Dino's YF... Rest Easy my Lil' Friend :'(

[Tonja]

wow, dino looks excellent...what a vast improvement..you have done an excellent job in his care. you should be very proud of yourself!

 

[ziggydoodles]

So, I just sat and read your entire thread throughout my day (clean table, sit & read a few pages...vacuum floor, read a few more, lol) and all I can say is WOW!! You have put so much time and effort and money into Dino's care, and it really does show. Even with all of her setbacks it really looks like she's improving steadily! Her face looks LIGHTYEARS better than before, even with her eye infection. That fresh, healthy white skin is such a good thing to see. I am in absolute awe that you've done so much to try and get Dino healthy again, I feel like there are just so many people who would have seen those first few vet bills and just given up. Dino is so lucky to have you there for her! I will definitely be keeping track of you two and eagerly awaiting every update that you have :mrgreen:

 

[Esther19]

Wow, Sue, that's incredible! Thanks for the pics. She must feel so much better, and you, too! What a miracle!

 

[mgodfriaux]

Wow I must say I am so proud to be a member of this site with everybody working so hard together For the good of the dragons and not holding back and not judging people this is so wonderful and you have done so well. Dino has so totally changed I have been following this ever since I first saw the post and she is looking awesome super big kudos for you for having the patience and love and where with all and never giving up no matter what the odds looked like thank you so much for all your fears and your time and your resources and the love that you have given to this dragon. If everybody had the faith and determination that you have then maybe everybody could make such a big difference. Thank you for you for Dino for the entire site and everybody who has rescued

 

[Drache613]

Hello Sue,

Phenomenal for Dino!
That is super progress, I am so happy for you both. I bet she feels better also. Bless her, she has such a sweet spirit.


Tracie

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Wow, thanks everyone!! My feeling is that if Dino's thread can help just ONE dragon, it's all worth it! If one Beardie Slave sees this thread and thinks their dragon is having the same symptoms, maybe they can catch it early and maybe, save that dragon!! In the beginning, taking Dino to the vet was just my way of teaching my son "responsible pet ownership". Trying to teach him that just because it isn't perfect, doesn't mean you get rid of it, or give up on it. You do the right thing and you take care of your pet! I suppose I could've thrown in the towel many times. I was "there" more than once, but my son's tears stopped me. I struggled with putting her down. I just couldn't do it. She had already secured her spot in my heart and I loved her too. :love5: I just kept thinking that if she can be cured, she could live to be 10 years old! She was only 1.5 years old when this all started (with the mites & the pneumonia). So, with that, on we fight!

I really think having this thread on bd.org has helped me get through a lot of it too. I mean, where else could I post, everyday (like I was in the beginning), about my lizard and have people actually CARE?! I was posting on FB and got "OMG Sue, your nuts!" So, yeah, I don't post about Dino there, EVER. For most of them, if it's not furry and cute, they think it's gross or weird. :dontknow: So, thanks for reading and commenting and being supportive! I don't know how we could've come this far without ya's! :love5:

I see we have some new followers too: chastityx and ziggydoodles! I can't believe you guys read the whole thread! :notworthy: I'm glad you're here! I remember when I first found this site, doing the same thing. Finding a thread so captivating that, I couldn't pull myself away from the computer for very long without having to return to read some more! All for the love of beardies! :love10: I thank you for taking the time to read about our struggle and posting well wishes! And mgodfriaux, quietly following all along, :lurk: thank you for posting words of support and well wishes!!

Latest news: I've made the decision to move Dino back into her big tank! I can't stand her being couped up in that little 29 gallon anymore. She deserves better than that after being sick for so long. She deserves to be COMFORTABLE with room to move around. She's gotten so big in these last few months that it just isn't right to keep her in that tank anymore. So, tomorrow is moving day for Dino! I went out today and got new rolls of shelf liner and a new fixture with a dimmer on it to work with a 150 watt bulb to get her basking spot "just right". I am putting all of her old stuff through the dishwasher in the basement (not my kitchen one!) to sanitize everything that's just been sitting in a box in the garage since I moved her out of there when she got the mites. I'm hoping it's not stressful for her to, all of a sudden, have all of this space. I've put her in there a few times to let her get some movement, but she didn't really seem interested. She just clung to the tree, not feeling too adventurous. If she seems stressed, I will slowly get her used to it by letter her hang out in there for a couple hours at a time until she seems ok with it. As big as she's gotten, she's still only a little more than 1/2 the size of my first beardie, Spike. She was a monster at 22 inches long and over 750! Little Dino, she's only 16 inches long and 430! No wonder she feels overwhelmed in that big tank! I'll let you all know how she does!! Thank you, everyone, again, for all the love and support you've given us. It means the world to me... and Dino! :love10:

 

[Fellowdt23]

Good to see everything finally looking up

I imagine if you simply take the set up in your we tank and set it up the same in the big tank your dragon wont even notice then slowly change every few days until you have the tank how you would like it.

