Nathaniel, Cierra, Castiel, Freya, Grrl; RIP GABRIEL

We never expected to get another dragon, but our neighbours next door wanted to give away Cleo, as he was called. We'd babysat him before, he's such a sweetheart. We nicknamed him Velcro because when he snuggles he never wants to go back to his viv, he hangs on as if he's made out of velcro.

So here he is. Today was his first day with us. He ate 13 supers and ate some squash, not bad for the first day he was here. He's only in a 30 gallon tank, which will be ok for now. He's 18" long but weighs only 200g. We figure he's probably 2 yrs old. Our neighbours rescued him last fall, they found him and a female (which they named Puff) on Craig's list. They were in a 30 gallon dirty tank, with sand and a huge log that took up 1/2 the space in the tank. Leo was at the bottom, he was sooooo skinny. He's gained weight, but never got the attention he deserved. I took some pics today, but will take more tomorrow. I think he remembers our place as didn't get stressed as I expected. No stress marks at all. When we let him run around the living room, he noticed our girls and immediate black beard, so his hormones are working!

He had a bath this morning, had a big poop, no smell, so not worried about parasites.

So here are a few pics, he's a yellow & dark gray, light gray colour.

Under the communal power sun in the living room:

Discovering there are girls in those tanks up above, he has a great black beard for such a skinny boy:

On the couch, he's got a pretty diamond pattern on his back:

Hope you enjoy
Deb and my six dragons :shock: :shock: :shock: :love5:

 

[getgab92]

YAY! Didi is looking great! Riley is shedding half of his beard so when he tries to black beard the other half it kinda looks like that too. Hopefully its nothing though.

Its hard sometimes with that silly calcium powder. Working at the petstore when I sell crickets and someone asks to get the dusted I always end up putting either too much or too little. When I put too little I put more and it ends up being too much! Theres no winning there lol.

 

[diamc]

His eye does look much better, must feel better too. I'll bet the cream made his beard look like that while he was trying to let you know that he wasn't happy about it, explains the darkness.

You must be relieved.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Oh I am relieved as I'm hoping this will finally get his left side being better. Will carry on doing what I've been doing daily. At least he's eating, even though I have to feed him. I'm feeding him supers now to keep his weight up. Lonzo, too. And yes, I'm having to be careful with the calcium powder, Lonzo doesn't like it much but he's choking on the liquid so I don't have much choice. I'll keep you posted on Didi, will take more pictures on the weekend.

No I'm feeling better and hopeful.

 

[getgab92]

Hey Deb. How is Didi looking? How are you doing as well? It's strange to see such a long absence from this thread. Just thought I would check in

 

[sweetiepie9]

Didi's doing much better, I took a pic of him this am but have to go to work so I'll post it when I get in. I'm giving him a day of of meds today, will get more into him tomorrow.

I've been very tired since those viruses, so went to the doc on Wed, got my flu shot and she's now going to be giving me B12 shots monthly. This weekend have to get B12 vitamins to add to what I already take. She's also going to refer me to a lung specialist, to see what's wrong with my lungs. So until then it's day by day & see her again beg Dec.

Otherwise, it's all the same as usual. Still trying to get food into Lonzo, he's getting worse about eating and can't get liquids into him because he chokes, so trying to find ways around that, too.

Was supposed to see my mom and dad tomorrow, might still get over there, Dad goes into hospital on Thursday for his knee replacement, plus they're putting their house up for sale in couple of weeks. Then hoping to get the condo they saw that they liked so much in Jan. We'll see how all that goes, but my mom is already sorting and clearing out stuff that's been accumulating for 36 years! Big job!

Puff is now eating supers on her own again, all of a sudden and I really think she's making more eggs, but we'll see in a couple of weeks. At least she's gained weight again, which is great to see.

Bunny is doing well, almost up to her regular weight since she laid those 2 eggs.

So I'll update tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's the pic of Didi:




And peeking out from behind his basking spot, the red colour is just from the UVB light, not sure why it shows like this on the camera.


I think he looks much better, but has a long way to go.

 

[getgab92]

Aww he is looking fantastic! I am so happy to see such an improvement with him. You must be very happy with his progress.

Glad to hear you got your flu shot. My mom has to take B12 shots every month too. It's supposed to help with memory. My mom has trouble thinking of words during conversations when she is late for it. Glad you are getting the help you need.

So sorry to hear about Lonzo. How old is he now? Poor boy. It must be tough for the both of you. I hope he gets better soon.

Im glad to hear too that Puff is putting weight on. At least she is getting some weight back before she lays those eggs if she has them. It's better that way cause if she laid eggs at the weight she was it might have cause trouble for her. Im glad Bunny is doing well too. I really do love that name

 

[Esther19]

It's good to hear from you, Deb. Didi looks so much better. How encouraging! It sounds like your girls are doing well, too. Sweet Lonzo. I hope he is still able to enjoy his days. Sure hope you get to feeling better soon. I'm sure your parents will need you when the move gets underway. Wonderful that you have other family there to help out, as well.

