[quote="DaylightAmy"] NaevysK
thank you for all your insights, it's much appreciated and please keep sharing them! I have a theory about reptiles as pets... can you tell me if I'm way off or if I'm close? I THINK reptiles/snakes tend to show less obvious symptoms when something is medically wrong with them (not like a yelping dog or a limping cat) and so reptile owners would see vets less often than necessary... not intentionally but because it's just harder to spot there's something wrong with some reptiles? I have a feeling that's why people think reptiles are "more affordable"... when in reality I think maybe they just die in captivity more due to no treatment? Bad guess or good guess?
DaylightAmy you are 100% right. Even with cats and dogs we don't always know when something is immediately wrong. Aside from anything external like open wounds we can see, or yelping/limping from some sort of leg or foot or tail injury, they might not even tell us if something is wrong ( especially with internal things like a mass, an obstruction etc.) Reptiles are notorious for being extra stoic. First of all they don't make noise like cats or dogs, so they can't immediately tell us " hey I'm hurting here". Even small changes in Reptiles like runny stools CAN be a sign of parasitic infection which might be missed if you aren't cleaning out their poop every day. If she hasn't taken her snakes or her skink to the vet I really recommend she does. Simply because they could have parasites that you can't see in the stool ( such as coccidia). I take my beardie out every day to handle him for socialization, that is important because you want even your lizards to be OK with handling for when they need to go to the vets for check up's and if you have people over that wants to hold them OR even your own kid. Other things that can be issues that you wouldn't notice unless you were handling them every day is any signs of respiratory illness, infectious stomatitis ( mouth rot) and difficulty shedding ( which is fairly common and why I bathe my beardie every other day).
Despite what Mary says, Even snakes should have a fairly big enclosure ( especially bigger snakes). Snakes like to hide often in a hut, but they need room to stretch out and explore as well, which is basic knowledge.
Boss does not look like a happy dog. Dogs NEED socialization with people and affection from people in order to be happy and healthy. Much like I said before even with shade and water outside with a big furry dog like boss he could easily get heat stroke ( even when not in the sun) and if not noticed quickly it can be fatal. I do believe that they would miss signs since they don't pay attention to him. If he were dizzy, had weakness, depression ( lethargy), or thick sticky saliva ( all common signs of heat stroke in dogs) they wouldn't notice because they never ever have him inside or ever spend time with him. ( Once a week doesn't count
). These dogs can also get burns on their feet from the hot pavement ( you should test it before taking your dog out on a walk on a hot day).
overall, They are pet owners I do not want to see. I work in an emergency hospital for pets, we have different departments but I am in the intake section so I look over all animals and decide which department they need to go to, treating more severe patients on spot. I remember a while back Mary said they got rid of Jackie because of neurological issues. Well guess what? My hospital has a neurology department, and in almost all cases neurologic problems can be resolved. HOWEVER, I know for a fact that it was not neurological issues, it was a behaviour issues, which needs to be fixed with training and a behaviourist, not giving the dog away.