Jace, Zy, Sorin, Ava, Nissa, & Koth -->Update 12-18 w/ Pics

Hello,
I'm relatively new to this website, though I have posted questions prior to this "blog." I fell in love with bearded dragons on a trip to Petco. I've always wanted a reptile and I have a dragon statue collection at home so it seemed perfect. Jace, however, was not my first beardie. My first beardie was one of the two smaller ones. The employees hadn't gotten around to putting on of the little ones up for adoption because he would have a seizure whenever he was picked up. They were pretty sure the one I had picked wasn't the seizure one. I bought him the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and am sad to say I returned him that following Monday. This one had seizures whenever he was put down. I knew, being a new owner, that it would be better for the both of us if I returned him to Petco and that was when I got Jace, the love of my life. On a side note, the two that suffered from seizures got adopted to loving homes where someone can take care of them . Anyways, on to my picture show.

This was my first night with Jace. He no longer has that cage - he is in a bigger one and on tiles instead.

The first week montage:

I loved the way he just dug a bed and curled up.

He was so little!

This is his new cage - the sand in the dig bowl has been replaced with flaxseed

My little poser

He loves climbing on my shirt and just hang

I loved the natural blue that came out - don't know how that happened

Again, his dig box before we changed it:

He loves my computer

That's it for now, but he's a very photogenic man so there will be more to follow.

 

[Esther19]

Thank you, dear. And I'm SO glad that things are okay at home.

 

[zandi202]

You and me both!

I don't understand my grandparents. I really don't. They flip out at the thought of me having depression or not wanting to eat my grandma's bad cooking and here I was thinking that they were going to $hit themselves when they found out I had more reptiles even though the no more reptiles thing was placed AFTER I snuck them in. Then when the $hit hits the fan - nothing.

 

[sweetiepie9]

I would take that in good faith, Liz, that Sorin, Nissa and Koth were meant to be. Maybe they're realizing that you're a grown-up and it's up to you what pets you have. But really, it's a good thing, right?

As for Zy, it's funny how they work sometimes, going through the winter slow down but not sleeping yet. You can offer her food but then you have to make sure she's pooping regularly and not holding it in like before. Offering her food, then giving her pumpkin when you can would probably work well for now.

I'm glad you had that talk with Paul, those vitamins, plus a larger dose of Vit D (it's been proven that we, as North Americans, don't get enough Vit D. I take 2000 UI with my doc's approval & have been for 6 years and it's helped a lot. So that might be another thing you & Paul can do. I took the melatonin, too, but it didn't help me much; he has to stop with the alarm in the am, has to learn to get up when he needs to! That just makes you more tires, as I know, as I used to do that, too, but realized it took time away from my morning time with my dragons, so don't do that anymore. Is he stopping the donuts in the am for breakfast? It's the most important meal of the day, he needs to realize, even a handful of fruit and toast is better for him.

Good luck with everything and so glad you're feeling a bit better and your babies are doing well.

 

[zandi202]

I will admit, I do not feel nearly as stressed out as I did before. My grandparents knowing took a lot of weight off of my shoulders. Now I don't feel the pressure to move out right away.

We've been leaving her food, trying to hand feed her it - nothing. Maybe a green or two if hand fed, but that's all. I don't get her and she is by far my most chilled out baby.

I'm the only one taking D3 because that is with my calcium supplement. I'm hoping the B will give him energy in the day and the melatonin will take it all away at night. He has such a hard time sleeping at night that he sleeps when I'm driving, in class, etc.

He is no longer eating two donuts for breakfast and three unhealthy deserts for lunch. I told him since I pay for his breakfast and lunch he needs to eat healthier. So he too get the whole wheat bagel with bacon, egg and cheese whereas mine is minus the cheese.

Thanks, Deb!

 

[sweetiepie9]

I think Zy is being affected by the winter slow down, the not eating is the first stage, then she'll start getting really sleepy, probably won't sleep full out but just sleepy, like my crew. They're not eating a lot either.

Glad Paul is getting on a better diet, hopefully his sleep patterns will improve, soon, too.

The D3 is fine but you can also take extra D, it helps a lot, as I've been doing that for a long time.

 

[zandi202]

Yeah. Yesterday spent a lot of time on the cool side of her viv and never touched her food. She ran around for her hour of play time for maybe 5-10 minutes before crashing on a blanket.

I think Jace is getting ready. He's getting sleepy too - spending a lot of time under his hammock. He had one worm yesterday.

You don't feed during brumation, correct? And for the most part they maintain their weight or does it drop? And they should get one twenty minute bath a week, correct?

I hope Paul's sleep patterns improve soon as well. I need him awake during the day and sleeping at night. Not visa versa. Hopefully the melatonin and B-Complex will help.

I went to Walmart yesterday and they didn't have any Vit. D. It was all D3.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Yes, no food while bromating, as the food would rot in their tummy & they'd get really sick. So you have to make sure all poops are out before they sleep. Yes a 20 minute bath once a week to keep them hydrated, as the air can get pretty dry with winter and heating. I decided last year to give Rubio water by syringe in his bed instead of waking him up for a bath, because he really hates baths & definitely would wake him up. That worked out really well, so I'm going to do the same thing this year. But he has to stop eating first, then I have to give him daily baths without any food for a week to clean him out. The others all gets baths.

