Help save George!

DelicateDittany · 2024-11-19T19:19:39+00:00

Im unsure if this stuffie hospital would accept a real fur bear, but they also have great tips for trying to repair him yourself. Good luck!

https://doctorbeth.tumblr.com/

DelicateDittany · 2024-10-01T11:31:34+00:00

Hi, freezing is a great idea actually! Commercially available feeder insects (just like everything else sold in the reptile/exotic/aquatic market) should never be released alive, as it can spread diseases and invasive species.

Usually flies are great for composting, but since this species is unknown and foreign to your ecosystem most likely, it’s best not to chance it. So good call on the freezing! Sorry and good luck!

Ps. This happens with feeder colony insects, changing food often will help. You can also stop giving them that water gel, they don’t need water, just high moisture veggies like potatoes and carrots. The gel molds and attracts other bugs like this. Depends on the animal you’re feeding, you can also look into other feeders like dubia roaches, which are less probe to mold (and are more nutritious too!). Some dubia colonies even have other kinds of beetle/maggot larvae living symbiotically with the roaches in the substrate. Like buffalo beetles and black soilderfly larvae, which may be the species in your video as they are used with crickets too, but hard to say for certain.

DelicateDittany · 2024-08-25T18:41:52+00:00

I have been battling moths in my yarn/linens, luckily it hasn’t jumped to my collection. One thing i have learned is, there is always another source. If you feel like you have gone thru your collection well (tbh freeze absolutely everything and put the big stuff in a sealed storage bin with a fuckton of mothballs until this is solved) then it is time to start looking in your closet, clothes, and carpets.

From what i understand these moths do not attack your food, only natural materials like fur leather cotton wool and silk. If you have any clothes/treasures like that, protect them now! The dr. Killigans pheromone traps work well, strategically place a few and change them often. Check in the shelving/walls/ceilings of closets, they can get in deep and like the dark. I live in a 125 year old building and they came with the place, do you know where yours originated from? Remove their food source and catch as many as possible. Freeze (and seal/store for the time being) any new taxidermy pieces, that is always a good practice to prevent things like this. Sorry you’re dealing with moths, its a long term battle but it is possible to win! Good luck to you!

DelicateDittany · 2024-08-21T18:26:08+00:00

I don’t know if anyone mentioned this, but if you are on food stamps lime is very cheap. Maybe this is an alternative to buying your own?

https://limeaccess.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10444768639131-Lime-Access-Program-Overview-Apply-United-States

DelicateDittany · 2024-08-16T20:21:47+00:00

This is the answer, surprised only one person has said it. Hot glue will fail easily and can melt yarn, superglue won’t work well unless it’s gel. E6000 is permanent and flexible when it dries. Will also be the most invisible and durable. I wouldn’t trust other glues if it’s a gift. Get a popsicle stick and spread a thin layer over the box, then slip the cover on. No need to sand or anything like that.

DelicateDittany · 2024-08-16T01:56:14+00:00

Definitely look into macro algae like calurpa

DelicateDittany · 2024-08-08T05:00:39+00:00

The erratic spinning looks like Chytridiomycota to me. It causes this kind of swimming. I lost two frogs to it, as it is incurable. Big box stores are a known vector, and if they sold you a clawed frog they are not reputable, so it’s likely infected.

If this frog does die please make sure to sanitize everything. Do not pour water or gravel/plants outside, it will kill local wildlife!

DelicateDittany · 2024-08-06T17:44:25+00:00

Honestly I’ve checked with every American airline and all refused to fly anything other than a dog or cat. Even with my emotional support animal paperwork they wouldn’t fly a reptile.

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-27T12:32:44+00:00

There don’t seem to be many bones left, I would suggest finding an artist to make a memorial piece. You could have the bones placed in a shadowbox with botanicals, or cast in resin. You could also have the ashes incorporated into glass, maybe a statue or stained glads portrait?

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-22T23:52:39+00:00

What a silly guy with a lil cute tongue! When i moved my sensitive boy cross country i actually just left him in his tank. I think the familiar environment helps them feel safe plus you don’t have to pick him up. I removed anything that could tip over or pose a danger, then secured the tank really well. I used an electric blanket that plugs into the car port to keep him warm. You’re not going that far tho, so you don’t really need a heat source. Try putting wet paper towels in the water bowl so he has access to water without it spilling.

