tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13545725303705345582024-02-02T14:23:34.266-07:00The Smiling Dragon<center>Formerly "The Golden Dragon" <p>This blog is about life with rescued Bearded Dragon</p></center>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-65263101164374968382017-03-30T18:32:00.001-07:002017-03-30T18:32:20.929-07:00I now have 3 ADV positive DragonsIt's been a while since my last post,but I have been busy with all my animals and training my Dutch Shepherd to be my next guide dog. Training a guide dog is very time consuming but I enjoy the training and the dog seems to also. Well, back to Smaug. He tested positive also, so now I have 3 positive dragons to care for. All are healthy at this point. Smaug and Tatsu are such good eaters and dive into their greens and eat every leaf. Ryuu is off greens for now,but she is eating super worms and crickets on her own with out me having to open her mouth and put the food in. She is very happy living next to Tatsu and they are constantly interacting with each other through the "window of love",which is the walls of their glass tanks,end to end. They are very entertaining to watch. Smaug is growing like a weed. He is not so little any more. He likes to be petted but is still no to comfortable with me picking him up. I am taking it slow and he is getting better about it. He likes to sit in his hide and watch the worms come out and eat during the day. I keep the worm container next to the end of his tank for convenience and he loves watching them. He is such a good eater and has been healthy so that is good. I hope I can keep him healthy,because he is so young.But all of my Dragons are healthy at this time and I will do all I can to keep them healthy and happy. I love my Dragons,Ryuu, Tatsu and Smaug, to be continued...............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-46418663524037926362017-02-13T23:21:00.002-07:002017-02-13T23:36:48.521-07:00Smaug has arrivedI picked out a beautiful 5 month old Dragon.He will not be a solid Citrus color but will be a patterned Citrus. He is also a leatherback like Tatsu. He is so CUTE!!! His spikes are already yellow and he has circular spots on his back which at this time are tan,but they are surrounded by a yellow outer circle. Also he has an intermittent yellow stripe down his back. He was shipped from Connecticut,but got stuck in Tennessee,because of an ice storm. I was so worried for him. He did arrive a day late but was OK. When I unpacked the shipping box and opened the bag he was in, he looked up at me as if to say, "Hi There". Poor little thing was so cold. I held him close to me while I got his warm bath ready for him. He soaked for about 20 minuets and was warm when I put him in his 60 gal tank. About an hour or so later,I fed him and he ate well. I did not handle him the first 4 days,but I am picking him up and letting him just sit in my hand in the tank. He does allow me to pet him and seems to enjoy it. I am taking it slow with him so he does not get frightened. He is responding to his name now and does not seem to be bothered by the dogs when they bark. He watches every thing intently. He likes it when I talk to him or when I sing to him. He listens intently ,even though I know he doesn't understand what I am saying.When I look at Ryuu and Tatsu now, they look huge to me as he is so small. He has grown since I got him. I just love him. I can see his personality already blooming. He is going to be quite the clown. I love my beautiful Dragons! To be continued..........<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-54809406500769001892016-11-14T04:23:00.003-07:002016-11-14T04:23:20.520-07:00I have named my new Dragon TatsuIt 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...........Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-12799995990171632472016-09-03T21:11:00.001-07:002016-09-03T21:11:32.751-07:00I 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............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-28262058868195618242016-07-25T02:06:00.001-07:002016-07-25T02:18:07.456-07:00Bad NewsI 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..............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-85931359858666758652016-06-22T23:29:00.001-07:002016-06-22T23:29:20.293-07:00TragedyTragedy 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...................Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-17059020580992028872016-05-12T18:42:00.002-07:002016-05-12T18:46:50.160-07:00Eiko 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.<i> 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............</i>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-88885975838880289142016-03-13T22:29:00.000-07:002016-06-22T23:34:56.737-07:00Eiko is still not eatingI 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...............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-79720243565102383302016-02-13T05:37:00.003-07:002016-02-13T05:37:42.840-07:00I took Eiko back to the vetI 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..............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-80794825698434091282016-01-23T22:40:00.001-07:002016-06-22T23:42:09.591-07:00Brumation?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..........<br />
