Homes where reptiles roam

Outfitting homes as oases for exotic animal life is no simple task. Photos: ©2012 John Binns

Daily baths, natural stone floors, misting nozzles, heat lamps, a cool pool, fresh greens. No, this isn’t a luxury resort spa — it’s the life of a kept reptile.

What leads some homeowners to cater to these toothy, scaly, often-maligned beasts in this way? Call it cold-blooded love, and it all comes through in the clear, simple excitement in their voices when they talk about their pet reptiles and customized living quarters.

Keeping reptiles in a residential setting requires more than devotion, to be sure — it’s a science of controlled humidity and finely-tuned temperature gradients, and specialized food, vitamins and supplements. It ain’t easy.

According to the American Pet Products Association, 4.6 million U.S. households have made the effort to take care of 13 million pet reptiles as of 2011.

Not the typical pet goldfish at the office. Photo: ©2012 John Binns

Making iguanas (and snakes) at home

Last summer, at his family’s new home in Tucson, AZ, retired Silicon Valley electronics engineer John Binns, now founder and CEO of the International Reptile Conservation Foundation (IRCF), designed and built a 270 square-foot vivarium attached to his house to accommodate his five huge rock iguanas, a large iguana species native to the West Indies, and six green iguanas.

“If you haven’t seen them before,” said Binns, “they’re just like dinosaurs.”

The vivarium includes six indoor and five indoor/outdoor cages, an antique cast-iron claw-foot tub, skylights, and intricate temperature regulation controls to hold his iguanas. He baths them daily.

Small “doggy” doors allow the rock iguanas, which are kept in the bottom row of the stacked 2-by-2-by-4-foot cages indoors, to sun outside in a modified dog kennel built of heavy-gauge wire mesh. Sometimes, they get the run of the house and sun by Binns’s backyard pool.

It’s not easy keeping large iguanas. Rock iguanas can grow to be 20 pounds or more and can live up to 60 years. After a successful career in Silicon Valley, Binns’s conservation work with IRCF and owning iguanas “allow me to put something back into the earth,” he said.

John Binns converted a bathhouse into a freestanding vivarium. Photo: ©2012 John Binns

Actually, the cost of keeping the iguanas was what prompted the move from a five-bedroom, large-lot, upscale home near San Jose, CA, where he and his wife Sandy had been living. The utility bills were too high, he said.

Since reptiles are ectotherms — they’re dependent on their environment to regulate their internal temperature — Binns said he was spending about $1,300 to $1,500 a month in electricity bills to power heat lamps to warm the reptiles in that Pacific Ocean-cooled locale.

In Tucson, the undiminished burning desert sun does a lot of the heating work — his electricity bill, he said, plummeted to about $300.

Gavin Brink’s collection of about 30 Latin American snakes at his 1,400-square-foot three-bedroom, 1.5-bath home in Lake Forest, IL, might not have it quite as good, luxury-wise, as Binns’s iguanas did in San Jose, but their granite and marble floors and natural stone walls and ceilings don’t fall far behind in style.

Amorphous animal ownership laws in some states mean people can even own exotic reptiles like alligators. Photos (left to right): Jeremy Thompson; ©2012 John Binns

“I want people to go, ‘Oh wow, this is cool,’” said Brink of visitors to his private collection of snakes, which includes Amazon tree boas, neotropical bird snakes, tiger rat snakes, and cribos.

In all, Brink estimates that more than one third of his house will be given over to snake habitat, or roughly 50 cages, when a basement remodel is completed. As of now, his snakes claim two of his three bedrooms and a portion of a hallway.

“This has really driven me,” said Brink. “I’ve already spent substantially more than I make, but I do it because it’s what I love.”

He already has laid down an umber-brindled marble tile floor in the basement. When done, he estimates that he will have tiled 1,000 square feet of his 1,400-square-foot home. Tile’s more expensive, said Brink, but it looks good and cleans up easy.

An alligator in the tub, two in the basement

Benton, AK, resident Jeremy Thompson, who owns a 1-year-old American alligator — a species that is legal to own in Arkansas and many other states — said the gator is right at home. “My girlfriend takes a bath with her sometimes,” he said.

Thompson said he wouldn’t try that because the alligator can be “nippy.” Thompson plans to keep his new gator, unnamed as of now mainly because of her orneriness, he said, into adulthood, which could mean taking care of a 10-foot-long, 400-pound beast.

Owning exotic reptiles can be pricey; Binn spends $1,500 a month in electric bills to keep these pets warm. Photo: ©2012 John Binns

Now, he keeps his 1-foot-long lady, which he handles daily, in a 60-gallon aquarium indoors — there is a round metal trough in the backyard, which measures 6 feet in diameter, that will allow the alligator to enjoy the sun during the summers.

