Who knew I'd become so smitten w/these GIRLS? (Thread/pics)

My son bought our BD, Smaug, on Saturday, and by today, Tuesday, I already adore the little lizard! :love5:

He usually goes to sleep in his "cave", but he seemed restless last night. I turned off his lights and put him in his cave, but he kept coming out and eyeing me up. I decided to scoop him up and take him with me into the living room and hold him while I sat on the sofa and watched TV. I partially covered him with one hand, and he flattened himself against me and fell asleep. So cute! Of course, if I moved, he woke up, but when I got up and put him into his cave, he stayed there and slept until morning.

Here are some pics!

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[CooperDragon]

I just got a bottle of her Reptophilus and Darwin seems to like the flavor of it.

 

[jenn4turtles]

That's a probiotic?

 

[CooperDragon]

Yep, it contains Acidophilus which is a beneficial gut bacteria.

 

[sweetiepie9]

That's what I get, too, Imp and Cierra lick it down really well. They like the taste of it, too. I prefer it to the Benebac, but if you want to go get that, get the gel, easier to administer, you just put it on their lips and they lick it off.

Either one will add good flora to the gut, meaning their stomach won't feel as bad. So if you give meds in the am, give the probiotic at least 6-7 hours later, if you give meds at night, then give the probiotic in the am.

 

[jenn4turtles]

Just ordered some Reptophilus from Tracie!

Thanks!

 

[jenn4turtles]

Got the med in last week and gave it to her. She seems okay ....

Except that she goes from eating to not eating for several days. :roll: I don't think it's an issue with protozoas again; I think she's mad at us.

On July 16th, we went to bird show and came home with a 6-week-old baby lovebird. The bird cage is set-up in the living room, and Smauggie's tank is in Eric's room; however, Smauggie does spend time in the living room, and - of course - the bird is a bit loud, so Smauggie is aware of the newest family member. Pretty much all of my pets (not sure if the fish have noticed yet) are aware of the bird, and nobody seems happy about it. I am fairly certain that the bird's presence is affecting Smauggie, which I can understand, since birds are a natural enemy for bearded dragons. Please know that the lovebird is a tiny thing and does NOT pose a threat to Smauggie; they aren't ever near each other, even when in the same room, and I'm putting extra emphasis on spending time with Smauggie one-on-one to avoid possible jealousy issues.

Here's a pic of Smauggie, with Sami and Saint (2 of our 3 cats - yes, 3, and did I mention that none of them are happy about this bird?) conspiring against the newest family member (at least, that's what it looks like to me):



So ... If anyone out there has a BD and a bird, let me know how you handle the situation. I'm open to all suggestions!


Don't tell Smauggie, but I'm going to post pics of the new bird on her thread, in case anyone likes lovebirds. He/she is a sweetheart. Tiny baby at 6 weeks, now almost 8, and has come a looonng way from the baby that we brought home, who could barely keep it's head up to eat. Now he/she is SO active, flies, "talks" constantly, snuggles ... And, unfortunately, poops ... A lot. :shock:

The day we got him/her:




Last week:



Now:

 

[CooperDragon]

He's a cute little bird! I'm glad Smaug is feeling better. Hopefully the meds worked well and she is just being stubborn. She'll come around soon if that's the case. They never seem to hold a grudge for too long =)

 

[jenn4turtles]

He's a cute little bird! I'm glad Smaug is feeling better. Hopefully the meds worked well and she is just being stubborn. She'll come around soon if that's the case. They never seem to hold a grudge for too long =)

I keep reminding myself that BDs can react unexpectedly when there's a change, and she probably thinks that the whole house is her "tank", so I guess she could feel that the bird's arrival is a change in her home. Also, I'm sure instinct won't let her starve, so she's gotta give in eventually.

 

[AHBD]

Oh, a love bird !! That baby couldn't be any cuter if it tried. Cute and adorable times 10 !

 

[jenn4turtles]

Oh, a love bird !! That baby couldn't be any cuter if it tried. Cute and adorable times 10 !

I know! The most photogenic bird ever!


Meanwhile, Smauggie is still on strike this morning and won't eat. :roll:

 

[jenn4turtles]

Smauggie finally ate this morning! Roughly 18 dubias (medium-sized). I was so happy! I have an appointment for her set for this Friday afternoon, and I'm going to keep it for now, just to be sure that she continues to eat. I can cancel it Friday morning if everything is okay.

 

[kingofnobbys]

How is it having cats with the dragon? I'm considering getting a kitten, but have never had one before - my family was always a dog family growing up!
Any special concerns I should keep in mind as far as having the dragon, too?

BAD IDEA .... no matter how lazy and well fed puss is , the cat is still hardwired to be an apex predator and IT WILL ONE DAY attack that lizard and things WILL MORE THAN LIKELY END IN TEARS as it will not be good for the lizard who will likely end up dead after being tortured (played with) by the cat.

When ever I see pictures of pet lizards (expecially little hatchlings) together with a cat I see a disaster waiting to happen , and it can happen in a split second ....BE WARNED !!!

