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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
 Posted - 08/03/2009 : 02:07:28
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rofl. sleep is for the weak eh?
but point taken, i will check.
do you find the contradictions on care do your head in a bit tho? |
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ddm10
Yearling
United Kingdom
189 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 02:17:24
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| yes definately i started looking at different caresheets online and each one was different, all the books in the library were about 20 years old. I just looked at what most people did made a decision and stuck to it. Then i ditched all the caresheets altogether and just used this site. If you follow all of the info and take the advice most people give ypu cant go wrong, yes some people still do things differently but that doesn't mean its wrong as though as all of the essentials are met it doesn't matter. There is no question that you cant ask on here and there is so much help just look at all the replies you got today! its lucky you found it, you could have ended up having to give him up altogether. where did you get him from? |
ROYAL PYTHON 1.0.0 |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 02:26:55
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| i had him off a friend of my brother, i kept asking her for advice and it turns out that 90% of what she was telling me was total bull :s i got so confused by conflicting advice online and in books that i just took her word at face value. i have since "rescued" 4 cats off of her, one of which was in a very sorry state indeed,3 geckos, a scorpion (who unfortunately died soon after) and a greyhound who was in such a bad way that i called the rspca and they took him, he was severely underweight, and had a form of mange, also found out that she gave one away to gypsies cos she was fed up of it doing its business in her kitchen (as she never let them out) when the rspca paid her a visit they found 2 dead bearded dragons (died because she had no heat or light , only fed them crickets and never dusted them with calcium and never fed them veg.) a live adult bearded dragon (again with none of the above) 4 chickens shut in her shed, a sad cockatiel, and 14 cats. turned out that she sold her 2 royal pythons just prior to the rspca turning up...just as well really as i know the way they must have been kept judging from the advice she was giving me... :s |
Edited by - MissCat on 08/03/2009 02:27:30 |
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ddm10
Yearling
United Kingdom
189 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 02:38:22
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| it doesn't sound as though she should have been keeping any pets, it's lucky you took him off of her when you did, he's going to be much happier with you when he gets better and with our help he will in no time. just forget everything she told you and get all of yor advice from here, at the end of the day you've had him since september and he is still alive and clearly, (from the photos) better than he was, so you've done something right. As i keep saying just keep calm and have patience. |
ROYAL PYTHON 1.0.0 |
Edited by - ddm10 on 08/03/2009 02:38:52 |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 02:42:22
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right i am off to bed. later on today i will write out all the things to do, and stick it up near the viv. i will keep coming back to scrounge as much advice as i possibly can :D
i promise to keep you all posted with pictures too, so you can see how he gets on over the coming weeks, and if you think he would be better off with someone else entirely then i will let him go.
at the end of the day Ra's health is more important to me than how much i want to keep him.
Thankyou to all who have posted, and sorry again. |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 02:43:17
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quote:
Originally posted by ddm10
it doesn't sound as though she should have been keeping any pets, it's lucky you took him off of her when you did, he's going to be much happier with you when he gets better and with our help he will in no time. just forget everything she told you and get all of yor advice from here, at the end of the day you've had him since september and he is still alive and clearly, (from the photos) better than he was, so you've done something right. As i keep saying just keep calm and have patience.
will do, and thanks again  |
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ddm10
Yearling
United Kingdom
189 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 02:47:11
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no need to apoligise, don't worry about it too much tonight, there is plenty of help avaliable and it will get better, if you follow the advice |
ROYAL PYTHON 1.0.0 |
Edited by - ddm10 on 08/03/2009 02:48:49 |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 07:24:13
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HI, having read through this, i really feel for you, you are doing a grand job in getting him sorted out, and i am betting once you have done all the changes he will pick up and be fine and probably start feeding ok to...
Its very easy to get advice good or bad, but when its bad and things go worng then i know how bad it feels..
Dont worry about what you ask in this forum, there is always someone on here who will help you out.
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"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:03:50
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quote:
Originally posted by wolfspirit
HI, having read through this, i really feel for you, you are doing a grand job in getting him sorted out, and i am betting once you have done all the changes he will pick up and be fine and probably start feeding ok to... gah i sincerely hope so 
Dont worry about what you ask in this forum, there is always someone on here who will help you out.
thanks everyone for the support
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:10:35
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quote:
Originally posted by MissCat
the exo terra disk thermometer and an exo terra disk hygrometer... o hope they are alright, those are the ones i use for my tarantulas and used for my beardies.... :s
The disc ones are ok as long as you take the readings with a pinch of salt. Allow about 10% either way when reading them. I'd go for digital thermometers eventually but funds would probably be better directed towards getting his health sorted first. Fine tuning the set-up can come later.
