Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to Uromastyx Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area  

Uromastyx Forum

Dianedsk   Water~   Babypendragon   Water~   Dianedsk   Mwilso1   Water~   Dianedsk   Water~   ShyBoy   Dianedsk   Water~   Dianedsk  
 Member  Message

 #544494


Dianedsk
View Profile

 Emergency uro supplies

Pogo’s Grandma and Lizard King’s questions about what to do while you’re away got me thinking about winter coming.
Here in central VA, winters are pretty mild, but we do get ice storms, which knock the power out. We live out in the sticks and don’t have a generator, so if the roads are bad, we’re stuck at home with no power (stinks--literally--when you have a well), and just the woodstove for heat.
What to do with the uro under those conditions? What would be good to have on hand? I asked Doug Dix before we bought our uro, and his suggestion was to put the uro in a pillowcase and stick him under your shirt for a short term fix. Then go to a hotel if the power is out too long. The longest we’ve been without power is 3 days (twice, Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and an ice storm in 1994).
Obviously, we’re not going to be able to load up even our 3’ enclosure for a trip to a hotel, and after Isabel, there were downed trees everywhere (including 3 laying our our house), making travel pretty much impossible.
What would be some good things to get to minimize stressing the little fellow too much?
I’d love to buy a generator to run the well, the fridge, the woodstove fan, and the lizard lights, but hubby doesn’t see the need since 6 days with no power in 15 years we’ve lived here doesn’t justify the purchase in his mind.
11/16/05  09:21am

 #544503


Water~
View Profile



   Message To: Dianedsk   In reference to Message Id: 544494


 Emergency uro supplies

I don’t know if it would work with a Uro but with my RTB and Water Dragon I keep 2 steralite containers by there cages and a nice little stock of those heating pads you put in your gloves. PLEASE TEST IT BEFORE YOU HAVE TO USE IT. It gets warm enough to keep them warm and lasts a few hours. I just put 2 under some substrate in the steralite containers. (I use 3-4 for Sully b/c he is much bigger). Other then that I have no other suggestions.

Oh yeah I live in northern OH so we get bad storms to! In 2002 we had an F4 tornado go through (on Nov. 10,2002) and knocked out power for 2 1/2 days. Luckily I didn’t’ have any reptiles at that time but now I know I have to be prepared for anything.



11/16/05  09:37am

 #544583


Babypendragon
View Profile



   Message To: Water~   In reference to Message Id: 544503


 Emergency uro supplies

Where do you get those heat pad things. I’ve seen people with them but i don’t think i’ve ever seen them in a store. I was just thinking it would be a good idea to get some to have on hand just in case. In 2003 we had a bad ice storm here in SC, most of my area was without power for 3 days. Some powerlines broke during the storm and my apartment building had to be evacuated because a fire started about 3 feet from my door. That was scary. We are having some screwed up weather down here again (it’s like 80 degrees outside in the middle of November) so nothing would suprise me this year. =)
11/16/05  11:21am

 #544587


Water~
View Profile



   Message To: Babypendragon   In reference to Message Id: 544583


 Emergency uro supplies

I got mine in the camping section at Wal-Mart and they have them right by the register at ALCO. Maybe if you have a sporting goods store by you? They may not sell them down there b.c it doesn’t get very cold. BUt you maybe able to order them from the net.??
11/16/05  11:25am

 #544678


Dianedsk
View Profile



   Message To: Water~   In reference to Message Id: 544587


 Emergency uro supplies

If you think you might need to evacuate for a few days, would it be a good idea to buy a small enclosure, that would fit on a car seat? You wouldn’t be able to maintain a good gradient, but I like the idea of being able to get out of the house with all my pets intact and reasonably comfortable. 3 cat carriers, 1 for each cat and 1 for the 2 rattie girls, but how to transport a lizard? Or just keep him "warm enough" and in the dark, and he’ll just kind of semi-hibernate and sleep through the whole thing.
What’s the lowest temperature a uro can tolerate for any length of time without permanent damage?
I hear you about the wild weather babypendragon! It was about 77 here in Richmond when we went out at lunch, supposed to be 25 tomorrow night!
11/16/05  01:00pm

 #544688


Mwilso1
View Profile



   Message To: Dianedsk   In reference to Message Id: 544494


 Emergency uro supplies

Diane,

For emergency supplies I break things up into short term and long term.

For the short term ( less than three or so days) all I am really worried about is keeping his body temp above 70 degrees and hopefully warming him up to 80-90 or so for an hour or two a day. Doing without food or UV light for a few days is not going to hurt a healthy uro. I keep two kinds of heat packs around for that purpose, one is the type that has iron in it and is activated just by opening, these are the most common type and can last for quite a long time. The other type is the ones filled with liquid and a little disk you click to activate. They are rechargeable by boiling them for a while and can be used many times, but they only last an hour or so. I also have a small insulated cooler I can move him into if the outage is in the winter and I can’t maintain temps in the cage.

