failure
Well, this weekend was a stressful one no doubt
The baby hathchling turtle gave up Saturday night, just couldn't fight anymore. Her vet appointment was for today. I put her in a little box. So tiny and so sad. I never lost a turtle. Never, until now.
I feel like I failed. And I know I shouldn't feel that way. I know hatchling turtles have a high mortality rate. I know when they get sick it is almost impossible to bring them back. I know she was sick before I even got her. But that would never stop me from trying. I keep thinking maybe if I had gotten her to a vet sooner, if I had gotten her one week, or even one day sooner I could have taken her to Dr Roberts Tuesday, instead of calling this other place. Or if I had fed her more. Force Feeding is so stressful, I tried to do it once or twice a day, but being so small maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe I should have separated her sooner, Friday I got my UVB order in and I put her in a little ICU set up and maybe if I did that sooner she would not have been so stressed. But I needed a UVB light and I ordered them Thursday (got the turtles Wednesday) and I wasn't expecting the shipping to take that long... but these are all variables... I mean I cut the heads off of superworms and squeezed the guts out, ground up reptomin pellets and added herptivite and repcal, some water and gave it to her in a syringe, kept her warm and even bought a water heater for the tank... but it just wasn't enough.
She needed medicine, antibiotics and I didn't move fast enough... didn't get them to her and she died.
The plus side is that the other hatchling is recovering on it's own. Eats on it's own. Had they not come to me they both would have died. I know that, but I still feel so sad about the one that died.
I wish I could learn more, take vet classes or something. I don't belong in a bank, I want to help animals! Maybe if I was more educated I could have done more for this turtle. I know full well the odds were against her, but I still feel maybe there was something else I could have done better.
Oh and I got my moms car so I am mobile, I am happy, just clouded over in disappointment over my inability to help this turtle. I am glad to be able to take myself to my vet appointment today, the RARE turtle with ear absesses has an appointment. She is doing well on her meds, eating and swimming but is still anemic. I keep calling her measles mumps rubella because the absesses are so big! poor thing!
The baby hathchling turtle gave up Saturday night, just couldn't fight anymore. Her vet appointment was for today. I put her in a little box. So tiny and so sad. I never lost a turtle. Never, until now.
I feel like I failed. And I know I shouldn't feel that way. I know hatchling turtles have a high mortality rate. I know when they get sick it is almost impossible to bring them back. I know she was sick before I even got her. But that would never stop me from trying. I keep thinking maybe if I had gotten her to a vet sooner, if I had gotten her one week, or even one day sooner I could have taken her to Dr Roberts Tuesday, instead of calling this other place. Or if I had fed her more. Force Feeding is so stressful, I tried to do it once or twice a day, but being so small maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe I should have separated her sooner, Friday I got my UVB order in and I put her in a little ICU set up and maybe if I did that sooner she would not have been so stressed. But I needed a UVB light and I ordered them Thursday (got the turtles Wednesday) and I wasn't expecting the shipping to take that long... but these are all variables... I mean I cut the heads off of superworms and squeezed the guts out, ground up reptomin pellets and added herptivite and repcal, some water and gave it to her in a syringe, kept her warm and even bought a water heater for the tank... but it just wasn't enough.
She needed medicine, antibiotics and I didn't move fast enough... didn't get them to her and she died.
The plus side is that the other hatchling is recovering on it's own. Eats on it's own. Had they not come to me they both would have died. I know that, but I still feel so sad about the one that died.
I wish I could learn more, take vet classes or something. I don't belong in a bank, I want to help animals! Maybe if I was more educated I could have done more for this turtle. I know full well the odds were against her, but I still feel maybe there was something else I could have done better.
Oh and I got my moms car so I am mobile, I am happy, just clouded over in disappointment over my inability to help this turtle. I am glad to be able to take myself to my vet appointment today, the RARE turtle with ear absesses has an appointment. She is doing well on her meds, eating and swimming but is still anemic. I keep calling her measles mumps rubella because the absesses are so big! poor thing!