Archive for October, 2009
I am interested in buying a Crested Gecko, I have done all my research and know that I am able to care for it properly.
I was just wondering, if anyone owns a Crested Gecko, if they could recommend and websites where they get products from, such as CGD, substrate etc.
Alternatively, if anyone can recommend any good shops for buying reptile things in south-east England that would be much appreciated.
Thanks 
Yeah, the lizards I am looking at are captive bread for generations, so it knows no different, and as long as the enclosure is plenty big enough, there is surely nothing wrong with captivating lizards, or any animal
A few years ago I had a pair of bearded dragons. Just picking up on some of the other answers I’d like to comment on owning reptiles as pets and some points that may help you or be of interest.
HOUSING
I loved my dragons – sasha & mimi – to bits. They were beautiful; very large and interactive. It wasn’t long before I became upset about their situation – being stuck in a house in Dublin instead of scuttling around the Australian desert. To make them as comfortable as possible, I had a carpenter build me a huge timber and glass terrarium. I wasn’t happy with the size of any I saw for sale. In fact, my dragons were big enough to let run loose around a couple of rooms and mostly, they just slept in the tank at night. I had an enclosure in the back garden for hot summer days also. Even with that, I wouldn’t keep them again, it really didn’t feel right. I’m not sure how big you’re planning to go with the housing, but give him as much space as you can.
To make matters worse, the female arrived pregnant. I had only wanted to give her a more comfortable home to live out the rest of her days. She had been used for breeding and was supposed to be too old to have any more babies. A few weeks after she arrived, I had 8 more lizards. I built an incubator and hatched the eggs raising the babies til they were old enough. I didn’t sell them but instead researched and gave them away to the best homes possible.
FOOD
I fed them some greens but mostly they’re carnivorous like geckos. They ate live crickets, locusts, mealworms, and the odd (dead) mouse. I had to sprinkle their food with a supplement. the insects were quite expensive. I live in Ireland so maybe they’re cheaper in the UK. To give you an idea, it cost IRL£6 for about 6 locusts and that was a good few years ago. In the end, I started to breed the crickets myself (it’s not hard to do) and sometimes I sold them to the pet shop or swapped them for locusts. The locusts were harder to breed. I wasn’t able to get it quite right. If you’d like some info on that let me know and I can post it.
I had to feed the babies fruit flies. Total nightmare. They’re really small and escape easily. Your geckos may have those on their menu, just so you know. In fact, be prepared for the odd insect escape, whatever it is. It just happens.
When your pet eats live, exotic food you have to be able to buy it easily nearby.
HABIT
Your gecko will be nocturnal, I’d imagine, so you’ll hardly see him at all. He’ll be up at night and snoozing all day. The various breeds of gecko make different noises and they can be quite loud. Cleaning out their quarters is a lot of work – taking out all the decor and substrate, cleaning down the inside, shining the glass, cleaning the bits an pieces of decor. Your little fellow will be small but I suppose you will have a nice big enclosure for him, regardless.
CAPTIVE-BRED EXOTICS
You are right in saying that the geckos are captive bred for generations and if you provide them with high-standard, large living quarters it beats anything they will ever hope to have in the pet shop/breeders place. (Try to imitate their natural surroundings with proper plants, stuff to climb on etc.) However, if there wasn’t a market in the 1st place, they would never be bred as pets.
Having said that, if cared for correctly, they will have a longer and less stressful life than if they were in the wild. But are they happier? I don’t know.
Anyway, I’ve gone on a bit more than I intended. My point is, I thoroughly researched the dragons before I got them (I had fallen in love with them after seeing them in a pet shop). I was armed to the teeth with everything they needed but I always felt guilty for supporting an industry I now think is wrong.
I’m going to use the big carpet cleaner today. i have STINKY cat urine spots, and i don’t have much money to buy those expensive products. can i use baking soda or vinegar? or some stuff like that (stuff i already have in the house)
Here is a site that I would highly recommend. They have very high quality stain removal techniques. I would suggest repeating the process after the first application, and rinsing the rug out with cool water in between applications. Best of luck!