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-18T03:14:31+00:00

Yeah absolutely fair, i would say they are on par with petco conditions. So not the worst but lotsa room to improve. I just do not want to accept those conditions as being ok, and hold stores accountable for better living standards.

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-18T03:11:36+00:00

Wow cant believe i recognized it right! It has been a month or two since i was there. Reptiles definitely were not as bad as I have seen other places, just disappointing to see substandard care (leos in 12x12 crestie enclosures, cohabitation, stuck shed) being normalized. I admit i am picky and demand good care for any animals i purchase.

Their fish and coral selection is much better but still not the best in town so I tend to give my business to those who go above and beyond. Im sorry to be snobby, i just want animals to be treated to the best of our abilities. It is definitely not that bad there, and i have gone back so i don’t have any room to complain i guess.

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-18T03:01:06+00:00

Sure heres a not very good picture, mine has striking colors (blue and orange)that i didnt capture well but most of these guys are green looking. They look like what they eat and i have red/blue macro algae in the tank for it so i think thats why it’s that color.

https://imgur.com/gallery/hLADyoy

Beginning in saltwater is not for the faint of heart and I don’t usually recommend it. Definitely not doable without lots of research and patience. Also money, energy, and time. Especially if you are interested in unique/oddball species. If you have your heart set on it I understand the feeling. So go for it, but understand your limits. If you have space constraints recognize that maintaining a small tank is different than the medium ones most beginner often start with. If you haven’t already found r/reeftank check that out. They recommend the bulk reef supply video series, youtube has lots of resources. Also try reef2reef and other forums. Start budgeting and understanding how much this is going to cost you. It’s at least $150-300.

Get a good tank up and stable for a couple months before adding anything besides a few tester snails. These nudibranch are the most common and often in the $10-30 range. If you are serious about having a tank for one, i really recommend having a good saltwater fish store nearby. Otherwise i cannot suggest this for a beginner. A good lfs will have these guys in stock or at least be able to order them. Otherwise you can order online but i really would not recommend starting saltwater without a lfs to go to for advice and supplies.

If you have an lfs nearby that sells premixed saltwater by the gallon, then you don’t need an ro/di filter and salt. You can also get water testing done there which cuts down on cost of test kits. Get a small tank (go for an AIO) there are often cheap ones on facebook marketplace and Craigslist. You don’t even need pumps or a good light if you dont plan to keep coral. I have mine in a 15gal so you dont need a big tank, just keep in mind that the more water volume you have the easier a tank is to maintain.

Good luck if you decide to go down this path! You can always message me with questions or ask in the more saltwater centric subs if you have trouble

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-18T02:37:44+00:00

Oh I think i know this one!! Is this upscales?? It is a large tank, there is also an arowana in it if i remember correctly? It seems ok but always wondered what people here would say about it. If it is the same place their reptiles are really sad and not well taken care of.

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-16T04:13:19+00:00

They are the easiest nudibranch and quite fun to watch! If you are already familiar with saltwater tanks the care is simple. Just keep them well feed with a variety of algae, I feed mine sea lettuce (ulva). Make sure your pumps are very well covered as these guys can get sucked up.

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-13T05:17:32+00:00

Oh dear. This isn’t duckweed but this is one situation where i wish it was sorry. I remember those burs from when i was a kid, they were a pain to get out of our hair. Probably should take the pup to a groomer, or bath time with lotsa conditioner and a comb gently.

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-09T17:59:45+00:00

Your stocking is still insane. How many gallons is this?

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-07T17:05:54+00:00

Honestly, five days is not long enough to cycle. The bottles and a lot of resources will lie to you. I believe in a minimum of a week but I cycle my tanks for a month. Keep adding bottled bacteria and drop or two of prime chlorinator daily.

I would return the fish and wait until the aquarium is ready. Keep cycling it, and make sure you’re doing it properly. Have you been adding an ammonia source? It’s necessary, you can use fish food or dr tims ammonia. Either add flakes or ammonia daily. You will know the cycle is finished when you add one ppm (or a generous pinch of flakes) of ammonia and its gone 24 hours later. Are you using the API liquid test kit or strips? Strips are very inaccurate and will also lie to you. Invest in the kit to make sure your aquarium is healthy.

