I have named my new Dragon Tatsu

It has been some time since I last posted. I have named my new Dragon Tatsu which means Dragon in Japanese. He is now out of quarantine and living in the tank next to Ryuu. I did have him tested and and he is positive for ADV. I would have never guessed it because he is so active and is a good eater, but his test came back positive. He did get sick with an esophageal infection,which was attributed to the stress of shipping and new environment, by Dr. J.  He was treated and has recovered from that. I had to give him injections of antibiotic. He was very good for me and did not object at all. Tatsu is a very sweet Dragon and he is a very pretty orange color. He is in love with Ryuu and she is in love with him. She is back to eating on her own now. I have cut back on her supplements as she is doing so well.  Since Tatsu got sick while under warranty, the vet bill will be taken care of by his breeder. I am also thinking of getting another Citrus Dragon and the breeder said he would give me a good deal on one if that is what I want. Since most Breeders do not test for ADV,I could get another positive Dragon from any of them. I have decided to just stick with this breeder as he has been honest and is willing to reimburse Tatsu's vet bill or give me a deal on another Dragon. I like his Dragons as the are beautiful and have wonderful personalities. Even though Tatsu is Positive for ADV, he is healthy. He is a carrier as is Ryuu. I really want another citrus Dragon so, I think I will go with the deal. The new one will be tested also and if he is not positive, He will remain in the quarantine room,rather than be in the living room with Ryuu and Tatsu. I truly hope this one will be negative but if he is positive, I will just continue to keep each Dragon separate and all their equipment and supplements,food and any thing else will also be kept separate. I have a name for him already. His name will be Smaug after the Dragon in the Hobbit. Smaug will be a very young Dragon as the breeder does not have any adult citrus dragons. This will be my first real baby dragon so I must keep him separate from the others as his immune system will not be as good as an adult's immune system. I will not be getting him until after Christmas some time. I am going to make an appointment with Dr. J  for Ryuu as I want to get her checked. She is doing very well now but I want to make sure that she is OK.   I love my Dragons Ryuu and Tatsu.  The Golden Dragons, to be continued...........

I have a new Dragon!

I have been looking for a new male Dragon for Ryuu for months now. I tried craig's list but was not successful there. I tried several breeders in and out of state but they only had babies for sale.(Most breeders don't test for ADV) Then I found a breeder in Connecticut, Here be Dragons. They had several adult males for sale. I picked one and he is a deep orange. He is a Leatherback. I would have prefered to get a normal spiked Dragon ,but they only had leatherback  adults so I made the decision to get this one. I was lucky enough to find some one who would sell me an adult male. He is quite beautiful. He does have one row of spikes on his sides but none on his body. I am sure Ryuu will fall in love with him. She will be happy again. She will not get to see him until his quarantine is over and he is cleared by Dr. J. Of course he will be tested for ADV. If he is positive, He will be given the same supplements that Ryuu is getting to support her immune system and he would also get the colloidal silver. If he is negative, all precautions will be taken to see that he does not get the virus Ryuu is eating a little better now. Eiko's tank has been moved out and another tank in it's place for the new male.She can not see into this tank as I have it blocked off with cardboard. The new male will go into a tank in the back room for quarantine.Each Dragon will have their own food, food utensils,bowls, towels, ect. Nothing will be shared.No chance to spread the virus.My hands will be washed and disinfected before and after handling each Dragon. Towels and aprons will be washed after each use. I am determined that both Dragons will live long, healthy and happy lives.Now I just have to find a name for the new male. The Japanese have many words meaning Dragon and Dragon related words. Since Ryuu means Dragon Spirit and is the name of my female, I will choose another Japanese name meaning Dragon for him.I just have to pick one I like. I can't wait to get him. He will be shipped over night from Connecticut to Arizona.   Ryuu, soon you will have a new love and you will be happy again.   The Golden Dragons, to be continued............