I've been sick. Missed Thurs. and Fri. from work. I hope to improve tomorrow so I can get out to get groceries. I am sorry to report that Stella has adenovirus. Worse, I failed to quarantine Stella properly and the virus passed to my Cissy. I will have the others tested soon, though they may have escaped contamination due to their brumation schedules.

Remember to take good care of yourself!

 

[sweetiepie9]

I'm glad you're seeing improvement in Didi, I'm so hoping I'm on the right track & it all heals up.

Lonzo is 11 1/2 yrs old, he'll be 12 in April, which explains the slowing down but he's quite content with snuggles and being in his warm tank covered with blankets. I try to make him as comfortable as can be.

Puff is gaining, still not sure if she has eggs. When I was at work today I left her out and she was running around the living room when I left, so at least she got some exercise.

Hi Esther, so sorry to hear about Stella and Cissy, you should check out this website www.northerndragons.info. Nancy McBride is the owner of that site and her Charlie, who was born with adeno, is now adeno free. You can check what she used but it worked. She's going to continue testing him, I think every 6 mo, but I was so excited to hear her news! Maybe it will help your two girls.

Lonzo is still waking up every day, still eating a bit, but likes to take lots of naps. I won't turn off his lights, so he stays nice and toasty warm and he has layers of blankets in his tank to keep him really comfy. It's all I can do for him. And snuggle him, of course. I tell him, every time I pick him up, that the snuggles are from you, too.

Gabriel, the little fatty (he's gained quite a bit of weight, but I'm glad he's got that extra on for the winter) will be out tomorrow for the day. He still gets put out of joint when he sees one of the other's out, as Puff's turn was today. Didi can't be out in the living room because of the fungus, so I guess I'll warm up my room and let him run around on the bed. I have to be there to watch him, because he'll take leaps off & run away if I don't watch him. I'd rather have him in the living room, but until the fungus is cleared up, he's stuck in his tank in the dining room. I'm not taking any more chances. This is my 3rd dragon with fungus of one sort or another; Titan, Rubio and now Didi.

 

[Esther19]

Thanks for snuggling Lonzo for me. That Puff and her eggs. She had better be done for now. The link you sent was very encouraging! Thanks you so much. Tracie is going to help me with the girls. I'm sending her their weights after I get new ones tomorrow. Stella is sure acting like a healthy little girl now. Filling out. Love to jump! Cissy is wanting to sleep more this year than is usual. Fred, Buster and Maisy are sacked out. Will wake the sleepy ones tomorrow for weighing and hydration. I hope you continue to improve. Remember not to try too much at once and to get good rest.

 

[sweetiepie9]

I'm feeling much better Esther, able to walk lots and climb up stairs (I climb up 80 steps on my way to work every day) without coughing. If I find I get out of breath I use my Advair puffer but not that often now.

Nancy McBride is a wonderful woman, she doesn't only have beardies (she breeds) but has a couple of beautiful dogs, a chamelion, and a few other types of lizards. She loves to post their pics on Facebook, so I get to see them all. She's alot of fun & full of interesting information.

So my folks real estate agent put their house on a virtual tour on the internet and they have a couple coming over to see the house this afternoon. I was going to visit, but that comes first. If this works out, this couple is looking to move in Feb 1 and the condo my folks want will be on sale about that time, so this may work out with just 1 visit. Fingers crossed everyone! I'll be talking to my mom this evening to find out what happened.

The virtual tour is here: http://www.tourbuzz.net/public/vtour/display/268276
The have a really nice house and it's presented in a great way.

So even with the hour going backward last night I still slept in until 9:30 real time, so best get started with baths & food! Plus giving Didi his supplements, he'll get his meds later today.

 

[BlueDragon09]

Hey Esther sorry about Adenovirus, what a nasty thing
that is. I hope you get it cleared up.

My fingers are crossed for you, Deb. I hope it works for
the best. Lonzo is 11 now or is he 12? His eye looks
good, poor old man. Uvb look red in my pictures too
so don't feel bad about that.

 

[Goonie]

Your parents have a gorgeous (and huge) house. I can now understand why they want to downsize. It's way too much for them to maintain.
Hope the timing works out for both the buyer and seller.

Esther - I am so sorry to hear about Stella and Cissy having adeno. Hope none of your other babies have contracted it.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi Blue, been enjoying seeing pics of your new little boy.

Hi Gina, been enjoying your stories, too. Yes, my folks place is huge, there is a back bedroom that wasn't shown, plus another part of the basement that has washer/dryer, huge sink, a freezer and another fridge, plus all my dad's tools. Off that is a patio, then the pool, then another back yard. It's HUGE, plus the stairs to get up & down. They've been there for 36 years and they really didn't want to move but the outside was getting too much for my dad, never mind the stairs. So I'm really hoping they get it sold, then get the condo they want. Fingers crossed.