Thompson said his dream is to train her (or another pet alligator), so that when she’s an adult she’ll be docile and friendly enough so that he can keep her in a farm pond on his property or a friend’s property and go swimming with her.

Pet alligators are not as rare as you might think, said Tracy Coppola, an associate at Born Free USA, an organization that lobbies for tighter restrictions on private exotic pet ownership.

Many states allow private ownership of exotic animals; eight have no restrictions whatsoever, including Ohio, Alabama, and Nevada (view a map that shows the various exotic ownership laws by state here). Last year, Zanesville, OH, was the scene of a tragic event in which dozens of exotic animals were released from a private reserve, with law enforcement officers killing many of the animals, which included 17 lions, a tiger, bears and wolves.

When it comes to exotic animal ownership laws, “Reptiles often fall into this amorphous status,” Coppola said.

Thompson said that one of the things that drew him to own an alligator, besides his fascination with their power, was that they are one of the few reptilian species that are capable of learning.

Jim Nesci, who lives in a suburb of Chicago, said he definitely agrees that alligators can learn. He owns Bubba, an 8-foot-long, 200-pound American alligator, and Bubba’s girlfriend, Cruella.

Bubba and Cruella live in Nesci’s 2,700-square-foot basement-turned-reptile showroom, along with about 30 or so other animals, including a huge Aldabra tortoise, a 20-foot-long albino Burmese python, a seven-foot-long, 60-pound water monitor lizard, and others.

He runs tours through his basement; thousands of people a year make the visit.

Bubba, according to Nesci’s account of him, behaves like a dog. He comes when called, is generally docile, roams the house when Nesci’s at home, and obeys various commands. Nesci talks about Bubba like he’s an old friend, and the tone of his voice indicates respect. “Alligators have seen the dinosaurs come and go, and that’s no accident,” he said.

(Related: custom-built homes for dog and cat lovers.)

See full story: A home where the reptiles roam

Each week, Dr. Patrick Tate, chief of the veterinary staff and a general practitioner at Webster Groves Animal Hospital, answers reader questions about pets. This week’s question comes from Karen Schmidt.

Question: We have a new dog and were wondering if crate training is a good idea? We have never used a crate with our other dogs, but the rescue group where we adopted our new dog highly recommends them.

Answer: I highly recommend crate training to all of my clients, whether they are getting a puppy or an older dog. I have personally used crate training for every one of my own dogs (and there have been many). Often, new pet owners think that confining their dog to a crate is somehow cruel or harmful, but that is not true if a crate is used appropriately. Dogs are “den” animals and instinctively enjoy having their own private space where they can “get away from it all.” Once they are accustomed to their crate, many dogs will voluntarily sleep or rest in it throughout their lifetime.

Have you ever taken a dog to obedience training? It can be a wonderful experience. Today we’ll learn about a remarkable service which trains assistance dogs to learn obedience and much, much more. At the highest level, they might even learn intelligent disobedience.

Larry Stigge is CEO of KSDS Inc., formerly known as Kansas Specialty Dog Service, in Washington, Kansas. KSDS Inc. is a non-profit, charitable organization which prepares dogs to help people with disabilities so that those people can have independence and inclusion in their community and society.

The service began 21 years ago. It remains true to its original purpose of providing dogs to assist people with disabilities. KSDS is the only facility in Kansas accredited by Assistance Dogs International.

Specifically, KSDS offers guide dogs to help the visually impaired, service dogs to help those who are physically impaired, and social dogs which are utilized in medical, educational, or professional settings. KSDS trains the dogs and then pairs them with people with disabilities. Amazingly, this service is free to the recipients.

“This is a gift to someone who needs a service dog,” Larry Stigge said. “It’s a testament to the supporters we have across the country.”

KSDS is its own 501c3 organization so it can receive charitable donations. It also has excellent partners such as Hill’s Pet Foods, which provides dog food for life, and the Kansas State University Veterinary Hospital.

But what is most touching is seeing the huge difference that an assistance dog can make in the day-to-day life of a person with a disability. This might be someone who has had spinal injuries, multiple sclerosis, or a stroke. It’s remarkable how much the dogs can understand and help.

For example, one visually impaired man in an eastern Kansas community operates two cafeterias. His dog helps take him to the bank and navigate through grocery stores. The dog will even guide his hand to the key opening on a vending machine.

Another dog helps his partner pull her clean laundry out of the dryer. The dog will even help the woman tug her socks off her feet at the end of the day. Hmm, I wonder if I could teach my dog to do that.

The training of these KSDS dogs is just remarkable. It’s one thing for a dog to lead a person around a puddle of water, for example, but these dogs can even be trained to watch out for a tree branch four feet above their heads, or an icy patch in front of the dog’s partner.

