Barrie is just visiting.....or is he?

[Ruth]

I guess lizards love a good soak, too, I know I do. I tend to think that all creatures can learn their name if we use it enough. I've love to see a picture of him on a walk, so cool!

[Catherine]

Barrie is doing okay. This morning he opened his eyes without me cleaning them. He opened them tonight when I came home. Maybe his eyes are clearing up and becoming healthy.

The swelling on his leg is a bit of infection. I need it to drain so that it can start healing. Soaking and antibiotic ointment will help and have helped.  The leg drained really well this morning. I cleaned it up and put ointment on it. Now I hope it will heal up. He would feel so much better if all these little things cleared up.  He had some sores around his mouth, but I think they might be okay now.

Barrie could be fully well in time to go for walks. That would be great.

[cathie]

I'd love to see a video of him walking on a leash.

[Catherine]

I will have to get a friend to video tape us. I can't manage the lizard and the camera at the same time. He has that big lizard walk. Their whole body is part of the movement. It is slow and deliberate and we won't get far on walks, but the experience would be fun. 

If the harness really works for him, I can take him out when I garden and have him on a leash beside me while I work. He can sun himself and I can do a little work. I have a pond out back. It is about 40 gal and he could actually swim in it, that is if Tegus swim. I think they do. It might need so serious spring cleanup before I would let Barrie in the water, but it would be great for him to enjoy the water like that.

[Ruth]

So, are you going to keep Barrie? Sounds like you two have made good friends for eachother. He sounds like a real nice lizard and I bet he's love going outside for a walk with you.

[Catherine]

Barrie is not leaving here. The only reason I would have returned him would be if I couldn't manage him. He is a big lizard and he could be a problem to handle.

He has strong jaws and he could give a nasty bite and his claws are long and could scratch.  I am always going to be careful with him. I don't put my hand near his face when he is eating. I speak to him before I touch him.  I pick him up from behind by putting my hand under him. I don't reach my hand in front of him to grab him. I need to always respect that he is a big meat eating lizard with strong instincts.
He is being a real sweetheart for me. I am able to work on his health issues and he is very cooperative. His infected leg is clearing up nicely. I still need to work on his eyes daily. It just takes a few minutes to clean them and then he feels better. I see no sign of aggression. He lets me put a harness on him and then I can have him run around on a leash.

I think we get along beautifully. I love what he is as a lizard and I hope we can walk outside in the hot weather.

[Ruth]

I'm so glad Barrie is staying with you. You have become attached to him and probably visa versa. That will be so cool when you walk him down the street. People will stop and have a look. He sounds so cute!

[Catherine]

I had fallen in love with Barrie before I brought him home. I was looking after him at the reptile centre. It just became obvious that he needed home care and I wanted him to be cared for in my home.

I have a bigger tank for him and I will be setting it up so he can be more active in his tank.  That is one of the reasons why I am shifting tanks around.  I need his tank to be in the right place. He needs to be warm enough and he needs to be easy to get at.

Barrie is pretty sweet and he is an older lizard so I get his senior years. I have never regretted taking on a senior pet.

[Ruth]

That is so nice Catherine. No doubt Barrie needs you and now you need him, too. That's the way it happens with pets. He sounds like a fine lizard. I found out I can fall in love with any species after falling in love with Fiddler Crabs. They were so cool but they have a dark side where they kill each other.

[Catherine]

Everything has a dark side, but Fiddler crabs are interesting.  Did you see them at a pet store. I haven't seen them in years.

I am happy with how well Barrie is doing. I can't wait for the warm weather and I want him in the bigger tank. I can make him more comfortable.  By the time I set him up I will be more familiar with his needs so I should be able to make him feel at home.