Reptile & Amphibian Forums

when i got my juvi iguana from the pet store the woman said he was having some trouble shedding and that i should maybe bathe him in warm water. i've done this a couple times, he's just so hard to get out of the tank....real quick, doesn't really wanna be held at this point....definatly opened his mouth at me and i figured he was ready to bite.
but my question is this, on his skin he's got like...i dunno what i'd cal it, but he's like ashy. kinda like he'd got some dry mud on him. is this really bad? is this normal? what can i do to make it go away.
thanks so much

-davey

Go ahead and give him warm soaks and then apply a little
baby oil to the area (just a little). You can use baby oil
as long as the skin is not open like a sore. It could be
just a patch of of old skin.

He will open his mouth at you but just be persistant and
patient.

Linda

here's the dude himself.
let me know what you think of this...should i be worried. im a first time owner and REAL paranoid, i dont want him to be sick and me miss it. i know i gotta get him into a vet anyway, i just want to know if there's any urgency to the situation.
the people at the pet store seem to be...well, a little naive.

here, im not good with the interwebs

Hi,
We have been through pet store miss information. Is your iguana eating? He looks dehydrated and needs help. Find a good herp vet and ask about critical care for herbivours. I would remove the reptibark and use newspaper. Give him nice long soaks in a warm bath.
Sean
Link

I wouldn't worry about the skin right now. This iguana
does look dehydrated and very thin! You need to give it
a good soak daily and when get it on a good diet with lots
of greens (no lettuce). I would get this baby to a vet that
is knowledgable about iguanas

I do not know how old your ig is but I have attached a picture
of my big guy at 5-6 months old. Look at the difference, just
so you have an idea what we are talking about.

Let us know how things are going
Linda

thanks everyone so much for the comments.
ive been feeding him a mix of mustard greens and collard greens. i threw in some mango for him today. he's eating well, and is pretty active.... you know, when im not in the room. i come home and he's walking around or he's climbing, then when i get back he just sits still.
it's funny how the reptibark says it's perfect for green iguana's and WILL enhance humidity, but in all actuality these statements are false.
i'll continue the warm baths, get rid of the bark, get him to a vet and let you guys know whats happening.
thanks again everyone

Good for you! Let us know how things are going. These guys
really grow on you after a while. One minute mine is a huge
pain in the a--, next he wants to cuddle! Who can figure?

Linda

I would remove the bark. There is a danger for ingestion
as well as harboring bacteria. It is also very dry and will
zap the humidity out of the enclosure. I would use regular
old newspaper and put a large shallow bowl of water in there
to help raise the humidity. He may also soak on his own.

Linda