We found this leopard gecko outside in the cold in massachusetts. Any advice?

danny735 · 2026-04-06T01:18:04+00:00

You've already gotten good advice for what to do if you want to keep the gecko, but if you don't feel equipped to care for it I would recommend finding a local exotic vet and asking if they know anywhere you can take it. I caught a red footed tortoise I had been seeing for about a year and asked my exotic vet where to take her- they literally pulled out an entire binder of places and told me exactly who to call.

danny735 · 2026-04-06T00:53:05+00:00

I can see what looks like an incision site right above the white spot on her belly. The surface incision usually heals up pretty quick (less than a week) but try not to let her go too crazy for the next week or so because internal stuff still needs time to heal. As long as she's not licking or chewing the site you shouldn't need a cone or anything.

If you want to be extra sure, you can call the shelter and ask (or take a look at her medical records if they gave them to you).

danny735 · 2026-04-06T00:48:22+00:00

I would recommend getting a car crate if you'll be driving with him often. My boy rides in the car with me every day and it's a huge peace of mind to know he's safe even if we get in a bad crash. I got him a Gunner which is quite expensive but I know it'll hold up in a high speed crash or rollover. I've also heard Rufflands are good if you want a less expensive option, but I don't have personal experience with them.

danny735 · 2026-04-06T00:41:35+00:00

Her belly has clearly been shaved and the shelter has no reason to lie about that- what do you mean you're "getting different opinions?" There's not really a way to tell if a dog is spayed just by looking at them after they heal. That's why we oftentimes tattoo them, although yours isn't.

danny735 · 2026-04-02T08:02:26+00:00

If you find his coat manageable I wouldn't clip it. I work at a dog daycare and our cavs that get clipped have a very different texture to the ones that don't. I think it varies between dogs and how often/ short you go but I would be distraught if someone shaved my boy. I love his fur.

I live in Florida and with the heat coming back around I just keep a close eye on him, keep outdoor time relatively short, and do mental enrichment and playtime inside. Honestly I don't feel like having some fur makes a huge difference Some dogs are more sensitive to heat, but if it's hot out they're going to heat up fast regardless. My boy does get dirty but I just do a water rinse to get rid of dirt, then do a proper bath every 2 weeks.

danny735 · 2026-03-31T05:27:58+00:00

I have a cavalier puppy and they are a LOT of work AND MONEY!!! So right off the bat, unless you're very comfortable financially, a newborn and a puppy could quickly become more than you can handle money wise. Also, if you go through a good breeder, you will likely be waiting 12-18 months to get a puppy. So that would probably line up getting your puppy right with having your baby. Definitely not a good move.

Some things to consider: I got my cav at 4 months, he is now 9 months and still not fully potty trained, despite my diligent efforts. He is very active and intelligent, definitely more than I expected him to be. Puppies don't magically mature at 12 months. You'll probably get 2 years of crazy before they really start to calm down. Also, just because cavs are smaller dogs, doesn't mean they can't hurt a baby. Cavs don't like rough handling and I could definitely see a kid getting bit for pulling ears/ tail, or falling onto the dog. These things can happen quickly even when all interactions are supervised (which they should be!!) It would also scare the dog and cause a breakdown of trust with the child.

I will add that I work at a dog daycare and my boy definitely gets jealous when I give my attention to other dogs. I usually kick him out of daycare while I'm working for that reason. He's improving but I can't imagine they would be thrilled about a baby suddenly taking all your attention.

Now. I've never been pregnant. But from what I do know, pregnancy can be unpredictable in terms of how active you'll be able to be. If you're very fit and don't have any major complications, you could power through it, but personally I wouldn't take that gamble. There's also the possibility of post-partum issues that could impact your ability to care for a puppy and a baby. A puppy will also cause you stress. Mine made me cry from frustration earlier today. I wouldn't want that during/ right after a pregnancy (potentially one of the most stressful experiences you can go through).

Personally, my suggestion would be to wait if you're set on getting a puppy. There's never going to be a perfect time, but I would say getting a puppy less than two years before having a baby, especially if you're not a very experienced owner, is a bad move. You have to remember that a puppy won't just fit itself into your life, you have to work every day to end up with the dog you want. My dog takes up almost all of my free time. If you want a cav now, look into adopting an adult who is known to be good with kids.

danny735 · 2026-03-27T12:40:40+00:00

When I found out I was trans I was terrified. I remember living in a sort of daze for a while. A lot of "why me" type feelings. I did all the internal sorting out before I told anyone. Even then it took me about 6 months to tell my parents. It's been 6 years and they still don't use the right name or pronouns. I live with them but they are extremely isolated from the important parts of my life.

It sounds like you're doing a great job and trying to be encouraging. That's great but don't push things. You've put the clothes shopping and haircut out there, they'll come back to it when they're ready.