Bad News

I took Ryuu to see Dr. J for a checkup and to get her tested for the Adenovirus . So far she seems to be OK. Well, the other morning I got the call from Dr. J. The news was not good. Ryuu is positive for the virus. That means I can not bring in a new male for her. Dr. J said I could bring in another positive male, but if it got sick and died, I just don't want to go through all that again. It is so hard when you fall in love with them and you loose them. I did some research on the internet and found a lot of good information. There are actually some supplements and remedies that can be given to ADV positive dragons. One woman has a positive male that was tested positive at 2 years old and is now 10 years old. So there is hope for Ryuu. These are the things I have to get for Ryuu. Bee pollen, Coloidal silver, Serrapeptase, and probiotics. Hopefully, this will help keep her symptom free. The woman who has this positive male has tested all the dragons in her breeding program and they are all negative for ADV. She keeps her positive male separated from the other dragons. She is a Canadian breeder. Northern Dragons.I wish more breeders would test their breeding stock. Their would be less heart break for the people who bought dragons and had them die. This virus could be eradicated, if every breeder would test.  If breeders continue to breed without testing, this virus could wipe out all the Bearded Dragons in this country. (This virus has also been found in Bearded Dragons in their native country, Australia )  I think it should be mandatory to test. There is a breeder that advertizes on the internet to sell their Bearded Dragons and there is a disclaimer on their web page that says they do not test for the Adenovirus. That makes me think that they have had problems with the virus in the past and have chosen not to test the rest of their breeding stock. How can they in good consience, sell their Dragons to unsuspecting people? I will never buy from them, now that I know about this virus. I will ask any breeder that I would consider buying a Dragon from, if they test. If they do not test, I will not buy from them. Dog and cat breeders often spend thousands of dollars to test their dogs and cats for various diseases and conditions. They are the reputable breeders. When I bred my show cats, I always tested for Herpes, feline Leukiemia, Feline Imunosuficency Disease ( Feline Aids) and several eye diseases. Some of these big breeders that have so many breeding Dragons that they keep them in ware houses, can certainly afford to test.The ones that have farms and keep their Dragons in out side enclosures, like the one in Arizona,well they could certainly afford to test. If any of these breeders do test, they need to say so on their web pages so people know that it is safe to buy from them. Well, I will get off my soap box for now, but I won't stop trying to get breeders to test.  Ryuu, my precsious Dragon, I love you and I hope I can keep you healthy for a long time.  The Golden Dragon, to be continued..............

Tragedy

Tragedy has struck my Dragons. It has been a while since I last posted but I just could not bring myself to write about this tragedy. Eiko came down with another bout of Hepatitis again. I took him to see Dr. J and it was very clear that Eiko did have the Adenovirus. I took him home with medications and special food, but he died the next day. He just couldn't fight it off this time. Eiko would have been 2 years old,this coming January.A week later, I found Lilo dead when I went to feed her. Dr.J said he was not sure if it was the same virus that killed Eiko or if it was her age. She was 12 years old.I have had them both cremated and have their ashes. This is such a sad time. Ryuu is the only Dragon I have left now. I hope she does not die. I am going to get her tested so I will know for sure if she has the Adenovirus or not. Ryuu is so lonely. She just sits on her log all day and looks into Eiko's empty tank,waiting for him to return.She looks so sad. It will be quite a while before I can bring in another Dragon. I have to disinfect the empty tanks and all the tank decorations with Clorox and then let them sit out in the sun for a while. I don't know if Eiko's tank will ever get properly disinfected because it has permanent rocks and lots of crevasses  that the Clorox can not reach.  I just hope that Ryuu will be spared this tragedy and I will have her for many years more,happy and healthy. Ryuu, I love you my precious Dragon. Rest in peace Puff and Eiko and Lilo.You were all very precious to me.  I hope this blog will continue...................

Eiko has fully recovered!

Eiko has fully recovered from his bout with Hepatitis. He is eating on his own and he is ravenous! At first, I only gave him 3-5 worms as he was not used to having more than 1 or 2 forced fed worms.Now he is eating 6-10 worms a day. He would eat more if I let him but I don't want him to get too fat which could cause more health issues for him. About twice a month, I don't feed the Dragons as they don't eat every day in the wild. Also, I don't feed them the same amount all the time. They don't get to eat the same amount of bugs in the wild either so I feed less on some days and more on other days.They don't seem to mind that system. I have also noticed that they are actually drinking more water since I just leave the water sit out for a few days and let the chemicals dissipate from it. I have stopped using the blue stuff that I used to put in the water to get rid of the chemicals. Dr. J said that this would be better for them and I guess he is right as they are drinking more. All my Dragons seem to be doing well and they seem to be happy. I love my Dragons,Lilo,Ryuu, and Eiko.   To be continued............

