Currently he seems happy, and I actually find it endearing that he doesn't even realise anything is wrong and is trying to live normally.

I love animals so this isn't about me not wanting to put in the time. It's just that I'm also realistic, and I know that animals (particularly babies) don't make it sometimes. I'm anot sure how I feel about keeping an animal alive long-term on chemical assistance, because it doesn't feel natural to me. He needs to eat in order to get better, and although he tries hard the odds are really stacked against him on that front. Sometimes he takes ten bites and can't swallow, then he gives up. Then I start to wonder, is it right to force feed an animal that's supposed to die?

Anyway, I haven't found any other advice online about Jacques' particular problem, so I want to shed light on it now. Here's a pic of the little guy:


If you see a yellow coating begin to grow around your turtle's mouth, act fast. It probably needs antibiotics plus some salt baths where you get rid of the affected skin as soon as you can. Otherwise, you end up with a rock-hard area of dead skin that's vulnerable to breaking off.

[steve]

He probably won't need to be on antibiotics for the rest of his life. I'd also look at the jell-o shot recipe, so you might be able to make a softer, more customized diet for him.