spook
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 274
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Post by spook on Sept 9, 2007 14:39:19 GMT
Hi Guys, Right I'd really like your opinion on something and please don't think bad of me for asking the following...... As most of you know,Vic my biggest fuli has been ill for just over 5 weeks now. he hasn't eaten a thing in all this time and has been losing weight. He retracts really far back into his shell and some days he can be woken up pretty quickly with a warm bath,other days he doesn't wake at all.At his best he comes out has a slime around,sits in his water dish but then he can often be found in the morning upside down,retracted because he will have just fallen off wherever he was stuck!..Sometimes when awake he looks relatively normal,then other days he looks really weak and weary. So what I'm asking really guys is....how long can i let him suffer like this??!! he's obviously not a happy snail,there's been no improvement what so ever in 5 weeks..i really don't know what to do?? Do i keep hoping that he'll take a turn for the better....or....do i simply turn his heat off and just let him pass away? I know I sound horrible even contemplating such a thing,but watching him like this is just horrible and the poor little thing isn't really having much of a life as he is!..I mean the longer he goes without eating the worse he's going to get anyway! Is it fair to let him carry on like this? ? Please be honest in your replies...x
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Val
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,498
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Post by Val on Sept 9, 2007 18:08:29 GMT
spook, this is such a difficult decision to have to make, I remember when my fulica was much the same as yours and like you on some days I used to wonder what would be the kindest thing to do. I could not in the end 'put him down' as I kept being just a little optimistic that he would pull through, so I put him in a smallish tank on his own and just kept on taking care of him as normal, in fact he didn't last much longer and passed away one night. I know just how you are feeling, but I do not know a way of euthanasing snails which is totally acceptable to me so I just let nature takes it's course!!
Val
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spook
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 274
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Post by spook on Sept 9, 2007 18:22:53 GMT
Thanks for your help Val, he has been in a separate tank for the 5 weeks he's been ill now, Quite a few people on another forum have suggested just turning his heat off and letting him just go that way......I'm yet to make a decision
x
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vikingsnail
Achatina immaculata
Arnie the Fulica!
Posts: 245
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Post by vikingsnail on Sept 10, 2007 19:42:57 GMT
I'm not sure if many vets do such a thing, but some might be able to give him anasthetic like they do other animals? I guess I don't have much snail experience, but I've got a hell of a lot of pet experience and so I know how you feel trying to decided whether it's best to put a pet out of it's misery. If you decide that it is for the best, then I don't think it's a bad or a cruel thing to do atall. Not sure what else to suggest, though.. I guess you've tried hand feeding him? Maybe you could give him thinner or mushed up food, if he's weak maybe it would be easier for him to eat? Or maybe try him with things he really loves - I've heard that snails absoloutely love oyster shell (ok it's not strictly speaking food) - but maybe it would tempt him back into eating? Maybe a shallower tank so if he falls it isn't as bad? I don't really know what to suggest, guess I'm not much help, but I'm sorry to hear your snail is like this
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spook
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 274
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Post by spook on Sept 10, 2007 20:12:29 GMT
Thanks for the reply,I have tried with all sorts of food,thin sliced,mushed up...everything but he's just not interested.The falling isn't a problem really,it doesn't happen that often and he's a big chunky shelled snail so landing on the soil isn't damaging his shell in any way....
Thanks again..
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