Reptile & Amphibian Forums

and they had a man in their store that was leaving the state today and said if someone didn't come get his Iguana, he was leaving it on the front step and said someone would eventually come along and get it.

Needless to say...... I went and got him. I was told by both the man and his 14 year old son this Iguana was "mean as spit" and would tail whip you whenever you tried reaching into his cage.
Well, he isn't mean and I have even picked him up and petted him. I had to move him around his cage because it was simply filthy!!!! This poor ig has been living on a diet of green beans and iceburg lettuce! He has never seen a calcium sup in the 6 months that they have owned him and we are not even sure the previous owner ever used one either. His cage was about 2" deep in moldy green beans, lettuce and poop when I first got him here

He is very weak and seems to have no muscle what so ever. He tries to climb the screening on his cage to get to the basking shelf and just falls down to the bottom

Anyway, here he is.....Hopefully I can pull him through this

I guess word gets out once you take one rescue Iguana in eh? Seems like there is such a desperate need for good homes (and foster homes lol) for these beautiful babies! I never expected to have TWO new Igs in my home in less than a week lol. Ahhh well, I have a big heart anyway
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Lisa
Cricket free babies!
www.beginnersbasics.com

Amazing isn't it? I was offered 19 igs in a single month. I still get calls (I have no idea how they get my number) from people wanting me to take everything from Igs to nile and savanna monitors, to burms, and everything in between. It's disgusting. A Few months back, one kid (maybe 17-19 years old) offered me his three juvie igs. Said He wanted to be able to have three monster lizards riding around on his shoulders and head but changed his mind once he got bitten by one and whipped by another (these igs were maybe 7-9 inches svl). I turned him down. He came back and showed me pics of his pit bull dog eatting his baby igs. Should have taken them.... Still haven't forgiven myself for that one... My point? Be prepared. You take in one, everyone and the brother wants you to take theirs too.
Congrats on the new addition. all in all, from what you said he's been through, He doesn't look in that bad a shape. thin, yes, but not too bad from the look of the base of his tail. Knowing you, He'kk be in perfect shape in less then a month.
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2.0.0 Iguanas, 2.4.0 Beardies, 1.2.0 Saharan/Nigerian Uromastyx, 1.1.1 Leos, 0.0.1 African Fat Tail, 1.0.0 Columbian Rainbow Boa, 0.0.1 Fla Garter Snake, 0.0.1 Corn Snake, 0.0.3 Fire Belly Toads, 1.0.0 Eastern Painted Turtle, 0.0.1 African Sideneck, 1.1.1 Horses {Baby next May!!!}, 2.2.0 cats, 0.1.0 dog, and I'm done for now.....

Knowing you, He'kk be in perfect shape in less then a month.
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LOL Thank you for the compliment

I am totally new to Iguanas so I am on a major learning curve here LOL. I went to the Ig forum here, but that is so slow it is just about useless. Glad I have a cable connection and can get just about everything I need from the web LOL

My main concern with him is the fact that he seems to have no strength and can't climb. I put him on the basking shelf yesterday evening and he is still there...
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Lisa
Cricket free babies!
www.beginnersbasics.com

Give him high energy, high calorie foods that are high in calcium. He also could probably use some multi vitamin and vitamin B complex. Is he eating on his own? He may lick up some baby food with some calcium, vitamin B, and acidophilus added to it. That could help boost his energy and appetite. He may also have parasites as well as MBD. If you need further help I know of a lady in my town (Salem, Oregon) that has been rescuing ig's for many years. She gives lectures on the care of reptiles and is very knowledgable. Send me an email if you want her phone #. She's always very interested in helping others.

Veronica
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Beautiful Dragons

Hey Veronica,
Yeah, he needs to regain some strength. Luckily he is eating EVERYTHING I put in his dish LOL. I have him on a mix of dusted Mustard and turnip greens right now. Oh and some hibiscus flowers
Only got him yesterday afternoon (4:30 pm yesterday)and he has eaten two whole dishes of food today alone! I think he is happier here and therefore will eat and regain all the muscle, calcium, weight, etc that he needs. They didn't even have any lighting on the cage. It was just stuck in the corner of the kid's bedroom grrrrrrrrr!
I don't think it will take much time for him to recover either... this afternoon he actually started trying to investigate his CLEAN cage... was a bit "wobbly" but managed to get around. I also built him a ramp so he can reach his basking shelf without any difficulties. Oh and of course.... he is housed outside and gets all the Florida sunshine he wants LOL

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Lisa
Cricket free babies!
www.beginnersbasics.com

I'm so glad your iggy is making noticable progress already! Yeah! I knew you could do it!

Veronica
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Beautiful Dragons

I would have grabbed this pics and turned them into the nearest SPCA. Getting charged with cruelity to animals would have smartened that brat up good.

It's horrid how people treat green iquanas mostly due to lack of knowledge about these animals. Monster lizards to ride on his shoulders...sheesh...these lizards can reach lengths of 6' or more, and I am not sure on their weight..but it would be virtually impossible for them to perch on a shoulder. Not like they would sit on their hind legs and wave at poeple as you walk down the street.