<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-22255779634096613662016-01-23T22:20:00.001-07:002016-03-13T22:38:05.037-07:00Eiko's vet visitI 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..............<i> </i>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-42708885086802596222016-01-01T17:14:00.001-07:002016-01-01T17:14:24.147-07:00My Dragon picture disappearedMy Dragon picture has disappeared from my header. I will have to figure out how to put it back up. to be continued..........Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-33554950084544309982016-01-01T17:08:00.001-07:002016-01-23T22:07:40.233-07:00Eiko is not eating well and he coughs every once in a whileI 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...........Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-43992648439614393462015-11-27T22:18:00.002-07:002015-11-27T22:18:26.738-07:00It is Brumation timeLilo has started to brumate. She is in her hide most of the day and will come out to eat some times. sometimes she just sleeps through dinner time. Ryuu sleeps in her hide at night but is awake during the day. She is now 3 years old so she may or may not brumate yet.Eiko is not brumating at all. He will actually be 2 years old in January.So he is still young and may not brumate this year. they all seem fine and Lilo and Ryuu are eating well.Eiko is still being picky about his food. If I hold a piece of salad in front of him,he will eat it but refuses to eat any more than that one piece. He will some times eat 5 - 7 super worms but there are days that he refuses to eat any thing.Lilo and Ryuu are eating all their salads. Eiko makes me worry. What else can I find to feed him that he won't get tired of eating? Lilo,Ryuu and Eiko, the Golden Dragons. To be continued.............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-27393551986650401012015-10-18T17:21:00.002-07:002016-07-25T02:24:54.375-07:00Happy Birthday DragonsEven though I did not have a Birthday party for the Dragons, I did buy them each a gift.I also decorated their tanks with Halloween stickers and they look really cute. Ryuu and Eiko needed the new feeding dishes for their salad.I got Lilo a new green plant and put it next to her cool side hide. She has already investigated it and has given her approval. She actually went into the cool side hide yesterday after looking over her new green plant and slept there over night.I am also going to buy them a new bath tub as the one I am currently using has a corner broken off. I want to get a bigger one and one that I can put a top on so that Eiko will not escape. He is a jumper and I have to supervise his bath time very closely so he doesn't leap out of the tub! Lilo and Ryuu seem to enjoy their bath time and do not try to jump out of the tub at all. Lilo and Ryuu are eating their salad but,Eiko will only eat one or two bites and then he throws the rest of it around his tank . What a mess to clean up.Lilo is still eating only crickets and Ryuu is eating both crickets and super worms. Eiko only ate 4 worms last night. He refused to eat any more.He usually eats at least 10 - 12 worms.I hope he is not tired of eating worms now. He still will only eat one or two crickets when I offer them. Most of the time he won't eat them at all. I refuse to feed ROACHES. There are already too many cricket escapees running around my house and I don't need any ROACH escapees running the house.I hate ROACHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lilo waved to me with both arms last night when I sang to her. She really enjoys my singing to her.Eiko always cocks his head and watches me very intently while I am singing to him.Ryuu does the same and she tries to climb as close to me as she can get.Lilo does this also. I really enjoy my Dragons. I still miss Puff so much. He was so special. His personality was so different from my other Dragons. He would demand to be picked up and cuddled and persisted in climbing the side of his tank until I would pick him up.Lilo and Ryuu love to be petted, held and cuddled but they don't demand it.They just wait for me to pick them up. Eiko loves to be petted, but would prefer not to be picked up and held.He is a lot better about it now than he used to be,but I don't think he will ever enjoy it like the others do.I found a home for my large fish tank, with all the Guppies in it. It went home with my house keeper's sister. Now I have room for one more 40 Gal. tank. I still would love to have a White Dragon. I did meet a breeder at the reptile show that will have some lucistic all white with no pattern, Bearded Dragons at next years show. He has them now but is not selling any because he needs them for breeding to produce more of them. I love my Dragons, Lilo,Ryuu and Eiko. The Golden Dragons, to be continued............