My previous question

Question
Hi,
I asked a question this afternoon about a water dragon.  I just wanted to tell you not to answer it and give my place to another.  I just came home from having my dragon put to sleep. She had masses in her lower abdomen and seeing that she was 12 years old, the best I could do for her was to send her to lizard heaven.  She gave me 12 beautiful years, this was the least I could do.  I did not want her to suffer and still have to go in the end.
Thank you for all you do, I'm sure there are many happy little lizards out there because of the honest and helpful answers you give.

Please remain on this forum for a long long time, people need more like you!
Thanks!
Marie

Answer
I am very sorry to hear this. In that case, have you asked the vet to perform a necropsy to determine the origins of the masses? If they are perhaps dystrophic calcification, or tumors?
I would be interested to know for educational reasons. Even if he doesn't know what he's looking at, photos would help.

In either case, it's unlikely that she could have been saved without lengthy and cost prohibitive surgery, and which would not have provided any great long term prognosis either. So, the consolation is that there is little you probably could have done for her besides euthanasia or making her comfortable and giving hospice.

I would also be interested to know when you may have noticed an onset of symptoms or loss of appetite and activity from her? This may prove useful to diagnosis of others in the future. Not long ago I was not able to save a Veiled Chameleon who had a great deal of dystrophic calcification of her intestines and gall bladder, caused by her first owner giving her excessive amounts of vitamin D3 daily. She seemed to be generally OK with her second adoptive home, and was eating and active with only what seemed to be marginal issues related to eyes and sinuses. that is, until she simply fell off her basking branch one night and was rushed to me with deep labored breathing. I tried a few hours to save her, but could not. When I necropsied her, I found the cause and that there was nothing that could have been done. She was given a fatal condition before she ever arrived at her second home 2 months previously. It did give a lot of insight though by noting the symptoms and corresponding them to what I saw when I examined her internally.

Again, I am very sorry for your loss. Such a wonderful story that you gave her a chance and saved her from an immoral store keeper making her snake food, and gave her 12 good years. I am sure she is appreciative. I would encourage you to contact me at my facebook page at Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue and share her story and photos.