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:

 

[Toad]

He's such a pretty boy! I'm sure he'll be the prefect gentleman to your girls. :lol: I must say, I'd never heard of using cocoa butter on their feet. Thanks for the tip, and again, congratulations on your new baby!

 

[BrendaKay]

I also had to get a bit of water out of his beard and found an old yukkie super hidden in there, rotting, so he got a whole bunch of roaches today and ate every single one (twisting and stink eyeing the whole time :lol: )

Say what?! Hidden in his beard?

 

[sweetiepie9]

Yep, hidden in his beard. I was surprised as you are. He drank too much water on Monday and I had to let some out of his mouth. So this yuck comes out & turns out to be a super that he ate last week, it was so gross :shock: He hates eating supers as much as he hates eating roaches, but I know he swallows the roaches as they`re all medium sized and I watch him chew them & swallow. Sometimes they put stuff in their beards to digest later. Gabriel does that for everything, but I know he digests it as his beard goes very flat. So is Didi`s yet this yuck shows up. I only knew it was a super because I could see the tail still. Not saying all beardies do this, but Didi is especially hard to feed. He squirms and wiggles, goes backwards, clamps his mouth shut, but I have my ways. This is why he`s lost 30 grams from Oct 19 to Nov 2. I had given all my small roaches to a friend, but they`re growing again so I can now continue feeding him roaches. He`s always been like this, very difficult to feed everything and prone to lose weight quickly.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Well now I'm officially worried about Lonzo. I found the worms he ate 2 days ago thrown up in his tank. Freaked me out, it's the 2nd time he's done this. So no more supers for him! Now I'll try roaches but if that doesn't work, or he chokes on them, it will have to be carnivore care with baby food & supplements mixed in. He eats collard greens fine but only eats a couple of small pieces before he spits them out. I sure can't starve the poor wee man. I have a vet appt with Didi and Lonzo on Dec 13, there is no beardie vet in on any other weekend in Nov (plus I'm broke) so I'm hoping to get him through until then. I also found a cut on the side of his mouth that was bleeding, so opened his mouth & found black along his teeth. So I've started him on Nolvadent and will give him that every morning. I'm hoping, if there's an infection starting, I nip it in the bud.

Otherwise it was really sunny this am, so Gabriel got sun and so did Lonzo, but it was also very cold (for us at least) so didn't have the door opened more than an hour. Puff was black bearding again this am, so snuggled her for awhile and all her pretty colours came out. Gabriel stayed out for the day, he loves his ramp. He and Puff get opposite days out all week. Leo's still sound asleep & Didi still can't be out with the rest. Lonzo doesn't like to leave his tank anymore, unless I'm snuggling him. What a crew I have!

So the big news, MY DAD IS HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL!!!! I'm so happy and so is my mom. He was taught, in the last couple of days, how to get up and down the stairs, but Mom might let him sleep in his chair for the night. He was sound asleep when I called tonight when I got home. So I'll be visiting on Saturday, it'll be great to see him home. The doc said he's doing well. He still has blisters along where the knee was replaced because his skin is so thin, but the home nurse will come in every 3 days to change the bandage and clean it out. I'm so glad he's in good health and is doing so well! Hopefully I'll be as healthy as he is at 87

 

[Goonie]

Can you get butters or other soft-bodied worms in Canada? Lonzo probably can't chew the supers anymore

I'm sure your dad is very happy to be home, as well as your mom to have him home, and that he's doing so well.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi Gina. No Lonzo's teeth are fine, I'm not sure why he did that. His teeth are still razor sharp, just dark, which is why I'm using the Nolvadent. I'm not aware of any place around here who sells butters. I know PetSmart sells hornworms, so I think I'll get some soon. He's was fine on the supers but I may have given them to him too often, as I was worried about his weight. So I'll check around & see what I can find. I might try to order some, I'll check a few sites.

Mom was so happy to be home again, no more 10 hours days at the hospital. I'm going to call her this am to see how she managed with getting Dad upstairs or if he slept in his chair last night.

I've got Puff snuggling, she's still black bearding, this is the 3rd morning and I'm not sure what that's about. But when I snuggle her it goes away. So I guess she needs a morning snuggle, which I'm glad to do.

 

[sweetiepie9]

I swear my brain isn't working today. I bought some mini supers by mistake last weekend, I'll try those on Lonzo today and see how they go down. Just a few, though.