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-85545181469573891792015-10-18T17:21:00.001-07:002016-06-22T23:40:04.913-07:00Happy Birthday DragonsEven though I did not have a Birthday party for the Dragons, I did buy the each a gift.I also decorated their tanks with Halloween stickers and they look really cute. Ryuu and Eiko needed the new feeding dishes for their salad.I got Lilo a new green plant and put it next to her cool side hide. She has already investigated it and has given her approval. She actually went into the cool side hide yesterday after looking over her new green plant and slept there over night.I am also going to buy them a new bath tub as the one I am currently using has a corner broken off. I want to get a bigger one and one that I can put a top on so that Eiko will not escape. He is a jumper and I have to supervise his bath time very closely so he doesn't leap out of the tub! Lilo and Ryuu seem to enjoy their bath time and do not try to jump out of the tub at all. Lilo and Ryuu are eating their salad but,Eiko will only eat one or two bites and then he throws the rest of it around his tank . What a mess to clean up.Lilo is still eating only crickets and Ryuu is eating both crickets and super worms. Eiko only ate 4 worms last night. He refused to eat any more.He usually eats at least 10 - 12 worms.I hope he is not tired of eating worms now. He still will only eat one or two crickets when I offer them. Most of the time he won't eat them at all. I refuse to feed ROACHES. There are already too many cricket escapees running around my house and I don't need any ROACH escapees running the house.I hate ROACHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lilo waved to me with both arms last night when I sang to her. She really enjoys my singing to her.Eiko always cocks his head and watches me very intently while I am singing to him.Ryuu does the same and she tries to climb as close to me as she can get.Lilo does this also. I really enjoy my Dragons. I still miss Puff so much. He was so special. His personality was so different from my other Dragons. He would demand to be picked up and cuddled and persisted in climbing the side of his tank until I would pick him up.Lilo and Ryuu love to be petted, held and cuddled but they don't demand it.They just wait for me to pick them up. Eiko loves to be petted, but would prefer not to be picked up and held.He is a lot better about it now than he used to be,but I don't think he will ever enjoy it like the others do.I found a home for my large fish tank, with all the Guppys in it. It went home with my house keeper's sister. Now I have room for one more 40 Gal. tank. I still would love to have a White Dragon. I did meet a breeder at the reptile show that will have some lucistic all white with no pattern, Bearded Dragons at next years show. He has them now but is not selling any because he needs them for breeding to produce more of them. I love my Dragons, Lilo,Ryuu and Eiko. The Golden Dragons, to be continued............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-89427077035200236522015-10-04T23:44:00.001-07:002015-10-04T23:44:48.802-07:00I went to the Reptile Show to dayI went to the Reptile Show to day and there were many beautiful Bearded Dragons there.There were also a lot of beautiful snakes and many other beautiful lizards.I did see one Trans-Pecos Rat Snake. I used to have one of those. I did not see any Rough Green Snakes though. If I should get another snake,I want to get a Rough Green Snake.I talked to a lot of nice people and I bought some new feeding dishes for Ryuu and Eiko.I still need to get some thing for Lilo.Even though I am not having a party for them this year,I am still getting them gifts. I really needed the feeding dishes for their salad as the dishes that are currently being used are old and one has been chewed on the side by one of the dogs.I am not sure what to get for Lilo.Maybe I can find some thing at PetsMart this week.She does not need a feeding dish as I use Puff's Dish for her. I really enjoy going to the Reptile Show each year. There are so many different kinds of animals and I like to talk to the people about their exhibits, and also tell them about my Dragons,and the snakes I used to own.I did buy another book about Bearded Dragons. It was one that I did not already have.I also saw some beautiful Dart Frogs. Some day I would love to have a nice set up and have some Dart Frogs in it.I love my beautiful Dragons,Lilo Ryuu and Eiko. The Golden Dragons,to be continued............