Taking Down the "Sick" Wing

For the first time in months, I don't need my 20 gallon sick tanks and so today I cleaned them and put them in my garage. 

I have a nice empty spot back in my bedroom. :) There are still two tanks in my room-- one for a rescue and one for a beardie I am babysitting. 

After having 13 beardies, I am down to 6. It's quite a relief to have fewer beardies to care for! Blaze, JoJo, Tony Tiger, Beardie, Sami & Lexi, and Munch all were adopted out. 

Buddy, rescue number 78

I took in this sweet adult ball python who has s severe respiratory infection. He also has a swollen, wounded jaw. He has multiple layers of stuck eye caps on his eyes and needs a good shed. 

He went to the vet right after I got him and is now on antibiotics for the next three weeks. 

Luckily he's not dehydrated or skinny. He has really good muscle tone and should recover quickly from his URI. I'll give him a week or two on antibiotics before I try to feed him-- he hasn't eaten for weeks. 

Sami & Lexi- rescues number 76 & 77

These two sisters are sweethearts! And they are the perfect fir for a family I've been working with to find beardies for for Christmas. 

They are both just over a year and very mellow. 

Beardie, rescue number 75

Through no fault of his own, this 10 month old beardie ended up being bounced through 3 homes in a week. He came to me Friday and I was able to place him last night in a good home. 

He is going to be a BIG boy when he stops growing.  I think his owner will love him and keep him from being bounced ever again. 

Sweet Francis

I helped a friend pay for this sickly rescued sulcata tortoise to see my awesome vet, Dr Folland. Francis was stuck in a box and left to die. But he didn't die and so the lady dumped him off at a rescue and my friend ended up with him. 

She did everything she could to save him- even though the vet said he was severely anemic and malnourished. Daily tube feelings and soaks and lots of love of love. 

Sadly, for sweet Francis, it was too late. My friend woke up this morning to find he had died. :(  She and I have rescued and list a lot of reptiles this year that were thrown away to die. We've also both lost some of our own beloved pets. 

Rescue is a heartbreaking and crappy business. She & I often tell each other how much we want to quit. And sometimes for a few days or weeks, we do. But there's always a reptile that brings us back into rescuing. After so many loses, it's hard to walk away and let another one suffer. Rescuing is not for the faint of heart. 

Rest in Peace, sweet Francis. You will be missed. 

Danny, rescue number 74

Danny is the sweetest female beardie! I helped rescue her the same day as Ozzie a few months ago, but she's been in a foster home since then. 

She is 4 or 5 years old and was extremely underweight and neglected when we rescued her. She is doing GREAT now!! She has gorgeous orange coloring on her beard too. 

Danny loves her soft blankies and is so happy to be wrapped up and held. She'll be up for adoption soon-- I just need to make sure her guts are healthy. 

Lucy

We recently added this beautiful girl to our zoo. She is a rescue, found in an unheated box with three other snakes. She was literally starving to death. 

She is doing great now. She is super friendly and eats like a horse. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

May Santa Beardie Claws make all your dreams come true! ;)

Survivor, rescue number 73- my BIGGEST rescue ever

Thankfully, this 7 foot snake isn't at my house (phew!), but I am helping with his recovery & vet bills. His care taker gave me bragging rights. :)

Survivor is an albino Burmese Python with *severe* mouth rot. SEVERE! He is on antibiotics and should, with a lot of time & meds & intervention, make a full recovery. I couldn't have created a better home for him to go to. He will be very happy & healthy from now on. 

Beardie Roll Call

JoJo (adoptable)

Tiny Tiger (adoptable)

Blaze (adoptable)

Tiger (not adoptable)

Milo (adoptable)

Max (not adoptable)

Munch (adopted)

Ziggy (possibly adoptable) 

Dragon, rescue number 72

This beautiful beardie is a rarity at my house-- she is perfectly healthy AND a girl! Isn't she gorgeous? 

She came in and was adopted out the same day. I've never seen such a pretty color red before. :) 

A Beardie in Need of Rehoming

I was asked to help rehome this handsome guy. He is in the San Francisco area. Please message me if you're interested in providing him a loving & permanent home.

My Most Important Etsy Creation

I love making fun costumes for Etsy, but I made something that I think is very important for everyone to have-- an emergency heating blanket.

These are fleece blankets that have an inner pocket sewn inside where you can put an activated 40 hour heating pack (these are used for shipping reptiles across the country). Once the pack is inside, you can wrap your beardie up to keep him warm.

Each blankie is completely machine washable and comes with two heating packs. Each set will also be shipped in a plastic bag to protect it from moisture and make it easier to store in your emergency kit.

At this time, I only have the two fleece prints-- boy & girl. Over time, I'll add more prints. I'm trying to make these as inexpensive as possible so everyone who has a bearded dragon can have one in their house.

Never fear power outages again! Be prepared to take care of your bearded dragons by keeping them warm.

Tiny Tiger, rescue number 72

Baby beardies are adorable little holes that you throw money into by way of tiny insects! If you buy a baby, then plan on LOTS of money on feeders. 

Tiny Tiger came to me today from his owner who could no longer afford to feed him. He is 2 months old and had half of his toes chomped off by a tank mate. Poor baby.

He seems to be totally healthy and should be easy to place. :)

JoJo and Milo Update

A long overdue update on Milo & JoJo---

Both went to the vet in Monday. Milo's snotty nose hasn't changed much so we stopped antibiotic shots and are now putting an antibiotic drop in his nose twice a day. 

JoJo's cough is almost gone-- in fact, I haven't heard it since Monday. She's getting another week of antibiotics and then she'll be done. 

Both are now eating wax worms and roaches on their own. Now that they are eating, they are both more active. JoJo has a foster home lined up and Milo is about to be upgraded to a bigger tank. 

I would cheer over not having any more sicklies, but that will jinx me with a half-dead beardie. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

From my turkeys to yours.... Have a great day! 

Blaze, rescue number 71

I had two open tanks this weekend which, in the rescue business, invites new critters. 

Blaze was brought to me last night. He is a now retired breeder with LOTS of aggression issues. 

I am letting him settle in today since he went to sleep in a familiar environment and woke up in my strange house. Then we'll start working on calming him down. 

Baby steps or "Why my iguana still hates me but isn't plotting to kill me."

Ramses, after today's bath: 

He still hates me, but he's not actively plotting to kill me in my sleep any more. ;)

Sweet Andy

This little guy fought hard to keep living, but it just wasn't enough. :( He died some time this morning. Poor buddy. 

He will be buried under our apple tree next to our beloved Lizzie. 

Okay to Go

One of my favorite parts on the movie "Contact" is when Jodie Foster's character tells mission control that she is "Okay to go."

I have been telling Andy that he is okay to go, that it's okay for him to stop his fight for life and go to beardie heaven. :(

It's not been a good day for him. His breathing is really slow and he is no longer responding to me. I can flip him on to his back and he won't move at all. 

I tell him, tearfully, that it is "Okay to go" and that he is a very loved boy. I don't think he'll be around much longer. :( 

Andy is still with me

I started Andy on Critical care yesterday. I wasn't sure how his body would respond, but he seemed to do ok. Sometime during the middle of the night, he pooped and passed an old urate stone and some sand. 

When I checked him this morning, he was fairly unresponsive but breathing. 

As I posted that info on one of my Facebook groups, Andy raised his body and looked at me as if to say "I'm awake!" 

He got more two more doses of Critical care today and is still breathing. He is super lethargic, but not dead. 

Baby steps forward! Keep on going, Andy!!

This was him this afternoon after his feeding.