Eiko is still not eating

I am still having to force feed Eiko. He shows no interest in eating at all. He does seem more active though.Once in the last month,he did eat 1 worm on his own. I keep hoping that he will just start eating on his own again.. My girls have slowed down on their eating.They have also been less active and are sleeping most of the day. It has been cooler lately. I know Brumation takes place when the light is less, but could it also be from the weather cooling down? I think the girls are in a semi-brumation state now. They have not brumated all winter,except for in the very beginning when we actually had cold weather. That is when Lilo was in a semi-brumation state. Ryuu was still active at that time. Eiko was also active then, befor he came down with Hepatitis.This is the first winter since I have had Lilo, that she did not go through a full brumation. Each night, my girls wake up and go and sit on there flat rocks and wait for there dinner. Eiko, on the other hand,is either in his hide taking a nap or courting his girls. He has no interest in eating. I think Eiko is getting better because he is more active and is not spending much time in his hide,except for an occasional nap in the afternoon.Eiko has not brumated since I have had him. I wonder if maybe he will next year? He will be 2 years old then. Any way, his hormones are raging now and he is actively courting both girls, but he has a definite preference for Ryuu. I guess because, she is so much younger that Lilo. I love my beautiful Dragons,Lilo, Ryuu and Eiko. I still miss Puff, RIP. The Golden Dragons, to be continued...............

I took Eiko back to the vet

I took Eioko back to Dr. J as he still is not eating on his own.I am still force feeding him. Dr. J said that despite my having to force feed Eiko, he has gained a little weight and his gums are nice and pink. He is getting better.Dr.J gave him some fluids,but did not need to give him any more antibiotic shots.I gave them another $100 on my bill. It's going to take another 3 months to get this vet bill payed off, but at least Eiko is getting better. I just wish he would eat. I love my Dragons,Lilo Ryuu and Eiko. To be continued..............

Brumation?

It appears that Lilo has decided to forget about Brumation for now. She is displaying behaviour that tells me she is in love with Eiko. She is bobbing her head ever so slowly and waving to him. He does go over to her side of the tank and bobs at her.I have never seen this behaviour from her before. In fact, I have never seen her so active before.I guess Puff was so old he never had those feelings and did not bob or wave. I only saw him bob once when I gave him a mirror to see himself in. I never saw him do it any other time.I thought Lilo was too old to do it but I guess not.She is now 12 years old.I guess Eiko likes his girls no matter how young or old they are. Lucky boy, that Eiko. He has 2 loves. Even being sick hasn't gotten in the way of love, or is it  hormones? I wish he would start eating. Dr. J said that Eiko would have to be on death's door to stop courting his girls. At least I know he is not near death.I just want him to get better soon! I do worry about him.  The Golden Dragons,to be continued..........

Eiko's vet visit

I took Eiko in to see Dr. J. He did blood work and it was discovered that Eiko has Hepatitis brought on by a virus that he has. I brought him back to get a long acting shot of antibiotics and some fluids. I was able to give them $175 and they are letting me pay the rest on time payments. I still owe over $350.He is still not eating so I am still force feeding him. If he doesn't start eating soon, he will have to go back to see Dr. J and get some more fluids and another antibiotic shot. Poor Eiko. I feel so bad having to force feed him but I have to get food in him. I hope he gets better soon.  I love my Dragons,Lilo,Ryuu,and Eiko. The Golden Dragons, to be continued..............

My Dragon picture disappeared

My Dragon picture has disappeared from my header. I will have to figure out how to put it back up. to be continued..........

Eiko is not eating well and he coughs every once in a while

I am going to take Eiko to the vet as he is still not eating well. I have also seen him cough every once in a while. He doesn't appear to have any trouble breathing but he should not be coughing. This worries me. He did not have a very good start as a young Dragon. He is now 2 years old. When I first got him, he ate very well and would chase the crickets down and devour them in no time. Then he decided that he did not like crickets any more. Then he ate the super worms when I changed his diet. Then he decided not to eat the worms any more. Something is not right.He should not be coughing and should be eating better than he is. I am having to force feed him.He refuses to eat his greens at all. If I can get his mouth open I can stick the worm in and he will chew it and swallow. But some times he just spits the worm out.He also bit my index finger right through the nail when I was stuffing a worm into his mouth. He did not mean to bite me but my finger was in the way as he bit down on the worm. My finger is OK but it will take time to grow the nail out. Eiko needs to go see Dr. J,so we can figure out what his problem is and go from there.   The Golden Dragons,  to be continue...........