Weight Loss Update on George: The Morbidly Obese Lizard
Some of you have already met George La Rosa, our family’s morbidly obese bearded dragon, but, for those who haven’t, allow me to introduce him.
This lizard came into our lives when my brother adopted him as a pet in college a few years back. In those days, he was actually quite little and enjoyed perching on Robert’s shoulder, like a parrot with scales.
Now he lives with my Mom and Dad and under their care has become, well…fat. There’s just no nice way to say that. They were alerted to George’s weight being an issue earlier this year when they took him to the vet and discovered that a) George is morbidly obese and b) George is not a he, but rather a she.
Since then, Georgina has been on a much stricter diet, (down from 5 worms a day to just 5 a week) and gets plenty of fresh veggies. Additionally, an exercise regimen of walks in the grass coupled with some lizard-style swimming in a shallow bath have been introduced.
Admittedly, the progress has been slow. At times it even seems like Georgina hasn’t lost any of the weight she put on. But, just when I’m starting to lose faith, I’ll watch as she lifts her body and runs across our living room floor at full speed, charging at some unknown enemy. (Maybe obesity?)
It’s something I definitely didn’t see her do a month ago and the fact that she’s gained back that agility means that something is going right.
If you have any words of inspiration for George, or tips, then share them, won’t you?