.
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1.0 Bearded Dragon - Telamon
0.1 House Cat - St. Stephen

1 Saltwater Aquarium
1 Freshwater Aquarium

n/p
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Ross

1.0 Bearded Dragon (Fuego)
2.1 Roommates (require more cleaning up after than the dragon)

this past weekend i was watching something like an animal planet or whatever talking about ig's. well it said in florida that so many people are buying the getting tired of them or just to big or mean to deal with so they let them go. it said the police get so many calls about a lose ig on their roof or whatever that they just stopped doing anything about them.

he should do well (lets hope so)

These are spectacular creatures, and terribly abused.

Sold too cheap, and neglected. Too big for most, and then gotten rid off ! SAD

GOOD LUCK with them both !

Eve

I'm glad you got him and I will say a prayer that you will be able to pull him through this. With a little luck, lots of love, and the proper care, I have no doubt that he'll be a happy, healthy iggy. Good luck!

Veronica
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Beautiful Dragons

Other than being underweight, he doesn't look too bad health wise..but then again I am FAR from an expert on green iquanas. Deffinitely no noticable deformalities due to calcium deficiency. I am sure he now has a much better home with you.

How do you think I felt? I actually had a chance to save them from that fate. It was digusting. Funny thing is, I haven't seen him since then. He lives in orange county NY some where. His name was john. don't know anything else. I screamed at him in front of several people and when I was alone, cried my eyes about. I had a chance to save them and I didn't take it. Still haven't forgiven myself... I should've taken them....
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2.0.0 Iguanas, 2.4.0 Beardies, 1.2.0 Saharan/Nigerian Uromastyx, 1.1.1 Leos, 0.0.1 African Fat Tail, 1.0.0 Columbian Rainbow Boa, 0.0.1 Fla Garter Snake, 0.0.1 Corn Snake, 0.0.3 Fire Belly Toads, 1.0.0 Eastern Painted Turtle, 0.0.1 African Sideneck, 1.1.1 Horses {Baby next May!!!}, 2.2.0 cats, 0.1.0 dog, and I'm done for now.....

I had a chance to save them and I didn't take it. Still haven't forgiven myself... I should've taken them....

You can NOT take them all! We all know this.

Yes we have a few here (including myself LOL) that try to take practically everything in, but we have to set a limit. If we didn't, we would all be divorced and homeless and living on a park bench because we cared more for our reptile friends than we did our significant other and spent EVERY penny we had and spent every waking moment we had on seeing to their care! LOL
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Lisa
Cricket free babies!
www.beginnersbasics.com

I'm sure that image is imbedded into your memory but you have to remember none of that was your fault.

It's a terrible thing that person did and you had no part of it. How were you supposed to know what was going to happen to those igs?

There is nothing for you to forgive yourself for, Heather. What are you supposed to do, not be able to survive yourself? If you got to the point where you couldn't deal with what you had already taken in those animals would end up suffering as well.

First and foremost the caretaker needs to be in good shape to be able to actually help the few animals he or she can help. I think you made a reasonable decision as would anyone else who reads your story.

Try not to picture those pictures in your head as I am sure it makes you sad. If you have to be mad at someone make sure it's the person doing the harm and not yourself.

Geez, I wish there were something I could say to get you to not be mad at yourself over this but I just don't know what it would be. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!!!! That's about the best and most honest thing I can think of.

Take care,
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Rob Talkington

BasicBeginners and Rob,

You words make sense. I understand what you're saying. But He had those babies with him when He offered them to me. I could have snatched them up and saved them. Instead, I looked at them and turned them away. Next time I saw them was in those pictures. And I knew it was them cause one of them had a mark on it's belly which I saw in one of the pictures. The pictures were beyond disturbing and disgusting. It was down right curlity at it's best. And He said to me "Since you didn't take them, I gave them to someone else" and he handed me those pictures. There were several pictures at all angles, close and far away. I couldn't take my eyes off them. The one with the mark was bitten and chewed in half.... I think it was the worst thing I've ever seen and worst feeling I've ever had. Everytime I look at my two, I remember those three. My mind tells me I couldn't have taken them, I had no place to put them and no money to care for them. My Heart says I should have found a way. They didn't deserve that. They were just babies. Maybe 16 inches stl. And they looked at me with those big bright gold eyes. He had a close up of one's face while in the dogs mouth. I saw those eyes again. It kills me when people get these guys and have no idea what in god's name they're doing. I wish everyone could've seen those eyes. Alright, Now I'm crying again. I'm shutting up.
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2.0.0 Iguanas, 2.4.0 Beardies, 1.2.0 Saharan/Nigerian Uromastyx, 1.1.1 Leos, 0.0.1 African Fat Tail, 1.0.0 Columbian Rainbow Boa, 0.0.1 Fla Garter Snake, 0.0.1 Corn Snake, 0.0.3 Fire Belly Toads, 1.0.0 Eastern Painted Turtle, 0.0.1 African Sideneck, 1.1.1 Horses {Baby next May!!!}, 2.2.0 cats, 0.1.0 dog, and I'm done for now.....

Just give it some more time, Heather. Let it all out and in time you'll be able to handle it better.

I'm really sorry you had to go through that.
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Rob Talkington

take him a bit to get use to. When annie came to us she seemed weak to, but it was lack of exercise and muscle tone from being unable to move much.

She had the runs for two weeks, but finally her stomach settled, no bacteria, just she was not use to all the fresh greens and veggies
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www.reptilerooms.com

Good for you Lisa! Those are beautiful ig's and deserve the care and compassion I know you'll give them. Good luck!!!
Take care,
Karen