[Zoodulcis]

Now that I would not have guessed, given his brilliant golden coloration in this photo. Have you had him long?

[Zoodulcis]

Got it! I should have known. Where did you rescue here from? No names, just in general.

[Zoodulcis]

An excellent way to accustom your beardie. Consistency and frequency. So was he/she a lockdown pet?

[Zoodulcis]

He’s a big beautiful boy for only 7 months. Did you get him as just a wee beardie baby?

[Zoodulcis]

Ah ha, more info on her behavior has given me another thought. This is an old falconer’s trick, and I have used it many times with a new, young, nervous hawk. Take a book or a magazine or tablet with you, something that you can read. No typing, reading only. Pull up a chair and sit right next to her. Do nothing other than read and turn pages, keeping your eye on the reading materials only. Make no eye contact with her whatsoever. Slowly and deliberately, after reading for 30 minutes to an hour, turn your head away from her enclosure, rise slowly and leave the room. You can do this every day, if you wish, because any stress created will be at a much lower level than actual handling. This is referred to as ‘habituation’ in other words letting her get used to you in the absence of any threat. Eventually, she will get tired of over-reacting. You will know it has worked when she no longer tries to hide or run around, just sits and stares at you.

[Zoodulcis]

Very wise. And yeah, that is the nice thing about a scheduled blessed event. Do you know if boy or girl? Not the reptiles, silly, the little human package 🤣!!

[Zoodulcis]

Good thing he’s not trying to blend in with the adjacent red and white fabric. That would be mission impossible even for a chameleon! What is this Leo’s name?

[Zoodulcis]

Good for you, rescuing Mew. What is the origin of her name? Thor, perhaps?

[Zoodulcis]

Diablo seems to be saying “Give Me Crickets, Now would be good?” Have you had him very long?

[Zoodulcis]

Echo, you and your family do seem to be rockin! Do they take you out of your cozy little enclosure for a bit of play time most days?

[Zoodulcis]

A truly lovely dude! What’s his name?

[Zoodulcis]

Embracing the wooden snake toy. So cute. How old is Gill?

[Zoodulcis]

Sorry about this beardie’s predicament. There is no way to tell what the problem might be from one photo.

Please bear in mind that I am not a veterinarian. Let me ask a couple of questions.

Is this the only swollen limb?
Is he eating normally, or is he off his food?
Has he eaten anything unusual while you were gone, such as wild caught food?
Was his enclosure kept clean while you were away?

If this is an injury and is becoming infected, he will definitely need an antibiotic injection. In the meantime, the foot should be kept dry, out of sunlight, and covered with an over the counter triple anti-biotic cream, twice per day. It may be too late at this point for a topical to do any good, but it is something that may do some good and no harm. Be sure that his substrate is freshly cleaned and allow absolutely no feces to be laying around in there for hours at a time. Remove them immediately and be sure to check for others each time you apply the antibiotic.

I hope this was helpful and I will check back for your answers again this morning.

[Zoodulcis]

And rightly so!! Funny, he looks younger than 2 years to me. Have you had him all his life?

[Zoodulcis]

Oh yikes, you have every reason to be nervous. But really, it sounds like you don’t have much choice. By that time, if family is unable to help, housekeeping and other services to help out and let you recover might be available. And also, when the blessed event occurs, don’t be afraid to push against hospital staff if you see something wrong. They are wonderful human beings, but they get overworked and overtired just like any other heroes. If you see something that strikes you as unsafe, let them know firmly. Trust me, I’ve done it and gotten results.

The nice thing about reptiles is you don’t have to take them for a daily walk while you have abdominal stitches 🤔

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