Ackie died :(

[themoononastick]

*waffling post alert*
I came home on Tuesday to find my Ackie (who i've had from a baby) dead. It was really upsetting i was so used to him being, well, alive for a start...

He used to like watching the telly and was a real character. At only three years old i really don't understand what happened. He wasn't really eating too much for the last week or two but i'd handled him tuesday lunchtime and he seemed fine.
When i went out at about 1pm he was curled up on a big mound of earth, he just looked like he was having a nap but was still there when i got home at 7pm. He had blood in his mouth and his tongue was poking out. I couldn't believe it, turned around and said to my girlfriend 'Mister's dead' and she said not to joke about such things as it wasn't funny... 'i'm not joking - he's dead'

it's weird how you can get so attached, i picked him up, and couldn't put him down, 31 years old and i'm balling my eyes out... i had to put him in the fridge (where he remains) but i didn't want to, i couldn't, for ages.

So we had him for only 3 years, thought he'd be around for ages, proper little member of the family he was! we mainly bought him because the pet shop handled him so cruelly and he was already missing two claws... and, of course, he was the cutest thing there... we didn't have enough money to pay the phone bill that month because of him! and we knew that before we bought him! that's how enamered we were with him.

So does anyone have any idea why an Ackie might just die suddenly? As i said i had literally handled him that lunchtime and he seemed fine, but he was dead by 5pm i would imagine, and possibly much much earlier.. it didn't look as if he'd moved at all since 1pm.

Blood in his mouth.. tongue poking out... does that mean anything? I really would like to know.

[tmfleo1]

Sorry to hear about your loss

[themoononastick]

you're the first person that's actually said that. most people just look at me like i'm a moron and a lizard shouldn't mean anything to me. but it does.

thanks man. it's appreciated.

[Heidi]

Being a loving, caring pet owner doesn't make anybody a moron. I'd think you were abnormal and cold if you didn't care. I'm sorry about the loss of your pet. I hope you get the answers you're looking for even though it won't heal the pain of your loss.

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Maybe you can take him to the vet for a nerotopsy, correct me if I'm wrong. I am very sorry to hear about your loss. It happens to us all and its a natural part of life. Just so sad we have to witness it so much in our lifes. Good Luck and hope you can find out what happened.

Jake

[unluckyseventeen]

Dude, anybody that criticizes you for being sad about a pet dying is heartless.. pure and simple. My girlfriend's little brother just had a gerbil die on him that he had for 6 years, and man both him and his mom were REALLY sad. Keep in mind gerbils' average lifespan (dying from natural causes) is 3 years. The guy was a warrior and they were devastated when he went.

I even had a boa die on me after I had him for about 5 months. Everything was fine and all. I was watching him drink the night before he died when he was in his red light. I woke up the next morning and his head was twisted upside down and he had foam coming out of his mouth. I buried him in the 20 degree tundra right then and there before I went to work. It sucked so bad. Nobody could figure out why I was so down that day, and I never felt the need to tell them because they'd think I was a dork or something, and I didn't feel like straightening anybody out. I then followed that up with a HUGE day of sales at this guitar shop I worked at - one of the biggest days in store history, all devoted to this guy that I had for only 5 months.

It's tough man. Sucks to lose something and have people laugh at you for getting so attached. But these things happen. At least you know you did a good job if he lived for three years.

Sorry for your loss.

[Jem_Scout]

(((((((Hugs)))))))) Sorry your baby passed away.....

[PythonGuy24]

I'm so sorry for your loss. My very first snake was a garter snake that I had for a few months and he died after the 6 month mark. I was devestated and so was my dad. It sucks bad. Hope you get better.

[themoononastick]

Thanks guys. Creatures certainly have a way of getting into your heart and then rendering it completely when they pass away. It's nice to see so many people respond, i felt a bit silly, but i don't now. I think i'm going to get him cremated, the vet said they could do an autopsy but they'd have to send him away and all that and well, i know it's just a body but i just don't like the idea of someone taking a knife to him and then him just getting thrown in the trash.

There's a pet crematorium nearby so i'll take him there. Unfortunately I live in a flat so there's no garden to bury him in. My friend wanted to give him a Viking Funeral (we live on a small island) on a big burning model boat which seems like an excellent send off until you think how un-romantic the world is and that the likely hood of it sailing out into the sunset is not very high, more than likely it'd get washed back into shore after moving about 5 feet, capsize, and a dog would run off with the charred remains of Mister. Not too good. Pet cremetorium. Way to go.

One thing's for sure, i can't keep him in the fridge forever... after 3 days that's starting to feel a little too much like not being able to let go! Mind you two of those days were spent waiting for the vet to get back to to me, so perhaps i'll not be labled a weirdo just yet... and i do intend to cremate him today!

Oh, Ps. one thing i really regret is not video taping him, you know, being cute and loveable, i had a camera, i just didn't think of it... so, if you have a camera, you know what to do.

[jojo6199]

So sorry to read of the loss of Mister. I know people can be so uncaring about any pet loss but especially a cold blooded pet. They just seem to not get that we can be so attached to our lovely lizards, snakes, etc.

I know it's hard to accept his sudden passing like this but had you not taken him from the poor conditions he was in, he'd likely have passed on long ago. Instead he got love and good care and your tears when he went. Don't let anyone put you down for caring, it's those people with their cold hearts that would walk by a suffering animal or judge which animal is "worth" saving more than another.

You may not have video but you have your loving memories and those are even better.

[themoononastick]

*hugs everyone*