Then there is the concept of intelligent disobedience. It is one of the highest levels of training for guide dogs. This is where the dog will disobey the instructions of its owner in order to protect its master. For example, a dog will learn to refuse to cross the street, even when told to do so, if cars are coming. These dogs can literally be lifesavers.

In its first year, KSDS graduated three trained assistance dogs. Today, 21 years later, KSDS has placed 462 dogs in both rural and urban settings in 32 states. One of its most recent placements was with a person in the nearby rural community of Palmer, population 106 people. Now, that’s rural.

KSDS continues to expand, most recently with an ADA-accessible housing addition in which recipients can live while they are training. KSDS receives support in various ways. Some groups have hosted fundraisers for KSDS, some people donate directly, and others donate supplies. One group of ladies makes blankets to send with the puppies.

“We’re very thankful for the support we’ve received and we’re looking for more, to expand our programs and help more people,” Larry Stigge said. For more information, go to www.ksds.org.

Have you ever taken a dog to obedience training? It’s wonderful to see a dog learn to obey, but it’s even more impressive to see a dog protect its master through intelligent disobedience. We salute Larry Stigge and all those involved with Kansas Specialty Dog Service. These dogs are literally making a difference in the lives of those they serve.

Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at http://www.kansasprofile.com. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit http://www.huckboydinstitute.org.

The mission of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development is to enhance rural development by helping rural people help themselves. The Kansas Profile radio series and columns are produced with assistance from the K-State Research and Extension Department of Communications News Unit. A photo of Ron Wilson is available at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/sty/RonWilson.htm. Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at http://www.kansasprofile.com. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit http://www.huckboydinstitute.org.

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

A successful pet adoption largely depends on the behavior of the dog once it is in its new home.

For that reason, the Burleson Animal Shelter is joining with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to promote January as Train Your Dog Month.

January is Train Your Dog Month because so many dogs and puppies are adopted or purchased from breeders and brought home during the winter holidays.

The goal is to promote using training methods that are kind, gentle and have an emphasis on building a relationship with your dog.

In 2011, the Burleson Animal Shelter adopted out 415 dogs. Of that number, 66 were returned.

The most prevalent reasons were unrealistic expectations, the owner was moving, behavior issues, the dog was too active, family was allergic to the pet and the dog was destructive outside.

Train Your Dog Month focuses on promoting the importance of training and socialization to provide a safe, happy and positive relationship with canines.

Proper dog training and socialization can reduce the number of dog bites, create healthier relationships between dogs and owners and decrease the number of dogs turned in to shelters.

Socialization is introducing your puppy to a broad range of new experiences, people, environments and activities. Well-socialized dogs are more secure, confident and self-assured.

Use all of your dog’s behaviors to earn him what he wants. Make getting anything that your dog desires a learning opportunity. If your dog wants to go out, he has to sit for his leash to be put on, or lie down at the door or do a trick instead. Do the same when your dog wants his dinner or to play or be petted or get attention. It doesn’t really matter what behavior you ask for, as long as you ask the dog to do something in exchange for a valuable reward.

To learn more, visit the Train Your Dog Month website link on the city website, www.burlesontx.com, Departments, Animal Services.

Yahoo! Shine got an advance peek at this year’s most popular dog names list, which is published annually along with cat and exotic pet names by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s largest provider of heath insurance for pets.

Related: Dog people vs. Cat People: the Surprising Differences

According to the list, it looks like classic canine names such as Spot, Fido, and Rover have gone the way of the Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig craze. Today’s owners (or “Pet Parents” many dog walking services and doggie daycares now call them) prefer to give their pooches human names. If they hailed from the Wild West, that is. A posse of Jakes, Codys, Sadies, and Lolas is currently having a rootin’ tootin’ good time at a dog park near you.

A notable exception? Twilight madness has even impacted the pet world. For the third year in a row, Bella tops the list of popular names for females. So much for dogs being descended from wolves.

Most popular canine names for females

1. Bella

2. Lucy

3. Molly

4. Daisy

5. Maggie

6. Sophia

7. Chloe

8. Sadie

9. Lola

10. Bailey

Most popular Canine names for males

1. Max

2. Buddy

3. Charlie

4. Rocky

5. Bailey

6. Jake

7. Cooper

8. Jack

9. Toby

10. Cody

VPI’s compete list of popular dog names for 2011 will be released in early January, 2012.

By Dr. Patty Khuly, vetstreet.com

“But she eats almost nothing!”

So begins the conversation I’ve just initiated with a client by not-so-innocently pointing to Bella’s burgeoning backside. Her extreme roundness means there’s little doubt about what I’m referring to – especially when I mime a Buddha belly for her.

SEE ALSO: World’s Oldest Dog Dies at Unbelievable Age

Note: I’ve still not said a word, but the owner is already presenting a defense for her Beagle‘s ample derriere. Not that I blame her. I’d also be defensive if my dog was 50 percent overweight, which is why I try to inject some humor into the situation with my Marcel Marceau act.

