Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have 2 incandecent light bulbs-one is for day and one is red and for night. (but i keep both on during the day anyways). then i have a green reptile carpet thing for bedding, a water dish 7 inches in dimemeter. a food bowl and a rock rock and a bunch of of brandhes to climb on. i feed them romainelettuce every day. (my cousin did that and his are 3 foot long and healthy)and i also sprinkle a little calcium on their food everyday. i think the problem is either his diet or his lighting.....but then y would one be healthy and not the other? He isn't really that bad, his legs and tail are just skinny thats all. Oh yeah, and i really really dont think its becuz i have 2- they get along just like sam-n-ella's........if u have any other ?s email me at Gammaraptor8705@wmconnect.com. ty for the help. i got a new pic donw below this-he looks a little better now dont he? (compare it to the old one)

Is there a thermometer in the cage to monitor the temps? That is a really important factor in their health. Since they are cold blooded if there is not enough heat then they cannot digest their food very efficiently.

How do you know they are both eating. I sounds like 1 iguana is eating while the guy you have the pic of is not and maybe you just assume they are both eating the food when it disappears? You should also feed them things like collard or mustard greens and kale.. try to stay away from all lettuce IMO. Good luck!

he is looking a little better, did he shed?

No he didn't shed but i think he looks better cuz instead of just feeding him lettuce the other day i fed him carrots too (that may have helped) and i think whoever said i was assuming he was eating was right.......thats what i think might be going on-but then why would he have such a fat stomach? that one thing i dont get-his tummy is huge but his legs and tail are thin-some1 get back to me as sooon as u can!!!!!!-i am gonna try handfeeding him from now on (if he doesn't get better by friday i am taking him tto the vet). thank you guys-u 2 and sam-n-ella are so much help-u dont he will die do u? (i am crying right now) oh god i hope he dont die.......i love my igs so much.......hopefully he ges better......reply back-thanks

Hey dude. If you can get him to a vet sooner that would be a lot better. It might only cost like $35.00 for a visit, and even some places will set a payment plan or take a post dated check. Don't be affraid to ask parents for help. I'm not implying that you don't have the means to be able to do this or that your parents don't help. I'm just saying when I brought my other poor Ig in even though he started getting better I feel if I would have gotten him there sooner he would have made it. I had to make arrangements with the vet for payment. It was only about a week of him getting skinny before I brought him in, it was too long. His stomache wasn't plump like you guys is though. Good luck and I hope the outcome is good. He does look better though. There is a lot less brown and his belly looks full. His tail and rear legs will take some time to plump up if it's just lack of food. Your best bet is the vet.
Brian

First off let me understand, you know nothing about the animal or it's needs so why not get another??? Do you think they like company when dying? You had advice given and chose to ignore it so let me try to help, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS "I am going to get a UV light" that is something that they need. Try researching the animal BEFORE you get it then maybe they will have half a chance(you need to listen to the people that have kept these animals successfully) then maybe they will have a chance. When you write your care sheet send me a copy I never learned to kill an animal this quickly. Ask mommy to take you to the library and read a book or maybe watch a movie. The care sheet isn't on the PLAYSTATION.

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He doesnt play Playstation, he told me while he playing Game Cube they sit on his shoulders shivering.

I don't know what the CHILD is doing but it is not very healthy for the Iguanas. I personaly think it is part stress and part malnutrition.

Wow some of you people really need to lighten up! At least the kid has some awareness there is a problem and is attempting to do something to save the iguana's life. He has enough sense to feed them greens and as he stated one of them is doing great so obviously there is a problem with only 1 animal which makes me think he was sick to begin with or is a little stubborn... even a lizard has a personality.

I do agree you need to pick yourself up a book on green iguanas so ensure you are meeting all their lighting and nutritional needs. Taking them out to rest on your shoulder is an easy way to tame them BUT it is more important to get the animals estabilished and eating first.

GREEN IGUANAS ARE NOT BEGINNER PETS!!!

"Wow some of you people really need to lighten up!"

Well this kid kept posting the same question after it was answered several times.

"At least the kid has some awareness there is a problem and is attempting to do something to save the iguana's life."

If he was trying then he would have done what he could to make sure the lighting and housing was taken care of BEFORE he went out and bought the animals.

"He has enough sense to feed them greens"

How many Iguanas do you personaly know of that survived or thrived on just romaine lettuce alone? Personally ours recieve a salad of several greens, carrots,dandelion leaves, fruits, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, melon, squash, etc etc(I know Im forgeting a few), suplemented with Miner-all indoor formula and occaisional essential probiotics.

" as he stated one of them is doing great so obviously there is a problem with only 1 animal which makes me think he was sick to begin with or is a little stubborn... even a lizard has a personality."

He stated that one is doing good so he was told that there is a problem with them being together, Weather it be dominance or just the fact that one may have parasites and should not be housed with the healthy one because he is sentencing it to death. What basis for reference does he use for one being healthy for that matter? Its bright green..hmmmmm....

"Taking them out to rest on your shoulder is an easy way to tame"

So in your professional opinion taking a sick animal that is already showing signs of stress out to place it on your shoulder like a toy while exposing it to the stress of a video game system (explosions, loud noises, bright flashes, fast movement, etc etc) is a good idea? Do you have any books available to you that reference their proper care? Everyone is an expert yet still animals are dying????

GREEN IGUANAS ARE NOT BEGINNER PETS!!!
I aggree this shows why so many have been bought as cute little hatchlings and died so early, be prepared long before you put yourself in such a big commitment and be mature enough to carry out those responsibilities completely, they are living beings not cool toys to impress your video game buddies.