Whether it be food, supplies, or a book, what product made living with your dogs more enjoyable?
I love the concept of kongs although I have never personally tried one.
Kongs, gotta love the Kongs. My Basenjis get digestive upsets with basically ANY other kind of chew. Except bully sticks, but they power-chew through those in 15 minutes; hardly worth the money!.
And even though I initially dismissed it as a silly gimmick….ya know the little Kong treats, specifically designed to fit up inside the Kong? I got a free sample of one when I bought a new Kong for my newest adopted dog….gave it a try. And I’ll be darned if they don’t WORK better than anything else I’ve ever stuffed inside a Kong!!!
They actually STAY up there & my male Basenji will literally spend half a day trying to get it out. Makes the Kong officially the longest-lasting chew toy I can find! It’s awesome, I’m sold….promptly went out & got a box of silly-gimmick Kong treats, by George.
I swear by my home-made flirt pole….as a great way to quickly exercise an active Cattledog mix, without having to go on a 10 mile jog. An hour or so, 2-3 times a day with the flirt pole and she’s ready for a nap. Gets her running, jumping, twisting, turning and generally having a great time. The Basenjis like it too, but lose interest after about 15 minutes. Only cost $9….for a 5 foot length of PVC pipe, a 5 foot nylon clothesline and a de-stuffed "fox" toy I bought on clearance at Tractor Supply. By any measure, the best bang for the buck of any dog toy I’ve ever spent money on.
I keep a can of plain pumpkin in the pantry because I’ve seen it work its magic. Almost too good to be true.
Food- quite frankly, the only thing that keeps weight on my mill rescue girl, is Blue Wilderness. Anything that’s not grain-free and she ends up with the runs & constantly regurgitates (NOT vomits, regurgitates) un-digested kibble, even hours after feeding. Other grain-free foods stop the diarrhea & regurgitation, but won’t keep weight on her. Have tried EVO, Taste of the Wild & one other food I can’t recall….but Blue Wilderness is the only thing that works. Sucks, too, because I can buy EVO & TOTW locally, but have to drive 70 miles to get Wilderness. 
Oh yeah, back when I used to do obed/agility with my Boxer, I was in LOVE with my Cabana Crate. Now you can buy lightweight canvas crates in Wal Mart for $40 but back then you had to special order them and they weren’t cheap. I always went to trials alone & HATED HATED lugging a heavy wire crate around, but I was too cheap & stubborn to buy the Cabana Crate, which was something like $150 back then! I finally relented, and spent the money, and could not believe what a wonderful difference it made LOL. Of course not 2 years later I retired that dog from any sort of competition & I still stubbornly refuse to part with my Cabana Crate (it’s in my garage .
I am trying to figure out what the demographic snapshot is of people who use the internet to find pet health information? If possible please show male vs female %, average age, income, and if they are single or married. Any other info would also be apreciated!
Im not looking for information
What is the most recognizable brand in pet products?
what?
you mean like Petco?
They make everything.
I’m in need of them and none of the pet stores have them. Is there something wrong?
I had a baby bird, and I had to feed him meal worms and I also couldn’t find them at a pet store. But my dad ended up finding some at the local grocery store. You can also find them at a fishing store or just at Smiths. Hope this helped! [:
Should I go to just go to Walmart? We always shop there to get our pets supplies but Im wondering if there is a cheaper place to go to. Do they sell pet supplies at a dollar store? Help.
Thanks.
Don’t forget thrift stores too. You can buy old denim and braid your own leashes.
Many products like shampoo can be made at home and they are safer so scan the internet. That’s where I got this recipe for you.
This simple recipe will give your dog a beautiful, healthy coat and is much cheaper than commercial products.
1 pint Ivory or Dove liquid dishwashing soap
1 pint water
1 pint apple cider vinegar
4 ounces glycerine (available at your local pharmacy)
Mix all of the ingredients together.
Double the ingredients if a larger amount is desired.