Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, Tiki is now with her original owner. For those of you who don't remember Tiki, it all started out as a very temporary situation. I was only supposed to watch this lady's dragon for a week while she was on vacation in California. When she brought Tiki over to my house I was shocked to find out that Tiki was over a year old but
she was only 70 grams and maybe 9 or 10 inches long. She was the size of a juvenile.

I was shocked to find out that Tiki didn't have a heat or UVB source. She was left in a semi dark room for the last
year. It was amazing that she survived that. She was fed a diet of only green beans sprinkled with Reptocal with
D3. The calcium with D3 probably saved her life. She wasn't showing any signs of MBD that I could tell, but that
didn't mean that her bones were in good shape or that she was healthy. In fact, she was so dehydrated that she
drank for several minutes when I bathed her.

My husband and I introduced her to the wonderful world of food! She began to devour anything and everything
we put in front of her. We gave her raspberries, strawberries, papaya, RepCal pellets (one of her favorites!)
crickets, wax worms, and many other wonderful greens and veggies. In only 10 weeks she is now almost 300
grams and over 16 inches long.

Sadly, I had to give Tiki back to her original owner. It was very difficult to do this because this is the lady that
almost killed Tiki in the first place and allowed her to suffer and didn't do a darn thing about it. It makes me
steaming mad to think about it. Sorry, had to vent there for a moment.

This whole ordeal has been very frustrating. I guess I had hoped that the lady would see how much care, responsibility, and money went into caring for Tiki and wouldn't want her back. I guess I was wrong - she says
she wants to care for her properly. So I had no choice.

Oh, I hope I did the right thing. I plan to check up on Tiki from time to time to make sure that she's still growing
and not being neglected. She has such a wonderful personality that it's such a shame that her owner doesn't
appreciate her like we all appreciate and love our dragons.

Veronica

Beautiful Dragons

because of your kindness in helping my lizard and the fact you have had her all this time, I would like you to keep her. But hey,you did a bang up Job, by the looks of Tiki, and shes the one who really matters.
It would have broke my heart a I too, get attached after just a few days with a critter. I know the money you invested in her care, and this would be over and above what you have already done, BUT... did you offer to buy her? Hey take care, you may still get her back,(By the sounds of her old owner, I would not doubt it) Just visiting from down the road, at the collared forum, LOL Heres my Auggie, 5 years old Eve

to buy her, but she insisted on taking her back. She was convinced she could handle it. She didn't even buy the required equipment that I told her to buy to I let her borrow mine. This lady is out almost every night going to clubs and bars and told me that she would just turn Tiki's light off early in the day so it wouldn't left on all night. I told her that it would disrupt Tiki's schedule and all she had to do was buy a $5 timer at Walmart, but she didn't even do that. She didn't buy any UVB lighting, so she's got one of my Reptisun's. She wanted to put her back into her 10 gallon aquarium! I let her take one of my 30 gallon long tanks, which is still too small, but much better than a 10 gallon. I have a 50 gallon she can buy from me but she says she doesn't have the money right now. I really put a lot of money into Tiki, probably $250. I doubt I will ever see a penny of it. I did it for Tiki.

By the way, Auggie is gorgeous!

Veronica
Beautiful Dragons

hopefully the owner has learned a lesson and will take better care.

btw, was the owner surprised at the size of the dragon when it was returned?

when Tiki's owner came to get her she knew where Tiki's cage was located and walked right passed her. She continued to look around for Tiki and finally asked where she was. I pointed to Tiki's cage and she gasped in surprise and smiled at how beautiful she looked. I don't think she was expecting Tiki to have grown at all.

I would hope that her shock at the way Tiki looked would show her the errors of her ways.
Let's hope for the best..
Good job Veronica!!
-----
TheClassyLizard

...

I'll keep my fingers crossed for Tiki!
Why doesn't that lady just bought a stuffed animal, doesn't need to be cleaned, fed or anything else for that matter!
Poor Tiki, let us now how she's doing.
Cindy

you did an awesome job and i hope that tiki can survive it. tiki was nice and FAT and was way healthy when i last saw her so she should be fine.

bad ending, but once again some one on this fourm made my day. Keep it up! And watch her like the feds.Scott

Hi
i think you dith very wel ,trying to open the people eyes,how to take care for a dragon.
ok if some people not lisning is not youre fault .
i also got a dragon who also whas killed in a petshop and later after he looked great i must bring him back and saw him again long time in a store .
later i heard he sold him it whas a mitzchelli dragon .
so i know how you feeling .
but not blame youre zelf you dith it very well
thx in the name of the dragons ehhehe
byeeeeeeeee
http://www.run.to/b22