If it makes you feel a bit better, I only noticed yesterday that Sherman's water bowl was miles too small for him to get into now. We all make mistakes  .
The disc hygrometer will be fine though. 50 - 60% humidity is about normal for ambient room humidity in the UK. You only really need the hygrometer to spot major changes  . |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:15:58
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that's okay then, rehabilitation starts here.
oh i do have another question, how often should i fully change the moss, as i presume that it would be a veritable bacteria breeding ground...
and are there any house hold chemicals in particular that may cause him damage (for example if i was to flea spray my house i would kill my tarantulas) i do have the common sense to remove all animals from the house for a few days if i did use a particularly potent chemical e.g flea spray but is there anything else i should be aware of as far as royals go?
and what IS the best room in the house to keep Ra in? i did have him in my bedroom where it was quieter, but also cooler and he wasn't anywhere near as active as he is downstairs in the living room, where it is far noisier yet warmer. once i sort out controlling the temp, should i move him to a quieter room? the cats dont bother him too much, they occasionally sit in top of the viv or stare at him through the glass, and i would have thought if they scared Ra he would hide, or strike at them, but he comes out to have a sniff of them then slithers around in front of them (almost as if he is teasing them) til he gets bored. |
Edited by - MissCat on 08/03/2009 08:25:11 |
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:34:07
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| Not too sure on the changing frequency. When you get the moss do you pour boiling water over it before putting it in the moss hide? Doing this will destroy any living bacteria and reduce the risk. There may still be bacterial spores present but the only way to get rid of them is to bung it in an autoclave, like we do at uni to sterilise our equipment, which would be a pretty expensive way of doing it. Someone will be along in a minute that will know. |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:38:46
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| yes i use boiling water, i also boil his water bowl once a month too to make sure all the nooks and crannies are kept clean as it's one of those large ones that is made to look like stone. i do make sure it's not all too hot before i put them in the tank, bowls normally cold by the time it goes back in, and the moss was tepid/hand warm when i placed it back in last night and he shot straight back in there, he normally pops out to say hello briefly in the morning but no sign of him yet today, i think he's in a bad mood with me for poking around so much yesterday while he cant see :s |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:44:38
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| probe bought and paid for, thanks :) |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:53:25
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found this online about retained eyecaps, though the bit about stick tape seems a bit.... new labour....
http://www.anapsid.org/eyeshed.html
also the bit about dented eyes sounds just like Ra was, though his ayes aren't dented now, presumably because of the moss hide.
also, does anyone know of a good vet that deals with reptiles in the somerset area? just in case. do u think i should take him to one anyway, or would that be premature stress for him? |
Edited by - MissCat on 08/03/2009 08:55:09 |
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:55:54
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quote:
Originally posted by MissCat
and are there any house hold chemicals in particular that may cause him damage (for example if i was to flea spray my house i would kill my tarantulas) i do have the common sense to remove all animals from the house for a few days if i did use a particularly potent chemical e.g flea spray but is there anything else i should be aware of as far as royals go?
Just try to avoid anything being sprayed in the air. If you need to polish the viv, put the polish onto the cloth then apply to the viv rather than spraying directly onto the surface.
quote:
Originally posted by MissCat
and what IS the best room in the house to keep Ra in? i did have him in my bedroom where it was quieter, but also cooler and he wasn't anywhere near as active as he is downstairs in the living room, where it is far noisier yet warmer. once i sort out controlling the temp, should i move him to a quieter room? the cats dont bother him too much, they occasionally sit in top of the viv or stare at him through the glass, and i would have thought if they scared Ra he would hide, or strike at them, but he comes out to have a sniff of them then slithers around in front of them (almost as if he is teasing them) til he gets bored.
I've got my stack in the dining room. Nice balance between peace/quiet but a bit of company periodically. |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 09:12:37
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Leave the thermometer in permanently.
I searched for 'Digital Aquarium Thermometer' on ebay, as soon as you put the word 'reptile' or 'vivarium' in, it doubles the price. There were hundreds and they do the same job.
I have heard of the plug-in air-fresheners being harmful to reptiles so I don't have those in the rooms I have snakes. Also, as Paul says, things like Polish could be bad too. |
 
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My poorly Royal :(