I have actualy found that you dont need a dimmer i scrapped mine just the correct wattage bulb i have went from a 150w with dimmer to an 80w with no dimmer anyway nothing wrong with what you have lol

My dragons turned into a monster 21"+ And weighs 600.

110 grams more than when he last had vet visit

Anyway Good luck and continue the good work

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Good idea Fellow and that's exactly what I did!! :wink: I just took her two little ramps/landings and put them in the big tank on one side. Put the 150 watt on, then the 75 watt a little ways from that to create the gradient temp. She was a little stressed all day as I was trying to adjust the temps with the dimmer. Still never really got it low enough. Swapped the 150 out for a 100. The ramps she has are made of a resin. They tend to really hold the heat. It was 109-111 at one spot. Too hot. :roll: The 100 watt brought the temp down to 101. PERFECT! I have all her old stuff ready to go, however, some of it is wood and I don't want to put anything made of wood in there just yet. Plastic or ceramic only right now. Easily washed and sanitized. I still need to be diligent about that. She's not COMPLETELY cured YET. So, that's how our day went today. I'm going to put her "turtle shell" in there tomorrow near the middle of the tank so if she wants to go to a cooler spot to hang, she'll have that! :wink:

 

[Esther19]

Moving day! How exciting! Temp adjusting can be so frustrating, can't it? Sounds like you two are doing well.
That's so good to hear.

 

[SpikesAgirl]

"LOST IN SPACE" :wink:

The "Studio Apt"

 

[Tonja]

Sue she looks so good, what a difference from when you first started treating her. Shes looking gorgeous in spite of her little scars. Scars = personality marks

 

[SpikesAgirl]

:laughing6: Thanks guys!! We are still kind of fumbling with the temps. I think maybe I didn't wait long enough to check the temp after I put the 100 watt. It was only in the 90's today when I got home from work. :roll: Changed back to the 150, put a couple more things in the tank and moved the bulb away from the plastic ramps. They just get way too hot. I have a piece of shale in there. I put the bulb over that and 1/2 over the "steps" of the ramp. Now I'm monitoring the night temps. I think I'll be getting a bigger CHE as the current temp in the tank is only 71. Not warm enough. While she's sick, her night temps need to be around 80. That will also help her body process the meds better too. UGH. Always something. On the up side, I can take all of the smaller bulbs to Maine and use them up there. Her weekend getaways will be in a 29 gallon (same as the one I just moved her out of).
Hello Remillard!! Welcome to Dino's world. Please feel free to share anything from the photobucket album. :wink:

 

[Fellowdt23]

Hi,

Do you mean the basking temp was 90? With the 100 watt bulb?

How are you measuring this temp?

The only reason i ask is the probe attached to dimmers and thermostats are generaly only good for measuring air temperature in which case 90 isnt actualy bad. Sounds like you are having the same issue i had a while back. So i bought an infared heat gun for £20 off of ebay as it measures the surface temperature which can idealy be anything from 100 boarderline to 105-110. My surface temp at hotest spot is about 117 which is to hot but me dragon choses to sit at the lower end most of the time which he finds comfortable. If you wish i will upload a pic to show you how i have changed my basking spot to suit where he likes to sit as he is that big now. To hot surface is better in a way as he will chose whats comfortable if you could maybe get a large stone rock it would withstand the heat better.

I dont want to sound like im telling you things you dont already know i just find it interesting that you are failing to get the right temp with the 100watt.

Im not questioning you at all in a bad way as you know your stuff just trying to help

 

[SpikesAgirl]

I appreciate your suggestions Fellow! I never take anything personally here. I know everyone's intentions are good and it's always about helping! :wink: I have both temp gauges: a probe and an infrared. The basking spot was in the 90's using the infrared to measure it, with the 100 watt bulb. She's in a 75 gallon tank so the lamps are up pretty high from the floor. I am trying to figure out a way to raise the ramps. I have a log that she used to climb up and down to find her "comfy spot" but it's wood. No wood allowed right now. She really likes to hang out on the longer ramp so, I don't want that to get too hot. When it got too hot last night, she moved away from it, to the middle of the tank, which was about 80. I put the 150 back for now and it's away from her favorite ramp spot. We'll see when I get home what the situation is. If she's too hot, she has plenty of room to move away from it. The cool end of the tank is in the lower 70's. I've added the piece of shale, which usually holds the heat pretty well and a piece of patio stone too (I have one more to add). I may have to use the 2 patio stones to raise the ramp up with the 100 watt if I find the basking temp too high again today. That's going to be my next step.

 

[Fellowdt23]

Yeah getting the temps in a new tank is always hard my dragon is in a 120 gallon tank now because hes gotten that big. And unfortunatly a basking spot at any hight doesnt work for me so i have a flat stone that goes a an ever so slight angle fo his basking spot and he loves it.

I also now use an 80 watt halogen bulb for his basking it gives off a more intense heat at the basking spot which he seems to prefer. So just remember that there are other heat bulbs that can be used aswell.

Hope its all good when you get home