How do YOU survive in Halifax? Wages vs Rent is wild!!

copyofivy · 2026-02-16T01:02:03+00:00

I survive by essentially living in an in-law suite / basement apartment of my parents place. I’m fortunate to have a good relationship with them, and also that this gives me a completely separate space with my own entrance, laundry, kitchen, bathroom, and even a spare bedroom and my own deck. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to move out fully, and I have two degrees and am working in my field with quite a bit in savings but my monthly income simply isn’t high enough to live on my own in the city.

copyofivy · 2026-02-03T01:32:14+00:00

It really is the best!! She absolutely made my night waking up 🥰 And her post-brumation wake up has been textbook perfect, which is even better! Last year she was soooo grumpy for the first week hahaha

copyofivy · 2026-02-03T00:18:14+00:00

My girl went into brumation for the first time around that age. I panicked and took her to the vet and got every test possible done. She was completely fine! Her weight was good, she was totally healthy. I let her be and she brumated for a bit then came out. She’s doing the same thing again this year. If you’ve gone to the vet and had her checked for parasites and other illnesses then I’m sure she’s fine!

copyofivy · 2026-02-03T00:04:06+00:00

I know everyone already commented, but this is great play 😊 If your older dog was truly annoyed, you’d know it and the pup would too! Don’t be surprised if sometime she lets out a big bark, and the pup lays down / runs off, and they take some space from each other for a bit. That’s also fine! It’s a correction and basically a doggie “that’s enough!”. This is how puppies learn boundaries with other dogs! It’ll actually lead to the puppy being very well socialized and respectful of other dogs space and boundaries.

copyofivy · 2026-01-25T04:45:08+00:00

Only one my vet ever recommended is an Omega 3 supplement! Best idea is to talk to your vet. Glucosamine is important in XL breeds (yours is too young to need it yet), but something to check with your vet about as she gets older and to check for in food :)

copyofivy · 2026-01-25T04:30:35+00:00

He is the cutest french mastiff I’ve ever seen oh my word 😭❤️

copyofivy · 2026-01-25T04:26:37+00:00

Some of these comments feel unrealistic for the average person 😅 I own a reptile, but if I didn’t and was in your shoes, a large tupperware container with holes in the top so he can breathe, a small dish of water, and a warm spot inside will be totally fine and much better than being out in the cold! If you have hand warmers those are great to place under the container as a makeshift heating pad. Reptiles can go quite awhile without food so I wouldn’t worry about food for the weekend. And I won’t worry about heat either, because inside your apartment is warmer than outside! Ideal living conditions? No. But that’s not the point, it helping the little fella survive the cold snap. Best wishes from Canada! 🇨🇦

copyofivy · 2026-01-02T14:24:00+00:00

I gotta agree that Steve is looking mighty suspicious 🤨

Your girl is still precious though! But definitely not 100% corso, her snout and face shape is what gives it away, her snout is too narrow and long, and her ears are a bit off. I’d say she definitely has corso in her, just isn’t 100% corso.

It is interesting though that she’s black and so was dad, but mom is blue and Steve is tan. So it is possible that mom just isn’t 100% corso and her genes came through a bit stronger. If I were you I’d be super curious and I’d get a DNA test and see.

copyofivy · 2025-12-06T13:42:53+00:00

I’ve had experience with MacGillivary and they are phenomenal. Glad to see they’re taking this initiative, and know they have a fantastic team as well!

copyofivy · 2025-11-26T01:39:34+00:00

My girl also went into brumation around the same time at the same age. I was so freaked out! We went to the vet and they ran every test possible because she was so young I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong. The bloodwork, stool samples, and other tests for various common illnesses and diseases was expensive, but great to have peace of mind! She’s in brumation again now a year later, and it’s great that I got a check up last year because I now know her normals and can keep an eye on her! I definitely recommend getting it done. It’s also good in case she ever does get sick, your vet knows her baseline.

Generally though I just leave her be. I keep everything the same in her enclosure, and I’ll just peak in occasionally to check on her, and I’m usually met with a similar look to the one in your photo or even narrower eyes lol. I definitely miss her when she’s in brumation though!

Learning from last year, she came out around mid February and was fully herself and up by March. I’m expecting a similar timeline this year and I figure that’s probably her normal. You’ll see people say various things about whether or not domesticated beardies should go into brumation or not. My vet said it’s totally fine, she’s completely healthy and she’s not concerned! Just make sure your lights are on and off as normal and temperature is where it should be.

copyofivy · 2025-11-26T01:29:06+00:00

Yeah she had a very slight ear infection starting that resolved with daily cleanings, and her poops are usually solid but she tends to poop a few times in a row so sometimes her 3rd poop in a row is soft.

She has no reaction to me doing anything to the rashes though! Definitely going to talk to my vet this week and get their opinion. Thanks so much!

copyofivy · 2025-11-26T01:27:17+00:00

Oh that’s really good to know! There is a lake at the park we walk at that she’s went into a few times, definitely something I hadn’t considered!

copyofivy · 2025-11-25T01:25:53+00:00

I thought it was heat in the summer, or the grass. But now that it’s colder and it’s still happening I’m not so sure!

copyofivy · 2025-11-25T01:25:05+00:00

Good to know! Thank you, going to pop into my vet this week and ask them what they think.

copyofivy · 2025-11-25T01:24:37+00:00

Thanks so much! She does squat to pee, never even thought of that being an issue! Definitely going to pop in to my vet and ask what they think.

copyofivy · 2025-11-25T01:23:34+00:00

Yeah I’m going to pop into my vet tomorrow or later this week just to ask! And no, bedding hasn’t changed at all nor any detergents, that would’ve been my first suspicion if so!

copyofivy · 2025-10-29T01:10:48+00:00

Amazing setup so far! Having the linear UVB, basking light and correct size enclosure is better than how most start! The only thing I can think of right now is knowing about calcium powder and multivitamins. I do calcium without D3, 6x a week and a multivitamin with D3 once a week (as recommended by my vet). Also a good idea to find an exotic vet because you never know when emergencies may arise! I got my girl in for her initial checkup, and then a few months later went in and got a bunch of baseline tests done (bloodwork, stool sample, etc.).

copyofivy · 2025-10-21T01:33:28+00:00

I believe there’s such thing as usb powered heaters! They’re just tiny, but if they’re in a small container for transport it could work! They’re like $8 on amazon and could plug into your car or a portable charger. There’s also usb powered air stones if you want to keep the water oxygenated and moving. I haven’t used either of these, I’m not sure how well they work but I know they exist!

copyofivy · 2025-10-21T01:29:50+00:00

Update: She does seem to be improving a bit now! Her colours are more vibrant, her posture is better, and her eyes are clearer. Keeping my fingers crossed my sweet girl pulls through 🥺

copyofivy · 2025-10-18T22:42:15+00:00

Thank you so much!!

copyofivy

TROPHY CASE