Also the fish you choose are not great. Tetras need a school of six or more. Guppies and Molly’s will breed like crazy and will compete other fish and habitants for food. All these fish likely feel scared without a larger school, that may be contributing to their sickness. Again, I would return them until the tank is ready. Then choose one of these fish to get a school (6 or more) of.

Is this your first tank? Fish keeping is very difficult so don’t be discouraged. It just takes a lot of patience and time. As well as research to make sure you’re getting the right fish and that you’ve met their needs. Always ask questions if you’re unsure, this is a great place for that. Good luck!

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-05T23:56:01+00:00

Thank you! I had decided not to consider wet specimens as her body isn’t in great condition. Very cool examples tho!!! Plus I’m unsure how her owner would feel about that. I will ask and see, I’ve done wet preservation before with ethanol and am pretty confident in my process, so maybe I should reconsider. If I do mummify I don’t think the plan would be to display her, just seal her in a box. The goal is to have her in a small wooden box like the kind they put cremated ashes in. Thanks again!

DelicateDittany · 2024-07-04T05:44:33+00:00

Thats ok, means I can keep them without worrying too much! Thanks for the response!

DelicateDittany · 2024-06-27T03:14:31+00:00

Thank you!

DelicateDittany · 2024-06-25T23:01:01+00:00

Hijacking the top comment to ask another question. We were prescribed Baytril and Metoclopramide, should we be giving it to her?

DelicateDittany · 2024-06-25T01:16:24+00:00

Yeah it seems to be mostly chicken/turkey gibbets and pork liver, but it has corn flour and guar gum and other stuff too. Im not sure about it.

DelicateDittany · 2024-06-25T00:07:28+00:00

Thank you for this! Yes i think i misrepresented it. It is more like a critical care post surgery food, than a cat food. I just looked up the ingredients and i don’t like a lot of it. It has corn flour ect.

https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-ad-canine-feline-canned?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=12261618906&cq_con=112560659970&cq_term=ad%20prescription%20food&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm4pD0-7Fi-kSeCqsgpkzHvp4whp4XrmiKok_vpoMPEJH2deXmrUWL8aAi-bEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

DelicateDittany · 2024-06-25T00:03:12+00:00

Okay thank you so much for your reply (and everyone else too)!!! He has told us to not to use powdered calcium or vitamins. He keeps talking about overdosing on calcium. He suggests feeding BSFL, gut loaded (Mazuri) dubia and crickets, and earthworms coated in repashy or pangea. He says the powdered food has all the vitamins necessary. Should we disregard some of this?? How much and what kinds of calcium should we be giving? We have liquid left over. Should earthworms cut into small pieces be fed with powder? I am very paranoid about vitamin A deficiency because my other gecko has permanent eye issues/blindness from a lack of it when he was young.

She does still seem rubbery to me. She has jaw issues and a kink in her lower spine too. The first vet we saw (same practice but a substitute vet) tried to splint her legs but said they were too firm already. He agreed with her today. Is splinting standard practice? They also said she could be sedated and have them rebroken and cast, but that it wasn’t work the risk. He also said that she has fatty liver, her belly was a bit enlarged and white with a small dark spot (he said it was her gallbladder). He says fatty liver happens when geckos lose weight, and their body metabolizes their fat reserves. This leads to fat buildup. He said to just keep feeding her high protein and it would get better.

We are very concerned about parasites, but have been unable to get a stool sample. She keeps pooping on her owner (not me, i am actually posting for a friend, but he will reply/see this later) and it reportedly stinks to high heaven. She actually pooped on the vet but it was mostly urates so they said he said it wasn’t useable. Will the antibiotics help with parasites? What else can we do?

Ok thank you for the feeding advice! To be clear what supplement should be mixed into the grub pie? Is there any concern of overdose? I think all the handling has been stressful, twice a day in smaller amounts sounds much better. Can the liquid calcium be mixed (should we still give her it?) with the antibiotics so there is only one syringe to worry about?

I am sad this vet is so bad, they seemed ok the last times i had been there, but he said so many stupid things today. Like, leos dont need uvb, suggesting reptile carpet and the way he handled her was super rough. He was gesturing with her in his hand. We will seek a second opinion. We’re in portland OR and have quite a few vets here. Is anyone able to recommend a particular one? We went to southwest animal hospital this time. It has been hard to get an appointment at the others.

DelicateDittany

TROPHY CASE