Poor Didi, he wants to brumate but I won't turn off his lights, he's passed out now but I have to wake him up for meds and cream. Oh well, I'm hoping we'll be able to stop all of this soon.

Leo had a bath but no poop, he's back to sleep under his light. If he makes it into his hide tomorrow I'll turn his lights off, if not I'll leave them on. See what he does. I'm not feeding him right now either, because he's sleeping all the time & I don't mind if he loses weight, he needs to lose 60g! He's way too fat, he's over 609g when he should be 535g, 550g at the very most.

 

[diamc]

Hi Deb. Didi looks SO much better. All that you're doing is working. That picture of him peeking out was so cute. I'm sure he's confused about why he can't brumate but you're right, have to get him healthy again first.

Your parents house is gorgeous, they have taken great care of it. I imagine it is a lot for them to try to take care of with the stairs & lawn, etc. Would be perfect for a younger family and someone will be very proud to own such a beautiful home. Hope the timing works out great with the sale and then the condo. That will be so much easier for them to handle.

I'm sorry to hear that you're still having lung issues. Hope you can get some answers & find out what you can do to make it improve. I'm glad you got your flu shot & will be getting B12 injections too, those can be a big help.

Is Lonzo eating feeders or CC with baby food now? Must be hard trying to figure out how to get liquids into him without him choking. Bet he does enjoy all of the snuggles. :love5:

So puff is gaining weight again? Is she still eating at this point?

Esther, I'm so sorry to hear about Stelly & Cissy. Hope that link to the info that Deb posted will help some. Did you finally get over your sickness?

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi Diane,
My lungs are functioning much better, as long as I stay away from perfume and some outdoor plants I seem to do ok. If I start coughing at home I have my Advair puffers to take & they seem to do the trick. The B12 is already helping & I found a liquid B12 that I take 3 drops a day that gives me the 100 mcg that my doc wants me to take daily. Most pills are 1000 mcg. The drops are intense raspberry flavoured YUMM

So I took a pic of Didi in the bathroom, as that's under flourescent "daylight" lights & seems to be the best light I can find, not sure if it's getting better from the last pics, I took off all the cream, doesn't seem as liquidy as last time:



Seems it's getting a bit worse above his eye, that could be because I didn't put any cream on for a couple of days to give him a rest, but I guess I can't do that. So he got the full treatment today, with Betadine underneath, cream on top and his regular meds. I'm wondering if I should be giving him the meds twice a day, but if it's not YF and I'm pretty sure it's not, I think once a day is enough. The yuck I took a picture of on his beard is almost gone and there isn't anything anywhere else. So I'm really puzzled as to what this fungus is. I think I'm going to get another biopsy done on his upper lip and above his eye in January, if he hasn't gotten any better, as the previous biopsy was done on the lump from his back and across his back, not on his face at all. So I'll talk to the vet when I take him back in early December for his next checkup.

I'm determined to get rid of this stuff.

I also talked to my mom, the people came in, but nothing is mentioned at that point. She'll hear from the real estate agent; he sold this couple their house in Surrey, he's a very good real estate agent, has been in the business for more than 20 years and his sons are in the business, too. The one that's in interior decorating helped my mom stage the rooms & took the photos.

And yes, Diane, it's a big house, 2700 sq feet, plus carport & a huge property (double lot). It's an older house, was built in the 70s when you could get lots of property for not a huge amount of $. So whoever buys the house has to want the pool maintenance, too. So we'll see how that goes.

Puff is doing really well, she's eating from her bowls again, supers and greens. Gaining the weight she lost, but can't tell if she's going to have eggs again or not. She had her last clutch end Sept, here we are Nov 1 and nothing but then she's different with eggs, not always monthly and in Sept she laid 33 instead of the 8 or 12 she laid at the beginning of the year monthly. I'm hoping winter has stopped her for now.

Lonzo is eating a few worms a week, maybe 10 and I'm giving him collard greens every day but he'll only eat about 5 small pieces and that's all. I've tried to feed him the Carnivore Care mix I use but he chokes on that, too. So I got powdered calcium & vit/min to put on his worms. That's all I can do. He's losing weight but doesn't look too bad, I'll take him into the vet with me when I take Didi next month. He doesn't move around much, hates to take baths (but he gets them anyway) but still looks healthy & his eyes are clear & not sunken. So we'll just carry on and hope he stays with me for awhile longer.

Gabriel is starting to sleep earlier and earlier, even though he still loves to be on the ramp and runs around a bit when I first put him there. I think winter slow down is hitting him, even though he's still eating well at least so far. He doesn't stay out for the day when I go to work. Instead he & Puff share the ramp, Puff one day, then Gabriel the next day, etc, but they're both in their tanks when I leave. They like to find fun places to hide where I can't find them right away, but I don't feel like looking for them, so too bad :lol: They'll have to wait for spring!

Leo slept all day but he's still on his basking spot, when he moves into his hide again I'll turn off his lights.