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-72433288242103666322015-09-30T22:14:00.002-07:002015-09-30T22:14:54.944-07:00October is the Dragons birthdayI have decided that I am not going to have a Birthday party for the Dragons this year. I just can't afford it. I am still in the "Donut Hole,"meaning I have to pay full price for all my Medications now as the insurance company insists that I am over my dollar limit for them to pay their part. I am going to go to the Reptile show and will probably buy something for each Dragon. Something they need.All of the Dragons are doing very well. I have been putting Eiko in the travel ball when I am cleaning his tank. He seems to be the only one who really goes for a walk. Lilo and Ryuu just kind of sit there and occasionally take a step or two.I think Eiko enjoys his walks as he really gets the "ball rolling". I still have not gotten the tiles I need to tile Lilo and Ryuu's tanks. I just have not been able to afford it.I have had to buy 3 new Mercury Vapor bulbs as the others were on their way out.Eiko's actually did burn out.Lilo does not want to eat the super worms so I just give her crickets and occasionally offer her a worm,but she still refuses to eat it. Ryuu will eat any thing you offer her,so I feed her both crickets and worms and she is happy. Eiko will now eat the occasional cricket,but he wants his super worms. I usually toss him a cricket or two and if he eats them, I then feed him more worms and he is happy. If he does not eat the crickets,I take them out of his tank,as he refuses to hunt for them . Some times the Dragons eat their greens and some times they don't. It helps if I put baby food veggies on the greens and then they seem to dig in to the greens. I am still singing to them and they really enjoy that.They climb up as close to me as they can get and listen. I can see their breathing get faster and when I am done singing, they seem to want more. I really enjoy these wonderful lizards. They are so intelligent and sweet.Eiko is getting much better about being handled and he is not trying to jump out of his tank now when I open the top. I love my Dragons. Lilo,Eiko, and Ryuu,the Golden Dragons,to be continued.................Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-33840816903397499912015-08-02T01:40:00.001-07:002015-08-02T01:40:30.664-07:00The dogs got hold of the bag of super wormsMy friend Johnny picked up the crickets and super worms for the Dragons this morning. He was talking to me about his dog court case, so I brought the bugs and worms in the house and put them up so the dogs could not reach them,so I thought..........I went back out side to continue the conversation and then Johnny left and I came back in to put the crickets and worms in their containers. The worms were missing! I searched the house, muttering at the dogs and and finally found them in one of the dog crates.The bag had been torn open and some of the worms had escaped.I had quite a time rounding up all the escapees.I hope I got them all as they turn into black beetles when they morph.I don't need any more bugs running around my house. There are already enough cricket escapees running loose in my house.I HATE BUGS!!The last worms I picked up, I tossed in to the Dragons and they scarfed them up.I don't know which dog did the deed but I won't leave the crickets and worms in the living room again unattended.I will put them in the kitchen with the door shut so no dogs will be able to get them, if I can't put them in their containers right away. I love my Dragons,Lilo,Ryuu, and Eiko. The Golden Dragons, to be continued................Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-71016705190936229342015-07-24T22:08:00.004-07:002015-07-24T22:08:58.573-07:00Super Worms for EikoEiko has not been eating well. For some reason, he has decided that he is tired of eating crickets. Lilo and Ryuu are still very happy eating them and scarf them up every night. Eiko refuses to eat any of them. At one point, I had to force feed him so he would not starve.I decided to try feeding him Super Worms. He scarfed them down in a second.I stopped feeding Super Worms when Puff was still with me. The quality of the worms was not good so I stopped buying them.I am glad I remembered them as force feeding Eiko was not an easy job.He had started to loose weight and I had to do something. He was not even eating his greens. He would just knock over his dish of greens,spreading them all over his tank.What a mess! He is back to eating his greens and eating the worms. He still won't touch the