IMO it is cruel to let a cat anywhere near a lizard (or bird) , the little animal will be very stressed by the presence of the cat (even the scent of it in the house) , CATS AND LIZARDS DO NOT MIX - don't let cute photos like shown earlier in this thread fool you into thinking it is possible to have both lizards and cats living in the same house.
Plus cats are sneeky and smart and will wait for their chance to break into the lizard's tank to get at the lizard when no one is watching or home, I know this for a fact , and I know of people who have come home to find their sweet bundle of fur has invaded the lizard room and methodically taken each pet lizard out of it's enclosure (even "cat proofed" ones) and killed them.

 

[jenn4turtles]

How is it having cats with the dragon? I'm considering getting a kitten, but have never had one before - my family was always a dog family growing up!
Any special concerns I should keep in mind as far as having the dragon, too?

BAD IDEA .... no matter how lazy and well fed puss is , the cat is still hardwired to be an apex predator and IT WILL ONE DAY attack that lizard and things WILL MORE THAN LIKELY END IN TEARS as it will not be good for the lizard who will likely end up dead after being tortured (played with) by the cat.

When ever I see pictures of pet lizards (expecially little hatchlings) together with a cat I see a disaster waiting to happen , and it can happen in a split second ....BE WARNED !!!

IMO it is cruel to let a cat anywhere near a lizard (or bird) , the little animal will be very stressed by the presence of the cat (even the scent of it in the house) , CATS AND LIZARDS DO NOT MIX - don't let cute photos like shown earlier in this thread fool you into thinking it is possible to have both lizards and cats living in the same house.
Plus cats are sneeky and smart and will wait for their chance to break into the lizard's tank to get at the lizard when no one is watching or home, I know this for a fact , and I know of people who have come home to find their sweet bundle of fur has invaded the lizard room and methodically taken each pet lizard out of it's enclosure (even "cat proofed" ones) and killed them.

I agree that there is a potential for injury and (most likely) death, and my advice to anyone with both cats and BDs (or any other small animals) is always this: DON'T TRUST THE CAT(S)! In my case, we had the cats first and Smauggie (and Sprite, our lovebird) came after. I don't know if the order makes a difference, but I would NOT, at this point, bring in another kitten and/or cat. My cats are older (11, 10, and 7) and they are "introduced" to the new babies as we bring them home, and they are ALWAYS supervised when together. For whatever reason, we have never had an incident, but I am aware that the chance is always there.

In Smauggie's case, she's over 2 years old, so she's big (19" long and 685 grams) and looks rather intimidating. We know that she's a sweetheart and harmless, but she looks a little scary. Also, she doesn't move much. If she's sitting in the window or on the bed, she just ... Sits. For the most part, she's not running around, so she doesn't really catch their attention (or set off a "chase" reaction in the cats). In fact, one day Smauggie was on my son's bed with all 3 cats (and myself) and she actually started to crawl to each cat, prompting each one to jump off the bed and run away. Literally - they left the bed. Maybe she smells "bad" to them? Her enclosure is a front-close system, with a top lock and a bottom lock, which we use.

As for Sprite, the little baby lovebird, I trust the cats even less with him/her. Sprite is ALWAYS moving and making a fuss, and I know that will get the cats' attentions. It's just too much of a temptation to a cat. The doors on the cage are latched and have twist-ties.

So ... Can you have cats and a BD (and a bird)? Yes, I do, but I also have to be diligent and keep a close eye on all of them, which adds a bit more work to it, but that's ok.

 

[jenn4turtles]

Wow, I haven't been on here in awhile!

Smauggie is doing great! She eventually started eating again (after throwing what I think was her version of a tantrum over the new family member) and became clear of protozoas. Everyone was happy about that, especially Smauggie.

Right now, she's snoozing. It's been about a week and a half. We woke her up last Monday (a week ago today) and soaked her b/c it was time for it. She went right back to sleep. I'm expecting her to do the same today or tomorrow after her next soak. This seems kinda late for brumation; she usually goes down in December. But it's been fairly warm here ... Which is good news for everybody, cuz I don't like the cold either. Maybe I'm part reptile ...? :?:

So far, things are going reasonably well with all of my critters. I make sure that I have time for each one, individually, which is hard during the work week, but doable. Prior to her slumber, Eric would take Smauggie out of her tank when he got home; I would take her from him after I came home from work and took my shower. Once she was in her tank for the night, I would grab the lovebird, Sprite, for quality time. Once Sprite is in bed, then the cats would come for their quality time. It's a little chaotic, but it works for us! The cats still keep a distance from the lovebird, but they don't mind Smauggie. Sprite (still not sure if Sprite is male/female, but we just refer to Sprite as a "he" most of the time) is not allowed near ANY of the other animals; if any are near, he acts like a nut, snapping like a T-Rex at them. Had I known, I might've named the lovebird "Xena" instead ... "The best defense is a good offense". :lol:

Hopefully, I can upload some pics tomorrow.

 

[CooperDragon]

Welcome back. I'm glad to hear she's doing well and is free of protozoa!