*REAL* hydration!

[marisa]

Gus has been doing somewhat poorly over the past month. He is over 6 though so he is just aging. But I have noticed his water needs have gone up and a dripper + mistings many times a day are no longer cutting it. He was getting more dehydrated and more dehydrated. So I have gotten him used to something new. A shower. At first I would just place him in the shower with steam....but soon enough I started placing the shower head on top of a wire cage I use outdoors for him. Within MINUTES he was diretly under the beating water! I couldn't believe it! He had the longest drink ever, then sat there about 5-6 inches from the shower head just letting it beat on him. We do this every three days now and his condition has improved HUGE. At this point I can hold the shower head and spray him directly...which I thought would scare him at first because of the force of water...but he LOVES it!

I just can't believe he sits under such a fairly strong stream of water.....

<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gusshower.jpg">
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gusshower2.jpg">
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gusshower3.jpg">
<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Reptiles/gus/gusshower4.jpg">

Marisa
P,S, He goes under of his own free will and at all times has 3/4 of the cage to retreat too. But he spends ALL his time under the shower head. LOL

[wyz]

wo !!!! thanks from the advice and the pics.. I noticed my adult male was having some problems recently. Drip and misting didn't cut it anymore..

Under the shower he'll go..

WYZ

[drewlowe]

LOL at least you found out what he wanted. I can't believe he's 6 years old, wow, i thought they only lived 3-5.

[meow_mix450]

ya usually they die around 5, but he seems to be taken care of very well, by you;)good job

Meow

[marisa]

haha no actually he has been treated like total crap for the past 5+ years.

I got him from my ex-roomate (the bad keeper) last summer because he was going to take Gus and give him to the pet store!!! :( And Gus has been through a LOT. This past summer was his first year recieving any UV light, as well as any misting!

Anyways yeah he loves it now! I am keeping it to every three days though because moving him from cage to cage is a little much everyday i think.

Marisa

[meow_mix450]

lol ya i remember that story, i meant that when you got him you have been treating him very well

Meow

[drewlowe]

Marissa hearing you say that make me a little happier. Knowing that gus probly went through the same previous care as neo (my guy) gives me hope that neo can still live a long life with me. Congrats on the good job you've done with him.

Could you show a pic of the whole cage. I have a cage i can take outside (wood and screen), which i plan to do this summer, but i don't have one for the shower. i would really like to build a smaller one for trips to the shower. It's a major pain tring to keep Neo from climbing the shower curtains.

Thanks

Jamie

[meow_mix450]

lol wow im confused, i mixed drewlowe's chameleon neo, with yours ha ha my bad, srry

Meow

[marisa]

I'll try and get pics soon.

The cage is the cage my ex roomate/previous owner of Gus made. It's actually 100% wire. It's round, and the wire edges are bent around each other, then a seal of glue covers all edges to make them smooth not sharp. The doors are even done the same way. Its a "chin-see/cheap" thing but I have kept it because its soooo light and flexable I can move it anywhere and it's held up suprising well being moved constantly inside outside, in shower out of shower etc.... it has no bottom so I can just place paper down on the deck where it sits outside and put it on top.

This cage really is crappy, and it wouldn't do for keeping them in permanently, but the thing that makes me keep it is because it makes putting him outside and the shower just soooo simple. :)

Marisa

[choriona]

Looking good Marisa. My geezer loves the shower too!

I have had great luck in the summer at garage sales, getting suitable sized bird cages for $2 that I use in the shower. Since they usually have that pull out tray on the bottom, I pull it out and let the water wash right away instead of piling up in the pan. I put fake plants in there to hold more droplets.

[sketchy4]

thats pretty cool. he looks quite healthy and he is beautiful.