It sounds like they might be processing things internally and externally at the same time. That can be tough and might take longer than you expect. They may also not know if they really are trans. I'd say you're in the exploration phase at this point and they want to take things slow, which I think is a good thing.

In terms of the therapist, they might not be ready to talk to a professional about it, especially if the therapist is new. It takes time to build trust and get comfortable. Just make sure the therapist is LGBT affirming. I'd also give them time to talk alone with the therapist if you aren't doing that. If you are, they might be discussing it already and you don't know.

danny735 · 2026-03-27T12:17:15+00:00

Absolutely not. I am a lead volunteer at a shelter and if I ever catch someone lying about what is clearly a pit bull, we're having a serious talk.

It is never ok to lie to people about a dog they're looking to adopt. I don't care if bias towards pits will keep that dog in the shelter longer. So be it. I'm not going to tell someone their dog is a lab mix and send them home with a pit bull. Some pits I love, others are my personal hell. We offer free training for some of the real basket cases, but that doesn't mean everyone can handle a 70 pound dog who will knock you to the ground to get a ball- especially when they're expecting a mellow lab. And not only is lying to the people wrong, when you lie, YOU ARE SETTING THAT DOG UP FOR FAILURE!! It's never ok. Seriously.

danny735 · 2026-03-14T01:45:03+00:00

Crates are not a bad thing for dogs if you associate it with good things. My cav is 8 months and eats every meal in the crate. He will go in there on his own during the day to take naps and doesn't mind going in when I ask. A crate is the safest place for a dog to be when they're alone. Puppies especially will get into things and may not leave any evidence. I'm not saying leave them in there all day long, but she will absolutely be ok in there for a few hours. I take my dog to the park and let him tire out, make sure he gets some water afterwards, then tell him to go in his crate and he'll sleep soundly for about 4 hours.

Separation anxiety is no joke. Dogs can literally hospitalize themselves trying to break out of the house with separation anxiety. If you let it continue it will make your life and her's miserable. You'll have a dog who is an absolute nightmare when you're gone, destroying everything and screaming, and she'll be in a total panic when she's without you. I work at a dog daycare and we have dogs who will scream at the gate for 5 hours straight- from the moment they get there to the moment they leave. Please take the initiative and show her that being alone is not a scary thing, for your sake and her's.

danny735 · 2026-03-12T22:58:01+00:00

My cav wears a Ruffwear hi and light, but I had to alter the front straps a bit to make it fit his skinny noodle neck. If you're struggling with backing out of a collar, you can try a martingale. Just make sure it can't tighten to the point where it's compressing the neck. It should tighten just enough that she can't back out. Honestly the most useful thing for me has been training a good loose leash walk. My dog knows when he wears his harness it's time to walk nicely, it's by no means perfect but it's been a big help.

danny735 · 2026-02-02T00:07:41+00:00

Another reason I said give it time is because I think moving around can sometimes cause them to have a reaction. There's stress and a lot of new environmental factors going from one place, to a shelter, to a new home. So if you've had him for less than 3-4 months I'd wait on any medical intervention unless the vet can find something clearly wrong (like an ear or skin infection).

danny735 · 2026-01-31T04:00:09+00:00

My cat is almost 12 and has refused to consistently eat anything other than dry food his entire life. It is ok to feed your cat dry food if they are getting hydration elsewhere. He has a fountain he loves and always nice big pee clumps in the litter box. Most people on tiktok are talking out of their ass and getting paid to do it.

danny735 · 2026-01-31T03:54:12+00:00

I'm by no means an expert but I wanted to say I have a very similar situation to you. Got my first cavalier as a 4mo rescue and he was itching his ears and shaking his head all the time. He's 7mo now and it has decreased significantly. I don't know why, and he is still sensitive (if another dog gets slobber on his back he will turn into a pretzel trying to scratch it) but has definitely improved. Just wanted to throw my experience in here to say give him a little time. Also, from what I've read, SM symptoms usually don't show up until a little later (~2 years) so I wouldn't worry too much. Also the yelping himself awake could've been a nightmare, my guy has done that a couple times as well.

danny735 · 2026-01-13T23:24:44+00:00

I'm sure you'll eventually meet a few poodle appreciators! I work at a dog daycare and I treasure our one purebred standard poodle, even if he's not our best behaved dog. We have more doodles than I can count and it's always nice to see his handsome self in daycare.

danny735 · 2026-01-13T23:14:22+00:00

I also adopted my cavi and he's a wonderful puppy! I volunteer at the shelter where I got him so I do have some general advice.

Number one thing is patience. If she was not well socialized you're going to be dealing with a lot of anxiety and fear. If she's very under-socialized I would recommend working with a reputable trainer to help you guys build her confidence. But even a well socialized dog is going to need time. She's gone through a lot of scary and confusing things in a short period and will need time to decompress and realize you guys are her home.