 

[BrendaKay]

Poor Lonzo! What an ordeal he puts you through. I never new about food in the beard. Now I'll try to check, or feel Sidney's beard if it looks like it has stuff in it. I don't think it's ever flat!

What a relief your dad is home! Your mom must be happy with that, and no more sitting at the hospital all day. Hopefully he managed the stairs ok!

 

[Goonie]

Even though his teeth are still razor sharp, he may not have the jaw strength to chew it. It's a possibility.

Do you think Puff is carrying more eggs? Or just that she had gotten used to getting snuggles in the mornings?

 

[sweetiepie9]

Well I fed Lonzo 10 mini supers and he chewed on them & swallowed them well. No bug vomit in his tank tonight. So hopefully that means I found some protein he can eat! YEAH!

As for Puff, I think she just likes to get Mommy snuggles in the am 'cause she sure turns her bright colours after about 15 minutes of snuggling into my neck :lol: She was so funny this am. I've taken to having her on the living room floor & throw her supers around, she runs back & forth & snatches them up. Well this am I had thrown one to the opposite side of the living room (it's not that big of a space), she was in the middle of hunting it when I turned the TV on. I always have Disney Jr on for them, they like the cartoons & so when the TV went on & she heard the music for one show that she really likes, she stopped dead & stared at the TV. I called to her that she had a super to hunt, but it still took a minute for her to look away & run to the super & chomp it down. After that I lost her attention, she was back to watching TV again.

As for eggs, I have no idea Gina. She's up to 505g again but she was 589 b4 she laid that clutch of 33 eggs in September, so I'm hoping not. It seems to take a long time to get her weight up again. I'll let you know if she starts, though.

Gabriel did the "I'm dying, Puff is on the ramp" thing this morning again, he makes me laugh :lol: He just doesn't get that they have to share :roll: So he's out tomorrow for the day while I got to visit my folks.

I talked to my mom this am & Dad made it up the stairs last night and slept in his bed for the 1st time in 8 days, he was so glad he could do that. This morning he had his breakfast upstairs and then he was downstairs again for the day. The big electric chair my mom got him a few years ago is sure coming in handy for him. He just pushes a button, the chair moves back, then gives him a push up & he's on his feet. He's been getting up & moving around downstairs a few times a day with his walker, so he's improving all the time. There's a home nurse that comes in every 3 days to change the pressure bandage on his leg, as he blistered up after the operation due to his skin being so thin. He's healing there, too, though. Before you know it, he'll be driving again...my mom is so pleased with his progress and she's so glad to not be going to the hospital anymore.

 

[Esther19]

What a blessing that your dad is healing so well. Got to sleep in his own bed, even. That must have been such a relief for him. And your mom, too, not having to go to the hospital.

Dear Lonzo was able to keep the little supers down? Please tell him I'm so proud of him.The story about Puff and her TV show was hilarious! My Fred loves the TV, too.

Well, my little Stella is a boy, named Angus. :shock:

 

[Goonie]

What a blessing it is to be able to sleep in your own bed.
So happy that your Dad was able to climb the stairs and move around with the walker.

Well, my little Stella is a boy, named Angus. :shock:

What?!

Well, "his" photos tell all.
I had thought that Pookie was a girl too.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Oh my, Stella is a boy. Sweetie was a boy, too, until she laid an egg :lol: Funny how they all are girls until we find out otherwise.

I'll be seeing my folks today and can't wait!

And yes, I'll give Lonzo an extra cuddle for you Esther, he's doing ok and I'm proud of him :love5:

Puff is on my lap right now, she's become very crunchy on her chest, so she'll be shedding very soon. Guess that would explain the black beard in the am. She's on my lap and she's all her beautiful colours, the peachy ones, even her beard. So mommy snuggles in the morning seem mandatory for her. Thanks goodness it's the weekend!

 

[sweetiepie9]

Well, Gina, you were right. Puff laid an egg in her bath this am...so back to feeding her as much as she'll eat and giving her daily calcium for a few weeks. Hopefully she's not got as many as she had b4, she doesn't have the weight she had b4 so she'll be SO skinny. I have my work cut out for me today, that's for sure. Time to feed her b4 I got to my folks.

 

[Goonie]

If there was one egg, does that mean that there may be more?
Poor Puff, she needs to brumate already.

Hope you had a good visit with your parents, and that your Dad is still improving.