Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, I got an iguana that is about 4 ft long including tail for free. He was living in a dresser being fed nothing but brocolli. When I got him he was grey insteed of green. We spray him with vitamin spray though so his color is coming back, except on his head. He has a weird white spot on his side and when he shed a whole appeared on the other side of his spikes. you can see the skin underneith through it, but he did get some kind of unexplained bleeding sore on top of his head when he was shedding too. Anyways we've been doing as much as we can for him. im one of those people who will take in anything that needs a home. He doesnt have a cage though so he just meanders around the house and spends most of his time under the couch on the heat vent (after which he is running around the house trying to climb the walls). He is very friendly, with me at least. he'll come sit on my lap and let me pet him and then leave when i quit and loves my best friend, though i think hes just terrorizing her because shes scared of him. However we have a baby so im always freaking about him being on the furniture or on the babys stuff. But back to the point, i try and be sure to get him the biggest variety we can afford and have been getting brocolli letuce cucumbers apples and bananas. He eats well but still isnt very green and is starting to look pretty skinny again, his skin wrinkles and he just looks blah ya know. Aside from getting him a cage and letting him sit in the window what else can i do for him?

>>Ok, I got an iguana that is about 4 ft long including tail for free.

There is rarely anything more expensive than a "free" animal who has been badly cared for before...

Green iguanas are expensive to set up properly and maintain properly. Not only is a proper diet critical to their health and well-being, but so is providing them the tropical temperatures they need all year round.

You'll find extensive information on their care and keeping in my Iguana Care, Feeding & Socialization article and the other iguana care- and behavior-related articles at my Green Iguana Care site.

You also need to get him checked out by a reptile vet to make sure any underlying health problems not strictly related to diet and enviroment are identified and taken care of. If you don't already have a reptile vet, see the lists and resources at my Herp Veterinarians page.

There are human health concerns you need to be aware of, too, especially since you have a baby in the home. See the articles at my Zoonoses page.

Good luck!
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Melissa Kaplan
Anapsid.org
Lizards-in-Scarves Blog

Dark colouration is associated with temperatures being not warm enough, lack of proper light (UV light, or sunlight), and stress.

Iguanas need basking spots. They need places where they can warm up well at the right temperatures and digst food and be able to function.

They need UV rays to synthesize Vitamin D3 to absorb calcium, thus avoiding MBD (Metabolic Bone Desease). Natural sunlight or UV bulbs at petstores will provide that. To be put with the heat talmp that provide warmness for basking spot.

Stress is another. Baby crying, noises, new surroundings, etc. Iguanas need to feel safe and secure. They need an enclosure. A proper, BIG enclosure.

A person can get salmonella, so keep everything extremely clean and disinfected until you have an enclosure ready for it. Even the enclosure needs to be immaculate.

Melissa Kaplan's website provides a TON of information. Her book is great, as well as James Hatfield's "Ultimate Iguana Manual".

You got lots of work to do!
Good luck,

-IJ

p.s. spray-on vitamins are said to not always work, since scales do not absorb like human or mammalian skin does. Include vitamins in the food, as directed. Also, a visit to a vet for health-check and de-worming or checking for endo-parasites would be a great idea. To help shedding, soakings in luke-warm water (deep enough to cover just the shoulders or back, so the animal won't drown when tired) will help, as well as gentle brushings with a soft tooth-brush.

what you are feeding the iguana is wrong. you should be feeding him 40% greens like collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens... chopped fine since iguana's do have teeth but don't use them to eat... 10% fruit (mostly any kind that they like, except citrus like oranges and pineapple etc..., 15% vegi's ( green beans, carrotts, peas, squash, parsley, mostly anything fresh chopped fine.
all iguana's have things they do and do not like to eat. you will figure out what he likes, but broccoli is not good for them, and lettuce is def. NOT GOOD for them. lettuce has no vitamins for them.
not having a cage is a big no, no since your iguana's body temp. should be around 95 degrees during the day and 75 degrees during the night. (I use a heat blanket at night for my lizzy) but you need to keep heat lamps for him to lay under other wise he is going to get metabolic bone disease and he will DIE!
I would recommend for you to get the book
THE ULTIMATE GREEN IGUANA OWNERS MANUAL, THIS is a wonderful book that will tell you how to take great care of your iggy.
hope this helps
nicole
here is a pic of my lizzy!