There is a hormone that comes into force when they brumate, it lowers their metabolism and heart rate so they don't usually lose weight, but mine always do a bit. That's why I pig them out in the summer, so they get good and fat, so if they lose any weight, it's easy to gain it when they wake up. Titan and Lonzo aren't going to be bromating this year, I'm going to make sure they're up every day, Titan because of this ongoing skin infection and Lonzo because of his non-functioning lung. The other 4 are free to sleep, I think Didi & Leo will be down soon, will see today if they wake up, if not, they haven't eaten much, so a couple more baths for them before deep sleep.

It's a strange time of year for them, when they're never bromated before, they really don't know what's going on in their bodies & it takes a bit before they're flat out.

 

[zandi202]

Ok so I will stop feeding Zy since she hasn't eaten in forever. I'll give her two more syringes of pumpkin over the next two weeks to make sure her tummy is cleaned out. Thanks, Deb!

Once Jace starts the slow down I will do the same woth him.

Is it a bad idea to handle and take them out while they brumate? What do I do for vitamins and calcium?

Thanks for explaining everything, Deb!

 

[sweetiepie9]

No, you don't handle them at all, you turn off their lights and cover them up, the just get them up every Sunday for a bath, cuddle, good drying off (I'd put the lights on for that one day) and then back to sleep covered & with lights off. I only keep the lights on if it's cold in the room, but as I always have the living room at 73F 24/7, I keep my lights off when they're sleeping.

It's always hard the first winter, so don't stop asking questions! The first winter Sweetie & Lonzo slept I freaked out, I just didn't know what to do. So I read the Brumation article about 10 times to reassure myself that this long winter sleep was normal. Then when Rubio joined the ranks, at least I didn't freak out as much :lol:

Didi's already showing signs of staying down soon, he hardly eaten in a week, so 1 more poop and he'll be out. Leo is already in his hide, but no idea if he's sleeping or not. I'm leaving their lights on anyway, just in case, but soon will be turning them off, once I know they're asleep. Rubio is sleepy but eating, so not ready for brumation yet, but when he is he'll be down for a couple of months, if not longer. Titan and Lonzo don't bromate as I won't let Titan because of the skin infection and Lonzo because of his lung. So they're up every morning and if they go to sleep earlier than usual, that's ok. Gabriel hasn't bromated yet, so I still get him up every am. He's sleeping on the sofa now, as I like the bedroom too cold for him. And he stays asleep until I take his blanket off in the am. He did this last winter, so that worked out well.

 

[CountofCasualty]

This is really useful! Thanks for explaining it so well, Deb, and to Liz for asking all the right questions.

 

[zandi202]

Aw, thanks, Jolene!

Thanks, Deb! The down lo on this is so freaking helpful you have no idea!

Now I'm not sure if I missed it, but what do I do about calcium and vitamin supplementing during the winter? Both Jace and Zy will presumably be adults at that point in time. Speaking of which, what is the year old beardie's supplement schedule anyways?

Also, what about CHE's? I live in the upstairs and it is poorly insulated and gets chilly once winter weather hits. CHE's on low 24/7? only at night? as soon as it gets cool? What temperature would I want it outputting?

Sorry for all of the questions, but the sooner I know the more at ease I will be I guess.


Sorin has his first taste of supers today. Had them mixed in with a bowl of greens and they were gone! Everything licked clean!

Jace cleaned up all of his greens and ate five worms thus far.

Zy ate one super!

 

[sweetiepie9]

CHEs for night time only & only if it's less than 65F at night, so in your case a good idea, just to bring the tank to about 75F would be my guess. I've never had to use them, but that would keep them good & warm during the winter months.

The schedule for over a year old is 3x/wk for calcium and 1x/wk for min/vit.

No need for any supplements if they're really bromating, but is not the usual schedule.

Wow, Sorin is a beardie vacuum cleaner, what a good boy. And Jace is doing well, too, so glad he's eating again.

And don't mind the questions, but only if I can answer them!

 

[Lindz0518]

I keep forgetting about brumation. I know that I won't have to deal with it this year with Finn as he is not a year old yet. It seems really strang to not feed them, lol.

 

[zandi202]

Deb:
Okay, thanks!
And really brumating is the actual sleeping 24/7 for the next however many months, correct?
Sorin got his hands on Jace's shed once and ate it.

Lindz:
I wish I could forget about brumating. At least I have two leos to play with. Ava is Paul's job because every time I had to pick her up the past week she tried to bite me.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Yes, bromating is the full sleeping, but there is the 1/2 bromating, too, when they're just so sleepy but still eating and pooping, you know the regular stuff. Lonzo is like that, he's still eating and pooping (he poops every morning :lol: ) but is asleep by 2p. But he gets treated as normal in the morning. He's not allowed to fully bromate, even though I'm sure he'd like to, I just don't feel comfy unless he's up every am.