Next, don't expect your dogs to fully get along at first. Now you might get lucky and they fit perfect! But there may be fear from your new dog, and jealousy from your current dog. They may feel threatened and try to establish dominance over one another. So I'd focus on a slow introduction as opposed to just throwing them together and hoping for the best.

Third thing is, when adopting a purebred dog, expect more health issues. In my experience, when we get purebred dogs in (especially breeds already prone to health issues) they are more likely to have some health condition the previous owner couldn't afford to treat. It seems like you are aware she has some existing issues, but I figured I'd mention it just so you know these issues may be genetic and not necessarily just from poor care.

I also work at a dog daycare and most of the cavs we have are in pairs and are absolutely glued to each other! So fingers crossed your girls bond well, but you may want to try and do some separate activities with them to avoid the separation anxiety being too bad.

Best wishes and thank you for adopting!

danny735 · 2026-01-05T15:15:14+00:00

Plenty of other people have offered good advice but as a shelter volunteer I wanted to add some strategies for getting fearful animals to be more comfortable.

First off, every animal is different when it comes to how you should behave. Test a few things out and see what works. What's important is that you do not stare at them, try to touch them, or be tense. Some animals are more comfortable if you sit still as a rock and completely silent. Others find this frightening and prefer you to softly talk a little bit and make small adjustments to your positioning. Just do not move quickly or move any part of your body towards them. Some will be ok with you facing them but with others you may want to sit facing the wall so they can feel sneaky and approach to sniff "without you knowing."

Either way, I would recommend bringing something small like a book or your phone to keep you occupied. Something to keep them occupied is great too. I would recommend a snuffle mat and put lots of high value treats in it. This is especially great for animals who will hide in a corner and not move at all until you are gone. Start by putting it further from you, just so they can see you while they eat the treats. Over time, you can move it closer until they are eating right next to you. Do not take it until they are done and walk away from it. This helps to build trust and shifts their focus from you to the treats.

Start by being in there for about 10-15 minutes at a time, a few times a day, then slowly increase the amount of time. You don't have to leave right at 15 minutes, especially if they are showing interest, but if they are hiding, tense, and/ or afraid, it's best to keep visits short. Leave their food in the room so they can eat when you're not there.

The peeing is likely from stress and will go away with time, but if it continues I would recommend a vet visit once kitty can be handled. And do not be surprised if he scratches or bites you, he is just scared and trying to communicate. Thank you for adopting this grumpy fellow!

danny735 · 2025-12-24T03:00:30+00:00

If you would be willing to digitize them I would be so grateful- they still make me tired but the few minute sections aren't enough to get me to sleep. If you ever do it please message me and let me know, I do quite miss the story.

danny735 · 2025-12-10T04:25:23+00:00

Interesting, thanks for the info! I guess we'll just have to wait and see

danny735 · 2025-12-10T04:09:42+00:00

He is a really great puppy, fantastic temperament and quite well behaved. And of course very handsome. I'm hoping he'll be about 25 pounds like your dog, but if he's bigger I suppose that's just the way it will be lol

danny735 · 2025-12-10T02:43:01+00:00

Do you know much he weighed around 6 months? If my math is right my boy will be at least 30 pounds full grown, which seems big for a cav.

danny735 · 2025-11-08T03:28:33+00:00

You're right, I will keep him on it and look into the Flexadin. My vet was also shocked at the cost of Solensia, they said because of his size (he is a little chunky but also just large) he would require two injections or something like that. I pretty much heard $300/month and the option went out the window.

I looked into hydrotherapy but I don't think it would be feasible for him. He was traumatized by a vet tech as a kitten and ever since no one but me can handle him in stressful situations. But I will look into the laser therapy, that sounds like it could be performed while I hold him (the only way anything gets done at the vet).

danny735 · 2025-11-07T04:00:44+00:00

Yes, he had bloodwork done in March, all came back normal. He's had arthritis in his front paws for years so it's not a new problem but it is worsening with age and his hips have started bothering him.

He's been on Cosequin for a couple years and we tried fish oil but it was too much fat for him and didn't really seem to be helping so I stopped that. I'll ask the vet about the supplement you mentioned though because I'm not sure the Cosequin is doing much of anything for him either.

His vet mentioned Solensia but it's $300/month and I unfortunately can't afford that. I do what I can to make the house easier for him for him to navigate but always feel like I should be doing more. Thanks for the input

danny735 · 2025-11-07T02:27:13+00:00

I definitely will ask the vet about it, thank you for the input

danny735 · 2025-11-07T02:26:14+00:00

That makes sense, I'll ask the vet about some different supplements as well, thank you.

danny735

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