crickets.I am also giving Lilo and Ryuu some worms with their crickets and they are quite happy with that arrangement. The quality of crickets and super worms at EEO (Ever Evolving Exotics) is superior to the other local pet stores. I feel that if you want to keep your Reptiles healthy,you must feed them healthy food. That is why I keep my cricket and worm containers clean and make sure that the bugs have clean food and water, and that the worms have clean bedding. The bedding is their food. I don't like bugs, I hate bugs, but I take good care of them so my Dragons stay healthy and happy. All my Dragons are very happy with their food source,especially Eiko. Lilo, Ryuu, and Eiko, The Golden Dragons, to be continued...................Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-71770416966147918912015-03-23T20:53:00.005-07:002015-11-26T00:33:06.275-07:00Eiko's Vet check went very well<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-TnHtDfuFZGsgOuw_dCzD2d14p300bEazhoV0t6VhQMgrrNBLGyWxDQNrsij9Wg_9WxBgxUoLljBCD1TGlEtXNS4ljCYVuEJ7f2hHiIpoNJl_3mvb08mJgE1cQRnJitX6I5pDEsK_n0/s1600/20151120_120949_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-TnHtDfuFZGsgOuw_dCzD2d14p300bEazhoV0t6VhQMgrrNBLGyWxDQNrsij9Wg_9WxBgxUoLljBCD1TGlEtXNS4ljCYVuEJ7f2hHiIpoNJl_3mvb08mJgE1cQRnJitX6I5pDEsK_n0/s320/20151120_120949_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Puff's shrine </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Dragons in a row </td></tr>
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Eiko has a habit of freaking out and taking a leap out of my hands when I handle him. I am so afraid he will take a death leap on to the floor ,head first. I usually handle him over his tank or take him over to my bed. He can be calm for a few minutes and then just freak out,flailing and leaping.I decided to see if a harness might give me more control and make it easier for Eiko also. I made a harness out of some soft white leather I had and tried it out on him. It worked wonders! I was able to handle Eiko and he was calm.I think it has something to do with having something tight around the body that has a calming effect,sort of like swaddling a baby. Any way it works.I took Eiko in for his vet check and Dr. J was able to do everything he needed to do on Eiko and he was calm the whole time. I brought Ryuu along for moral support for Eiko. He is so in love with her. She also needed her nails trimmed. I left Lilo home as she is still in semi brumation and was sleeping when we left. I will take her in for a vet check when she is no longer in brumation.Eiko checked out healthy and Ryuu got her nails clipped and off we went to go back home. No one pooped on the way there or on the way home. Eiko did poop when I put him back in his tank,but at least he waited until we got home. I am so glad that all my Dragons are healthy. The other day I was changing the water in their dishes,after I fed them and lifted Eiko's dish out to empty it and spotted this weird looking bug that was where the dish had been. Eiko also spotted it and scarfed it up before I could get it.I have no idea what kind of bug it was. It was rounded and had a gray body. Not shiny like a roach but a dull gray color.It was probably something that came in with the last load of crickets I bought and did not see it when I tossed in the bugs for them to eat. It may have been in his tank for a while hiding as there are so many places for the bugs to hide in this tank.I guess it hid out and grew some until It hid under the water dish.I have found crickets under the dish before,but this was something very different. I guess the bug was OK to eat as Eiko is still alive and he seemed to enjoy it as he was chewing and swallowing it all in a matter of seconds. He is fast when it comes to catching bugs.Ashley, my friend is going to take some pictures of the tanks for me on Thursday. She is also going to take a picture the Dragon box that Puff's ashes are in. I love Lilo,Ryuu and Eiko,the Golden Dragons, to be continued............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-78086287522722386212015-02-15T20:33:00.003-07:002015-03-26T16:39:00.226-07:00Three Dragons in a rowI have finally gotten the new tank and am very happy with it. The way they decorated it is nice. It has a fake rock wall on the back and flag stone and the clay/sand mixture on the bottom and a hide made of flag stone and clay/sand in the right hand corner. I have added Eiko's water dish and his perch from his old tank,which I put on the left side of the tank.I put the cactus that used to be in Puff's tank and and the crocodile scull that was also Puff's by the water dish.I will get pictures soon. Some thing unexpected came up and I needed to spend the money I had for Eiko"s vet check,so I will have to wait until next month.I