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Re: Gil's latest annual exam
So let me fill you all in...
Once we got back from vacation, I followed up with the vet (we'd both been on vacations and hadn't had a chance to touch base) who gave the report that the WBC was slightly elevated. He advised me to bring Gil in to get weighed so he could give me some antibiotics. This fell during the last Saturday of my history class, so I put it off until the following Saturday. It turned out better because the vet failed to let his staff know Gil was coming, and by me making an appointment, I requested a second set of x-rays to check on the poop status. The vet went ahead and did a second set of labs too (probably because there was still a considerable amount of fecal matter present in his gut).
I began giving the antibiotics, longer soaks, making sure Gil got more water than usual, and more canned pumpkin. The following Friday, Ken put Gil in the shower and called me in saying, "I don't think this is normal." When I realized that Gil wasn't able to move his right front arm, I FREAKED. I kept him in the bath to encourage him to "go," and he made a HUGE poop. I was hoping that would help, but it didn't.
I was crying and wondering what to do. I called Rich. In TEARS. He calmed me down, talked me through the possibilities, and gave suggestions.
I went to work (the Dean and Analyst were both off that day, and the gal that I supervise was on her 2nd week in the office) and called my vet. I got an answering machine stating he was on vacation until Monday. This obviously wasn't going to wait until Monday, so I called UC Davis Veterinary Hospital (they have a reputable reptile program), and made arrangements to get Gil up there. Leaving my poor subordinate alone (she did fine).
UC Davis is about 3 hours away, but off we went with Gil in his wire dog crate in the back of Ken's little Geo Metro (with no A/C... not a good thing in CA, but Gil loves it. LOL). When we arrived at UCD, Gil insisted on walking around, so I let him... it was the saddest looking thing! Well, he starts to do the potty dance, so I scooped him up and ran for the bathroom. I had him straddle the sink and turned on some warm water. He looked back at me like, "ARE YOU NUTS???" I said to him, "It's OK, baby." and he made another HUGE poop. Of course I was a good reptile owner and cleaned out the sink and told the receptionist to get someone to come sanitize it.
After that, he started using his arm a tiny bit!!! (I think Rich's theory that excessive fecal build up was putting pressure on the spine, a nerve, or blood vessel was correct).
When the vet finally came in to see us, she acted like I was a horrible care-taker and didn't know anything. They thought he might have a broken leg. I politely explained what measures had already been taken, what the x-rays and lab results indicated, and went over his daily care, including diet, temps, and UVB exposure. They were still condesending. They offered for us to wait (about 3 hours for lab results or to leave him overnight for tests and observation). I opted to leave him. They said they'd call later with an update.
The vet had a totally different attitude when she called back. She said that his bones looked "great," and that they found exactly what I said they would: an abundance of fecal matter in his gut. She said that his labs looked good except for a slight elevation of the WBC. She said to call in the morning to see if they wanted to keep him longer.
I picked him up the next afternoon, and he was SO glad to see me!!! Poor BABY! That was his first night away from his own bed!!!
The doctor's written report was interesting. She said that his bones looked so strong in the x-rays that they were not concerned about Metabolic Bone Disease. They did an ultrasound and found no blockage or impaction. His liver and kidneys looked normal via the ultrasound and through lab tests. In short, they tried to say that he had a soft tissue injury. I suggested several times that perhaps the buildup of feces had put pressure on a nerve, etc., but they didn't seem to go for that (I'm convinced that was accurate, though). They suggested to continue the antibiotics and canned pumpkin.
The next day, NO POOP!!! and the following day, just a little. His belly kept getting bigger and bigger, so we quit the canned pumpkin and went for a strictly collard green diet for a few days. He started to poop normal. I think the pumpkin was causing a buildup of gas, and he couldn't get rid of it.
It's been about two weeks since his UCD visit, and every morning he's making nice, large, normal iguana poops!!! His arm is fully functional again, and he's being sassy again. We're done with shots, too.
Ken and I have since decided that the main contributors was all the stress in the household... school, planning for and the vacation, and the new house.
Oh yea, during all this, I made an offer on a house. I closed escrow on August 31!!!!
BUT... Gil is doing GREAT now!!! He spent all day at the new house with us (outside while we were inside painting), and he even made two trips to the hardware store with me!
Thanks everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and kind words!!!
__________________
~~Steph
"This I believe: That the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world." John Steinbeck
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I haven't told Gil yet because I don't want to upset him (yes, you heard me right.) 
. AND I'll be writing an offer on a house on Saturday too!!!