Please note if you use the iron filled packets for heating they use oxygen when in use so you will need adequate ventilation.

For a big disaster my plans are a bit more hazy, it depends on how big the disaster is. If it looks like it would be a long term outage my plan is to move my uro to a location that has a wood stove for heat and my basic plan would be to follow a brumation strategy and keep him warm enough for a week or two to empty his stomach contents then lower the temp so he brumates.

If adequate food and heat were available I would probably skip the brumation step and just try to keep him warm and fed and break out my supply of pelleted food and calcium with d3 and try to maintain him on that.

Anything bigger and larger than that and I will just try to improvise.

Supplies currently in my emergency box:

heat packs (both types)
calcium with d3
calcium without d3
vitamin supplement
can of mazuri pelleted food
alfalfa cubes
bag of dried peas
bag of lentils
container of unflavored pedialyte mixture
triple antibiotic cream in individual packets
small insulated cooler
and a few other odds and ends I can’t remember off of the top of my head

all of that is contained in a medium rubbermaid container in a closet.

Any suggestions on what to add to my emergency supplies or plans are always welcome.

--
Mike
11/16/05  01:09pm

 #544713


Water~
View Profile



   Message To: Mwilso1   In reference to Message Id: 544688


 Emergency uro supplies

With winter coming and everything I really think it would be a good idea to put together an "emergency care sheet" for different animals and for different disasters and short term vs long term. It could include things like heat, water source, traveling cages, food. Short term things like just having to go to the basement in case of tornado, what to do in case of a fire, what to do if the power goes out for 8 hours or longer. These are real issues that should be taken VERY seriously! There are so many animals with differnet needs.

Does anyone think this is a good idea?

Jackie
Proud mommy of Sully (RTB) Radar (CWD) Roxanna Lyn (ferret) Duke&Lucky (mice)



11/16/05  01:46pm

 #544775


Dianedsk
View Profile



   Message To: Water~   In reference to Message Id: 544713


 Emergency uro supplies

This will be our first winter since acquiring these exotic pets (rats and lizard). Ratties are pretty easy, it’s the lizard we need to provide so much for. Especially living where we do. Most winters are totally uneventful, but who knows. Our little guy is such a fussy eater, who knows how he will react. Maybe when he gets bigger, he’ll be hungrier and less selective in what he’ll chow down on.



11/16/05  02:34pm

 #544796


Water~
View Profile



   Message To: Dianedsk   In reference to Message Id: 544775


 Emergency uro supplies

ooo yeah have ratties! Aren’t they the sweetest things ever???
As I have said in many posts I MISS MY BABY GIRLS!!!!!!
11/16/05  02:46pm

 #544804


ShyBoy
View Profile



   Message To: Dianedsk   In reference to Message Id: 544775


 Emergency uro supplies

I live in South Florida and have been thru a few hurricanes. I put my guys in a Tupperware bin and put them in the back seat of my car and bought a power inverter to plug in a light. Of course we kept the windows half open and this year the humidity was very low with temperatures in the low 70s after the storm. We were without light for 3 days and this kept the guys hot. At nite I brought them in the house because the outside temperature was in the low 60s. I also took advantage of the sunny days and held them in the sun so that they can take advantage of the sun’s rays but mostly left them in the bins with the heat light.
11/16/05  02:49pm

 #544880


Dianedsk
View Profile



   Message To: Water~   In reference to Message Id: 544796


 Emergency uro supplies

yes, we are enjoying our rattie girls quite a bit. They are the complete opposite of our uro. ;-). They sit together in their hammock in the top of the big circular cage (one of two cages) we have, just watching to see if someone will come over and play. It’s so much fun to watch them figure stuff out. Like how to get down their narrow tunnel with a big wide stick-treat in your mouth. Answer? You don’t, you go down the top of the tunnel.



11/16/05  04:00pm

 #544899


Water~
View Profile



   Message To: Dianedsk   In reference to Message Id: 544880


 Emergency uro supplies

My girls were TONS of fun. I had to give them up last year around christmas I was having a really hard time with my asthma. And unfortunately they were part of the problem. The went to a local rat rescue called "Heather’s Happy Endings Rat Rescue" Lexie passed away over the summer after a surgery to remove a tumor and Mazie is still happy and healthy although she has a tumor also.
We used to play a game with our girls we called it the pea game but you take a paint pan fill it with warm water (so they can just barely touch the bottom) and add frozen peas. Most rats like to swim (take care no water gets in their ears though) and my girls would wade around chasing peas and they would come out and eat them and go back for more! It was sooo cute. You get kinda wet though!



11/16/05  04:15pm

 #544915


Dianedsk
View Profile



   Message To: Water~   In reference to Message Id: 544899


 Emergency uro supplies

Water~
sent you a PM, ’fraid the uro folks might get bored reading rattie antics ;-)
11/16/05  04:24pm


Back to Uromastyx Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area