Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My iguana (Bud) and I drive an average of 400 miles round trip each weekend. He's a good traveler, and usually settles right into his large plastic dog carrier. The roof is covered with blankets, and heated with a heating pad on medium or low. His temps inside the carrier are good, and he usually just goes to sleep when he gets tired of looking out the window.

However, lately he is more restless (breeding season coming on I think) and has been rubbing his face against the bars on the front of the carrier. This has done some superficial damage to the little horn on his nose.

So I am switching to a large clear rubbermaid container that he can really stretch out in. I think he will do less damage to himself, also. Does anyone else use this? I read this somewhere, I can't remember where. Where would you put the ventilation holes? How would you heat it?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

What size dog crate do you use? I've been taking Tempest to the vet in a large cardboard box with heat packs, but he's outgrown those and for his next visit I'll be looking at a crate. I own several, both wire and airline/plastic style, I'm guessing the airline ones are better? I have 400/500 sized, I can borrow a 300 varikennel but it might be too small. The other problem, is his annual vet visit is in the dead of winter in Canada, and I drive a light pickup - he has to go in the back if he's in a crate, which I won't do. I never thought of a heating pad though, do you use a person one or a reptile one?

For your question, if he's rubbing on an airline/plastic crate, but is too big to fit between the wires on a wire crate, maybe try one of those? When I have a problem with a dog, thats what I do, its harder for them to make a mess out of themselves by rubbing their face against the wider spaced and thicker wires of an all wire crate.

I use the large Kennel Cab sold at Petsmart. There's a link below. If your ig doesn't have nose-rubbing problems, I recommend it because it holds in heat when you cover it with a blanket, and also it breaks down easily into pieces that can be stored in the trunk. It also comes with a little food tray that snaps onto the metal grille on the front.

My car isn't big enough for a dog crate with widely spaced bars, and also I'm trying to hold heat in for him. (It's a three hour trip each way on the weekends.)
Kennel Cab from Petsmart

Okay, just go to the Petsmart page, go to the tab for dogs. It's the first of today's featured items. It's called Kennel Cabs for Small Pets by Doskocil.
Petsmart

I forgot to add...

I use a human heating pad with a cover on top of it. Now, I know, I know, that there's been a discussion here about the possible evils of heating pads, but the hand warmers I used when he was little are unreliable unless I totally pack them around him.

I check my heating pads often for signs of wear, and as I said, there is a cover on them. So far (2 years) I haven't had any burn problems when he's sitting on them. And they keep the ambient air temp in the carrier above 80. I should probably replace them soon, just to be safe.

I just don't know a better way. I think using heat lamps in my car might be more dangerous. I just don't know how people with truely big iguanas transport them!

But for your pickup, I would recommend the carrier. It will fit in the front seat if you push the seat as far back as it can go, I think... Man, if you drive a light pickup, you can't even lie the seat back, can you? That's a toughie.