Kevin & Norma

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KevinsMom33

Hatchling Member
Hi there - I'm KevinsMom - and now Norma's - I've been coming to this site for a while now and never joined/posted until now. Just liked being an observer I guess...
My first beardie is Kevin - he was a rescue that a neighbor just gave me, literally I was over her house and said he was cute, next thing I know, I have a dragon, a 50 gallon tank and lights - the whole set up. Turns out Kevin was a little over a year old, had metabolic bone disease and was a tad underweight. So I did a lot of research, took him to the vet, talked to herpetologists, read up on dragons in the wild, you name it - I looked it up. The only remnants of Kevin not ideal past is his hands, they are twisted inward, so he walks on his wrists. He is a free range dragon. I have a unique set up for him in my dining room - he's got rocks, hanging mercury vapor bulbs and a space heater all set up on a yoga mat. He has total free range of my house and even scratches at the screen door to go outside onto the screened off balcony - I have video. He's very solid now and has very muscular arms like Popeye, because of how he walks.
He goes all over with me in the summer - they should be outside as much as possible in the summer - when I'm working I have an screened enclosure outside so I can watch them while I'm at my desk - He just a bit of surgery last week, he had a couple of weird growths on his belly that the vet didn't like, so she removed them - all is well. Just superficial and skin deep- no abscess underneath.
-Norma is my new rescue since August - her case is heartbreaking. I went to a reptile store near me to get Kevin some horn-worms, and they had just received a very sick, mbd, paralyzed, malnourished, weak, dehydrated dragon that the owner said he was syringe feeding for a year, took her to the vet 10 times, and they could never figure out what was wrong - her body was maybe 4.5 inches from tip to beginning of tail - he said she never ate on her own, he just didn't want her anymore and if they didn't take her, he would just throw her in the trash out back!! The reptile place of course took her ()and to their credit, did not throttle the jerk) and also asked for the vet papers (he never came back with them go figure ) they showed her to me, I took her home. I figured since I work from home, I could care for her her, since she'd need a lot of intense care being paralyzed and all...I sat outside with her in the sunshine for at least an hour a day and sometimes more, I syringe fed her 4 or 5 times a day then started added solid food in when I knew she could handle it, we started off slow with small superworms, phoenix worms, beardie bites, anything that I could mush up and get in her mouth, plus baby food veggie in the syringe. She first started doing an army crawl, then she pushed herself up onto her forewarns the classic dragon pose. A week later she was walking - 2 weeks later - live small Dubai roaches - she hunted on her own. Now, she's about 3 times the size, the vet says she's is healthy and passed the mbd and building muscle daily. She's in Kevin's old 50 gallon tank, plus runs around in Kevin's area when he doesn't start head bobbing at her...her name used to be NoNa (as in No Name) but now is NormaJean - (as in Marilyn Monroe) she does that sexy leg thing all the time. My 2 cats love their dragons - sleep with them, cuddle - the whole thing.
A few things I've learned - not everyone should have any kind of animal, ever.
Fresh air, sunshine and good healthy food are the best medicines for a sick dragon.

GodKing Kevin:
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Man About Town Kevin
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Kevin and Sofia
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Nona in August.
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Norma now
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Kevin & Norma on blanket
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Kevin and Norma
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Norma and Lily
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Looking forward to hearing back from people and joining the group. Hope I could help others with what I've learned from being Kevin and Norma's mom/human :D
 

Aaradimian

Juvie Member
KevinsMom33":zqqf57p7 said:
he would just throw her in the trash out back!! The reptile place of course took her ()and to their credit, did not throttle the *****)

Throw.a.living.creature.in.the.trash. That was this guy's solution... I have no idea how the reptile store folks contained themselves, but thank you for saving her!!! She looks awesome!
 

KevinsMom33

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Horrible I know - when they told me that he said that, I almost threw up. What a monster. A sick defenseless creature that he supposedly cared so much about to have syringe fed for a year and took the vet 10 times (and they couldn't figure out what was wrong - how about feeding her you blank) he's just going to throw in the trash like she was a crumpled up piece of paper - not a living being. I just could not leave her. I never thought she would recover from her "abuse" - I was shocked as anyone when she started to come around - I was fully prepared to care for her a special needs dragon for her life and even if she didn't survive more than a few days with me, she would have at least known that someone loved her. She had an incredible will to live - so I just gave her what she needed. Food, water, sunshine ...another dragon to clutch onto when she was scared (which she did all the time- I think in her mind, if she can hang onto Kevin, all is well) a loving human and cats.. I take her with me to the reptile store (its a mom & pop store run by 2 herpetologists - incredible place) and they are in awe of how she improved and so quickly.

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AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Very nice story ! Those dragons are in the lap of luxury now, from paupers to Prince + Princess. :) My dragons just wanted to ask what wine goes well with hornworms, perhaps a merlot or would they recommend a chardonay ?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Oh good, they really needed to be sure, wouldn't want to appear to be noobs with dinnertime wine selection. :lol:

BTW, you are fortunate that your dragons are very laid back, Kevin could have easily killed Norma with one bite to the head, esp. when she was small. Some dragons are mellow but it's always a gamble when there's such a size difference. Speaking of which Kevin is really chunky, watch their weight before they get too heavy, his deformed feet will have a harder time lugging around his bulk as he gets older. He is very impressive and handsome though, reminds me of one of my first dragon's who had the same MBD affected feet. A big red/gold sandfire almost 25 years ago. :)
 

KevinsMom33

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Kevin is a very very mellow guy (especially with wine) - I was VERY careful introducing them - since Norma couldn't move and he was so much bigger - I was careful - (Still am) - When she started to move, he even let her climb on his back. I did not put them in those poses, she does that herself) And has ever since, so far he's been very good with her. Kevin's a line backer - I now - Just went to the vet last week actually for the regular check up - weighed him, and he stays the same as the last 2 years - She said he's doing just fine- he's pretty long too - about 25inches - so he's a big man. Thanks for the advise about his hands - we do out best - he's on a yoga matt to help with that. Although he just isn't getting into the spirit of doing yoga - he's great with Shavasana, but lotus position and downward dog - just not working out!
 
Oh my. I have fallen into that save the dragon role too lol. Wonderful place to be though with the success stories! Good for you and awesome for them!
 
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