In this case, it’s working, seeing as my client isn’t upset or angry – just a tad flustered and only slightly embarrassed. And this is exactly what I’m going for. Owners of obese pets almost always know their dogs are fat, so rubbing their noses in it doesn’t help. What does help is getting them to talk about the situation, so I can figure out where the problem lies.

Diagnosing A Weight Problem

As with so many others, the volume of food given to Bella is an overriding issue. When the owner says that her dog “eats almost nothing,” she holds up her hand and makes a letter “C” with it, thereby indicating a highly nonspecific measure of kibble that lands in Bella’s bowl.

Little does Bella’s owner know that “C is for cookie” is one of the most common defenses known to veterinarians. It’s so prevalent that the cliché of the five-kibble-a-day-eating beagle would be hysterically funny – if it weren’t so sad. Let’s be honest here: It should be obvious that Bella is eating too much, however much that is.

But here’s where my take on the subject may surprise you: Owners like Bella’s can be somewhat forgiven for overfeeding their dogs, while irrationally worrying that they’re not feeding them enough. After all, they’ve been trained to think their pets need more food than they actually do.

Food Volume is Deceptive

As much as I believe it should be self-evident when a fat animal needs to eat less, this inconvenient truth is often obscured by modern delivery methods. Let me explain: Since most pet food is delivered either as desiccated morsels or dense patés specifically designed for convenience and affordability, the nutrient content can be deceptive. In other words, pet food tends to be more nutritionally dense than standard human fare – as in, more calories per ounce.

SEE ALSO: Pets and Obesity: What You Need to Know

Most dog kibble averages about 300 to 500 calories per cup. Think Snickers bar density. A comparison can also be aptly made to one of those meal-replacing protein bars you might pick up at the gym. Eat three of those bad boys every day and you’d need little else for weight maintenance (optimum nutrition is another matter, of course).

To me, this concept makes perfect sense. But pet owners either don’t know or don’t get it. I know this because the surest way to raise an eyebrow in the exam room is to let my clients in on a little secret: A large Milk Bone brand dog biscuit contains a whopping 325 calories within its toothsome crust. That’s more than what is in a cup of some common dog foods. Crazy, right?

It all goes back to the same concept: Pet food is denser than so-called “people food,” which is why you need to feed pets less than your people food-biased brain is telling you she needs to eat.

Confusing Language

Then there’s this annoying issue: What’s with the verbiage that passes for gospel on the side of the pet food bag?

That may be an unduly harsh statement, but it’s what most veterinarians are really thinking when we read that a dog roughly Bella’s size (45 pounds) requires a serving size of three cups, twice daily. Never mind that Bella is supposed to weigh 25 to 30 pounds or that she does nothing but sit on a couch all day, instead of trotting briskly for hours at a time (as a dog like her is built to do). It’s a widely held veterinary opinion that greater clarity in pet food portion recommendations would undeniably improve the health of animals.

The Responsibility Lies With The Owners

Now back to Bella. You’d think that once I’ve explained all of this, it would be a simple thing to get owners like Bella’s to reform their ways, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Some owners are so wedded to the fiction of pet food-people food parity that it’s impossible to get them to stop believing that they’re starving their pets when they’re really feeding them just the right amount. They’d rather convince themselves that it is lack of exercise that’s to blame – and yet do nothing to change that lifestyle.

It certainly doesn’t help that dogs like Bella have spent their entire lives perfecting the art of looking hungry. Of course, you’d think that, at some point, the rolls of fat would convince her owner otherwise. Unfortunately, things often have to take a harsh turn – such as a pet’s inability to walk when a cruciate ligament ruptures, – that finally gets an owner to look at the problem seriously.

Here is a helpful article from Dr. Marty Becker, at vetstreet.com

on how to get your cat to sleep through the night

Q. Our young cat is keeping us up all night. I think he sleeps all day when we’re at work, and all night he wants to play. What can we do?

A. Cats have night vision that puts any man-made invention to shame. When you think about that, it’s not surprising that a lot of cats, especially young ones, love prowling about in the dark. If you have other plans (such as sleeping) they really don’t care. It’s showtime at the Cat Cabaret!

The “solution” to this problem used to be to put the cat outside, turn out the lights and go to sleep. But these days we know that remedy isn’t the best. Free-roaming cats generally don’t live anywhere near as long as indoor cats, because of the hazards of life outside. From cars and coyotes to cat-hating neighbors, there are plenty of dangers for a cat outside. And, of course, there’s an argument to be made that these cats cause problems just by doing what comes naturally, including hunting and burying their feces in the neighbors’ gardens. Keeping your cat inside is safer for your cat and more considerate of your neighbors.

Read the whole article here