The Odd Couple Of Sandhill- Oscar and Mia

Just a short update on my boys, as I can't sit with my leg down for very long.

Putzy seems to be spending most of his day, dozing. Except for when we go out for some sun, which is when he perks up and tries to escape. I need to order him a new light as his present one is about 6 months old now. Hopefully that will help wake him up and get his appetite going again.

Oscar, on the other hand, is, well, a bottomless pit. He will eat any thing, anywhere, anytime. This includes my fingers, my hair, my feet etc. If it moves, he tries to nom it. As soon as I have the $200+ for his vet visit, it's fun time. (loves going for rides) But his poops are getting firmer and less stinky, so I think it was mainly due to his cricket diet and suddenly getting as much food (bugs and salad) as his not so little tummy could hold.

I'll be posting new pics as soon as I get this dinosaur 'puter to upload the software for my camera. Night all, from me and my boys!

 

[alenke]

I dont know if your still looking for lights and such but I got my $50 UVB tube bulb at petmountain.com for $24.

alyssa

 

[slavetoIzzie]

Putzy is awake once more! After a week of sleeping, he's bearding and bobbing like there's no tomorrow. Problem is, he's still not eating. I had to toss his supers (their meal crap went moldy ) and he ignores his salad. I bought some sweet potato baby food and have been dribbling it into his mouth for the past week, but he only eats about a teaspoon of it before he refuses any more. He hasn't pooped in almost 3 weeks, even with a daily bath. He drinks while in the tub but that's it. I finally got a vet appointment for next Wednesday evening and have my fingers crossed that their Reptile Specialist, really is a specialist.

In the meantime, Oscar had turned grey and crispy for the second time in less than a month. It doesn't seem like a full body shed like last time, but rather just his face and head. His poops are still pretty loose and pungent but not the toxic waste that it had been when he first arrived. Of course it helps that he prefers to go in his bath.So nobody really smells it before it goes down the drain. He is still an eating machine, inhaling everything and anything that remotely resembles food. Hopefully we'll be going to Montreal next weekend, and I'll be able to buy both boys some more hornworms.

 

[slavetoIzzie]

I noticed lately that Oscar's poop is only partially digested. Checked his temps and his thermometer is seriously out of whack. It's saying 98-100 but the actual temps are 80-90. Looks like we're going to have to switch homes sooner than planned. His current lair is in the defunct fireplace and isn't insulated, so the heat just disappears up the chimney. Fine for the summer but now that winter is getting close... He'll have to be moved into an old 40g fish tank, and he won't be happy. It unfortunately is in the spare room, with no tv and he won't be able to see anyone. The poor boy is a people-watcher and we can't forget his judge shows!

Putzy has decided to change the clock around. He's asleep most of the day, then wakes up about 5pm for his B&B (bearding and bobbing) at us and the tv. He's still pretty much just eating the teaspoon of baby food and calcium powder a day and hoarding his poop. I'm starting to worry that he's impacted. Well, the vet better know what he's doing, on Wednesday, cause otherwise I'm SOL for medical help.

Gotta go, the man wants food!

 

[sweetiepie9]

I hope you get a good verdict from the vet for Oscar, I also have known the toxic smell & it was always parasites of one sort or another. Tell Putzy that our boys are doing alot of what he's doing. No eating, so squash babyfood for those that want to be gotten up every 2 days until a poop arrives, then they can brumate all they want. Yesterday we were lizardless, everybeardie was asleep, even Lonzo that normally gets up every day. Today only Lonzo woke up, he had a great day as a single lizard, even though he does check out the other tanks to see where his bobbing buddies have gone. Oh well, he just found other things to bob instead. He's our security leader, being the oldest, 7 1/2 yrs old. Our 2 yr old Rubio has been asleep for a week at least, so all up tomorrow for baths, poops if any, food if hungry, then back to bed. The weather's overcast, windy and rainy, so yuksville. No-one wants to really get up in the weather. Even when Lonzo does get up, he's only up for a few hours b4 he's asleep again.

 

[slavetoIzzie]

Stupid, stupid finances!! I'm finally caught up on all of my past-due bills (2 years paying off a $4000 electricity bill) so I thought "No worries, I can finally relax" But NOOO! The husband's unemployment runs out end of this month, not December. Which means I had to cancel all the vet appointments, cancel my dentist appointment and put off buying new work shoes. If we hunker down, don't spend any fun money, we should survive until he goes back to work in late November.

In the meantime, I'm rigging up a old unused heat rock, tucking it under Oscar's ledge to help raise the heat during the day and unplugging it when he goes to bed.

Putzy is still sleeping. No change, except in minor positional modifications. Photobucket is once more opperational so I'll be posting some new pics later today.

bye for now.

 

[slavetoIzzie]

Well, after procrastinating and being a lazy hermit for the past while, here FINALLY are the promised pictures of the boys!

Putzy having his squash and turkey

Fresh from his bath

Taking a nap with the slave

Poor grumpy goober, forced out of his nice warm bed, having some maniac stuff baby food down his throat, then tossing him into a bathtub. You can tell he's tired by the fact he didn't bother throwing a beard. Just a rather pathetic stink-eye. Still pretty much snoozing most of the day, a fact I'm taking advantage of. I finally can snuggle with His Royal Spatness. (it's how he sleeps)


Oscar finishing off Putzy's left overs

Snugged up in my housecoat after his bath

"My dish is empty! Fill it or face the consequences! (also supposed to be his calendar picture)

Trying to decide if my finger would taste good (it didn't)

Still eating everything that moves. Heck, let's be honest, Oscar eats whatever fits in his mouth! I have finally figured out his schedule. Lights on at 8:30am, breakfast at 9:30-9:45, bath at 11am, lunch at 11:15. Breakfast is just salad and he gets worms with that at lunch.

