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I picked up my new iguana today...a hatchling about a few months old, relinquished by the owner who realized she was in over her head. The husband wanted to just release it (OY!), but now I have it. He (she/it) is 4" SVL and 14" STL, weighs just 45g. He's a bit dehydrated, so I started him on oral fluid replacement.

I really don't have a lot of info about his previous care. All I know is that he was kept in an aquarium with a heat lamp and a heat rock and taken outside in a basking cage for natural sunlight. He came from Miami where baby iggies were sold for $5 each, they were cute, so the neighbor bought a few. He's got to be either wild caught in S FL, or farmed in that area from other wild caught iguanas.

As you can see, he has some serious skin issues. My first thought was blister disease, but I've never actually seen it. Plus, I thought blister disease was usually on the belly from sitting in unsuitable conditions. Surely this is bacterial at any rate. His back is crusty, "oozy" around the tail base under the scabs, and has a grayish/black look. He seems to have an abscessed toe. All of his nails are gone from glass dancing in the tank. his dewlap is crusted closed, stiff, and yucky. Even his vent is crusty and yucky. On the good side, he is alert. He's basking and watching me as I type.

I can't get him to the vet until Monday. I've soaked him in a Povidine bath, pulled off the loose wet skin, and then dabbed triple antibiotic cream on the sores. Poor guy, it's like he IS triple antibiotic cream, LOL! If anyone has any other suggestions to get me through the weekend, I'd be very appreciative. He's in a suitably sized cage (not an aquarium), he has three varying height branches to choose from, and the lights he needs. I am quite used to working with tegus and beardies, but I've never seen skin quite like this.

I didn't want to load up the previous message with images.

Here are two pics after soaking. Some of the shedding skin did come off the dewlap, but it's still hard and crispy.

hi oh my god what did they do to him/her lookes like it was trying to shed but did not have the humity to help and you said heat rock that is the worst i am suprised its not burnt to death on the belly. but i would do the bath with batadine and the antibiotic ointment not much be sticking to everything and get it to vet iggirl1

Terrible case of dermatitis...figured that!

I have Fortaz injections to give him, SSD cream to treat bacteria/fungus on the skin, and oral calcium. I was worried that dry gangrene had set in on the tail, but doc says maybe not. We're going to keep an eye on it as the tail is flexible and has feeling. His appetite is a little low, but he will lap up veggie baby food from a dropper and drink collard/cantaloupe puree from a dropper. He also got a lot of fluids at the vet. The vet says he seems to have some spirit in him, but gives him a 50/50 chance. I guess it'll take about a month to see any real progress.

hi yeah that tail in looked in bad shape thats why i said it might lose it. it will grow back. well sounds like you got everything covered and good luck with he/she iggirl1