am not worried about his health as he seems quite healthy,but I always get a health check on a new dragon when it comes in.I still have not caught up financially from the 2 cremations I paid for in November. It is so hard to catch up after several unexpected situations. I have moved Eiko into his new tank in the living room any way. I will just make sure I wash my hands after handling him,before I handle Lilo and Ryuu,which is what I have been doing any way.Johnny helped move the tanks for me and Ryuu is also now set up in the living room. Lilo's tank is on the left,Eiko's tank is in the middle and Ryuu is on the right. I can see all my Dragons now in the same room. Eiko is very happy as he can see both of the girls and he is bobbing to both. Ryuu is bobbing and waving to Eiko,but Lilo,still being in brumation,is not responding to Eiko yet. Eiko has discovered the TV. I have seen him frequently watching it. Puff used to watch TV. Lilo doesn't seem to care about it and I am surprised that Ryuu hasn't discovered it as she is so close to the TV. I love my Dragons. The Golden Dragons,to be continued.............Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-37422126120984927482015-02-08T21:44:00.001-07:002015-02-08T21:44:55.467-07:00I am going to take Eiko in to the Vet for a check upI am taking Eiko to see Dr. J this month,so I can move him into the living room with the others.I have the money now to get his vet check.He has grown so much since I first got him and his color has gotten brighter. He is so pretty. I love his citrus color.Unfortunately, he wasn't handled much before I got him and even though I handle him every day, he still tends to freak out some times. He loves to be petted,but he does not like to be picked up,or held.He will get very nervous when I try to put him in the travel ball,but once he is in the ball,he goes for a walk and does not seem to mind being in it.I think I am going to have to make a harness for him when I take him in to Dr. J. I think that is the only way that he won't be able to get away if he freaks out.I think it will be the safest way to handle him.I will keep trying to get him used to being handled,but he may never really like it.This is kind of sad as all my other Dragons seem to like being handled. I love my Dragons,Lilo,Ryuu, and Eiko,the Golden Dragons,to be continued................Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-26311402375284436622015-02-08T21:19:00.001-07:002015-02-08T21:19:05.994-07:00A new glass house for EikoI have put $50 on a tank for Eiko. I will give Johnny the rest,$35, next month. The tank should be ready by Friday and Johnny said he would bring it than. I have taken pictures of Puff's old 55 gallon tank and will list it on Craig's list for$30.I took out the clay/sand substrate and mixed it with water and Clorox to disinfect it,and re did the whole inside. It is dry now and there is no more smell of Clorox in it. I should get at least $30 for it.I have started rearranging the tanks in the living room and Lilo's tank is now where Puff's tank used to be.I will put Eiko's new tank between the girls so he can interact with both of them.Ryuu's tank will be at the end and I will move all the stuff off of that end crate, and store it in the front/storage room.I will have all my Dragons in the living room so I can see them all of the time. I still miss Puff,and I think Lilo misses him also.I caught her looking into Puff's tank and trying to find him.She just sat on her perch,staring into his tank for a long time.She finally gave up and climbed down from her perch and went into her hide.Now that the tank is gone,she no longer looks for Puff. I love my Dragons, Lilo,Ryuu and Eiko,the Golden Dragons,to be continued...................Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354572530370534558.post-83801376241928038512015-01-08T22:51:00.001-07:002015-01-08T22:56:38.102-07:00Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !This years Christmas was a good one,but I still miss Puff alot.I especially miss him at feeding time.I still sing to the Dragons,but I miss singing Puff's special songs and I just can't bring myself to play his CD of Opera, that he loved so much. New Years was a quiet one here. I just watched TV,and I made it all the way to midnight.The Dragons of course were sleeping by that time.Lilo is still in brumation. On the warmer days,she does wake up to eat, but sleeps through the colder days.Ryuu and Eiko are still bobbing and waving at each other and I love watching them. Lilo,Ryuu and Eiko,the Golden Dragons,to be continued.................P.S. Eiko is now 1year old.He has grown so much since I first got him. I need to get him a bigger "glass house" to live in.Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848664246561410351noreply@blogger.com0