I was hoping to start feeding roaches soon, but left it a little late. I was supposed to get them from Little D, as he's in Ontario. Unfortunately, he's temporarily out of stock. My fault for taking so long to decide. Oh well, since that's on hold, I bought some silkworms for Oscar. He is one happy dragon.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Thanks for the pictures. Putzy reminds me of Leo, he's got a big tummy, too, but still eats all he can & he's semi-brumating, up couple of times per week. Didi's the same. Lonzo, who's 7 1/2 yrs old is up daily, but only for a few hours. Sweetie is out for the winter, but does get up every month or so, Rubio's out for the count. He'll probably sleep for the whole winter.

How far do you live from Montreal? I grew up in Boucherville, south of east end Montreal, across the St. Lawrence River. I left Montreal when I was 32 and my son was 4, moved to Tsawwassen BC, most southwest corner of BC and now 30 min east of Vancouver, in New Westminster, BC. My son's now 26, so we've been here most of his life. I don't miss the bad weather, but do miss the family that still live in Que & Ont.

Hope your leg is getting better and we're almost to the end of Nov, so then your hubby goes back to work? My hubby's retired and I only have 10 years left, can't wait.!

Tell you boys, they're very cute in their blankies after bath & I love the babyfood faces. I give them babyfood squash, too, in their baths. It's helpful over the winter when they don't eat much.

I love the updates
Deb

 

[slavetoIzzie]

Hi Deb!
I'm out in the boonies, in the non-existent former farm community of Sand Hill. That's 14km outside of Sherbrooke and about 150km from Montreal. Which means it's an easy day trip when we need to hit the good pet stores.

My oldest sister, Margaret, is in Ucluelet. She and her family recently beardie-sat for one of her co-workers (Phoenixred on here) and have been bitten with the beardie bug. I won't be too surprised if one of my nieces doesn't end up here as well! Yay!!!

My leg is almost back to normal, just tends to swell a bit more than the other when I'm tired after a long shift on my feet. I'm supposed to go back in a couple of weeks for a follow up exam. They know what I had, but not WHY I had it, so hopefully it won't reoccur.

Todd is working this week, but their contract has expired and the ***** union is talking strike. We both have another 20 years to go (unless we win the lotto) but at least I'm only part time. I just work to pay the mortgage and the animals! Poor man has everything else.

I have another pic that I have to send you! Oscar has discover blackberries! They're even better than raspberries! I put some on his salad yesterday, and the bugger pick them all out and then sat there demanding more!And Putzy finally had a POOP!!!! Happy Poopy Dance The big goober laid a log almost as big as himself! That's almost a months worth!

Well got to go. The hubby is home and it's time to start the day. I'll post the pic later tonight.

 

[slavetoIzzie]

A couple of quick pics of Mr. Blackberry Face.

He wouldn't be happy tomorrow when I have to scrub his chin!

 

[slavetoIzzie]

Well, Sherbrooke has been going through a silkworm drought. So I had to break down and feed Oscar supers again. He has a 2/day maximum and I break them in half first. So far, he's kept them down and seems to be digesting them alright. Hopefully the silkworms will be in next week, cause my little Osca-boo goes nuts over the squishy,squirty buggers.

Putzy has elevated the "splat position" into an art form. His Royal Splatness has countless variations of the original "Melting Dragon" position and uses them. Still not really eating, I dribble about 2 teaspoons of baby food into him every other day. Then he gets a 20 minute bath and a half hour cuddle before being forced to bask. He's willing to do so as long as his head is covered so he can go back to sleep.

I find out next week if the husband's union is going on strike or not. If they don't, it's vet time for both of the boys.

 

[slavetoIzzie]

Oscar has discovered something even better than TV! After his bath this morning, we were cuddling on the couch,listening to music. Which is when he noticed the 90g fish tank beside us. He was absolutely fascinated by the moving fish. I actually had to wave his breakfast salad under his nose before he finally stopped gawking and came to eat.

What's that?

WOW! They move!

Do you mind? I'm busy.

As for Putzy, His Royal Splatness is refusing to leave his cave.

Huh, go 'way. S'eeping

I said "Go away" That flash is waking me up!

Yep, always something for the grumpy bugger to complain about.

 

[slavetoIzzie]

I am not happy! Not only is there no silkworms anywhere to be found, there's now a shortage of supers. Thanks to the sudden appearance of winter, the shipments from Montreal either didn't get here or didn't survive the trip. Putzy hasn't noticed yet, as he's still pretty comatose. Oscar, on the other hand, has gone on a salad strike. He refuses to touch his greens for almost an hour, just sits beside it, waiting for the non existing worms.

 

[athenacp]

No butterworms either...there is a shortage of supers??? Oh crap :shock:

 

[TexasFan914]

I just wanted to tell you that I love the thread already. I loved the last picture post, so cute and love the commentary!!

 

[RolandKyramere]

Yeah, there seems to be a bit of a shortage, my usual provider is out and has been out since the middle of summer, so I'm buying them from work (so overpriced!).