"If he was trying then he would have done what he could to make sure the lighting and housing was taken care of BEFORE he went out and bought the animals."

Yes in a perfect world but he is obviously inexperienced in caring for reptiles so like many people he came here asking for a solution to his problem. There are thousands of baby Iguanas sold every year... Im sure 50% of them die in worse conditions than iguanaboys.

"How many Iguanas do you personaly know of that survived or thrived on just romaine lettuce alone? Personally ours recieve a salad of several greens, carrots,dandelion leaves, fruits, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, melon, squash, etc etc(I know Im forgeting a few), suplemented with Miner-all indoor formula and occaisional essential probiotics."

I know of iguanas that survied on fawking cat food man! Do you not read the stories on this forum of rescued adult animals that were fed dog/cat food? Sure they were in very poor health but they were alive. All im saying is he could have been feeding them mac n cheese with cat food.

"He stated that one is doing good so he was told that there is a problem with them being together, Weather it be dominance or just the fact that one may have parasites and should not be housed with the healthy one because he is sentencing it to death. What basis for reference does he use for one being healthy for that matter? Its bright green..hmmmmm...."

Walk into a pet store some time observe a cage of 20 prefectly healthy baby igs and try tellin me babies like that cant be housed together for a while(as in not forever)... c'mon dude gimme a break.

"So in your professional opinion taking a sick animal that is already showing signs of stress out to place it on your shoulder like a toy while exposing it to the stress of a video game system (explosions, loud noises, bright flashes, fast movement, etc etc) is a good idea? Do you have any books available to you that reference their proper care? Everyone is an expert yet still animals are dying????"

I like how you quoted 1 sentence instead of my entire phrase. nice work there buddy. I said the animals need to be established first and foremost which means(b/c it appears i need to spell this out for you) they must be eating well in a proper enclosure to ensure they are healthy before they are tame.

"I aggree this shows why so many have been bought as cute little hatchlings and died so early, be prepared long before you put yourself in such a big commitment and be mature enough to carry out those responsibilities completely, they are living beings not cool toys to impress your video game buddies."

Finally, something we agree on.

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Sorry I didn't mean to offend you by telling your son/husband how much of an idiot he/you are.

""""Walk into a pet store some time observe a cage of 20 prefectly healthy baby igs and try tellin me babies like that cant be housed together for a while(as in not forever)... c'mon dude gimme a break.""""""

Never ending story
I personally have never seen a perfectly heathly IG in a pet shop. Every one I see has black scale, is emaciated, missing tails, dehydrated, has the beginnings of MBD, has open sores, or is malnurished. So everyone now knows your definition of "perfectly healthy" it is the same as the idiots at the pet shops who sell an IG and tell the new owner it can live in a fish bowl all it's life. I agree once it is dead that is all of it's life. This is the end of this discussion because you have to understand proper care for the animal before you can argue that he is doing something good.

i have said it once and i will say it again you need to set them up correctly which means

1) getting each iguana in there own enclosure. i dont care how good you say they are getting along. one is in your words "doing great" and the other one is doing bad. that should tell you right there that one is doing bad. he has no body wieght at all. you by the base of the tail and the limbs. haveing a fat body could be many things one being parasites. which your probably have. they also need very large enclosures that cost a decent amount of money to make.

2)get them on the right diet. NO more Lettuce. it is not good for them. use your calcium everyday. you told me last night that you used it once a week. feed them dark leafy greens(collards,danilion, some kale,escarole,endive,mustard) go to the store and pick that stuff up. you can also use some vegetables(carrots,pease,green bean,squash,bell pepers) you can also use some fruit(grapes,mango,some banana,peaches,nectarines,berries,melons,citrus fruits, can be used in moderation..these are mostly used as treats.

3)get the right lighting get ones like the repti sun 5.0 or iguana light. you need these for your iguana to thrive. if you dont have these your iguanas WILL BOTH get MBD. you also need heat lights Ceramic heat emiters work great. also as stated before expect your electric bill to UP.

4) give your iguanas soaks every day or at least every other day. this will keep them hydrated and will also entertain them. not all iguanas will drink for a bowl of standing water.

also just because other people have two iguanas in the same cage and they get along does not mean that yours will. they aparently are not getting along. if one is doing that bad.

Now you really have to start to listen. if you dont like someone on here dont listen to them. but i am getting sick of typing the same thing over and over again to help you and then you just ignore me and say that they are getting along fine. THEY ARE NOT!!

So do yourself a favor and START listening to us

Mike D

>>i have 2 incandecent light bulbs-one is for day and one is red and for night. (but i keep both on during the day anyways). then i have a green reptile carpet thing for bedding, a water dish 7 inches in dimemeter. a food bowl and a rock rock and a bunch of of brandhes to climb on. i feed them romainelettuce every day. (my cousin did that and his are 3 foot long and healthy)and i also sprinkle a little calcium on their food everyday. i think the problem is either his diet or his lighting.....but then y would one be healthy and not the other? He isn't really that bad, his legs and tail are just skinny thats all. Oh yeah, and i really really dont think its becuz i have 2- they get along just like sam-n-ella's........if u have any other ?s email me at Gammaraptor8705@wmconnect.com. ty for the help. i got a new pic donw below this-he looks a little better now dont he? (compare it to the old one)
>>
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0.0.1 rescued petco iguana
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0.0.1 mali uromastyx
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