Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am new to the forum,My step father is a big part of the boa forum,But I need some help with my iguana!
I have an iguana that is in bad shape from my mom's friend.
that missed treated him and his tail just is getting his tail back. But he will only eat out of my hand. and when he is in his think he will not eat so. i need to know if there is any thing out there that i can buy him to make him get better.
Thanks,
Tiffany Ford
p.s. please write back

>>I am new to the forum,My step father is a big part of the boa forum,But I need some help with my iguana!
>> I have an iguana that is in bad shape from my mom's friend.
>> that missed treated him and his tail just is getting his tail back. But he will only eat out of my hand. and when he is in his think he will not eat so. i need to know if there is any thing out there that i can buy him to make him get better.
>> Thanks,
>> Tiffany Ford
>> p.s. please write back

Welcome Tiffany,

Good luck and keep us posted.
-----
Sheryl

Touch passion when it comes your way, it's hard enough to find as it is. Don't walk away when it calls you by name.
B 5

Happily enslaved to Green Iguana Master G'Kar
~~24 7~~

I agree with the above poster, the first thing you need to do is call a good reptile vet (if your dad has boa's he should know of one) and schedual the soonest appointment you can. A vetrinarian will be able to establish any medical problems your new ig may have, and seeming how he came from a neglectful owner its quite likely he does have some. Bring a fresh stool sample with you to be analyized for parasites as well.

While you are waiting on your vet visit, work on making your new iggy as comfy as possible and doing as much research as you can. Ig's are a lot of work, especially rehab igs, but they are definately worth it. You owe it to your new iggy to do all the needed research and make sure you can provide all the care, money and space it requires. And of course you also must find a new home for him if you cannot.

How big is your new iggy?

Make sure your iggy is set up in a tank with plenty of room. If you have it in the cage it was kept in by its neglectful owners then it may not be big enough and you should start making plans immediately to construct a new one, or to give it a room. An adult ig needs a lot of room...if you go with a cage make it at least 8ftL x 5-6ftW x 6ftH. For large adult iguanas, especially males, a small room is best for them.

Keep your ig warm with a basking light that creates a hot spot of 95-110degrees. Branches or other basking decorations should allow your ig to get pretty close (but not close enough to burn himself) to these basking spots. The ambient(overall) temps in the cage can be in the mid to high 80s.

Provide a large water dish that your ig can soak in. He is probably pretty dehydrated so i would give him nice long (30-40min) warm water soaks daily to get his hydration up. Most igs will appreciate these soaks even if they are fully hydrated. You also want to gently mist your ig and his enclosure a few times a day. Makeing sure to allow him and his substrate/decorations to fully dry out in between.

You mentioned that he will only eat from your hand. While this can be tiresome and will need to be fixed, at least he is still eating!!! (which is very good, obviously). Feed him a good varied diet that includes a variety of veggies (collard greens, escarole, endive, mustard greens, dandelion greens are all great staples) there are many lists of food availble online. I believe anapsid.org has one...if not Melissa Kaplins book Iguana's for Dummys has a really good one. The food should be supplemented with a calicum supplement daily, and a multivitamin supplement a couple times a week.

Make sure your ig has access to a UVB light as well.

Get to the vet as soon as possible and keep on working with the little guy. Do as much research as possible!

Good luck
-----
0.1 Bearded dragon
0.1 mexican Black kingsnake
1.1 Leopard Gecko's
0.0.1 Tokay Gecko
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink
0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn
0.1 Anerythristic Corn
0.0.1 Red Tegu
0.1 Bullmastiff
4.1 Cats

>>I agree with the above poster, the first thing you need to do is call a good reptile vet (if your dad has boa's he should know of one) and schedual the soonest appointment you can. A vetrinarian will be able to establish any medical problems your new ig may have, and seeming how he came from a neglectful owner its quite likely he does have some. Bring a fresh stool sample with you to be analyized for parasites as well.
>>
>>While you are waiting on your vet visit, work on making your new iggy as comfy as possible and doing as much research as you can. Ig's are a lot of work, especially rehab igs, but they are definately worth it. You owe it to your new iggy to do all the needed research and make sure you can provide all the care, money and space it requires. And of course you also must find a new home for him if you cannot.
>>
>>How big is your new iggy?
>>
>>Make sure your iggy is set up in a tank with plenty of room. If you have it in the cage it was kept in by its neglectful owners then it may not be big enough and you should start making plans immediately to construct a new one, or to give it a room. An adult ig needs a lot of room...if you go with a cage make it at least 8ftL x 5-6ftW x 6ftH. For large adult iguanas, especially males, a small room is best for them.
>>
>>Keep your ig warm with a basking light that creates a hot spot of 95-110degrees. Branches or other basking decorations should allow your ig to get pretty close (but not close enough to burn himself) to these basking spots. The ambient(overall) temps in the cage can be in the mid to high 80s.
>>
>>Provide a large water dish that your ig can soak in. He is probably pretty dehydrated so i would give him nice long (30-40min) warm water soaks daily to get his hydration up. Most igs will appreciate these soaks even if they are fully hydrated. You also want to gently mist your ig and his enclosure a few times a day. Makeing sure to allow him and his substrate/decorations to fully dry out in between.
>>
>>You mentioned that he will only eat from your hand. While this can be tiresome and will need to be fixed, at least he is still eating!!! (which is very good, obviously). Feed him a good varied diet that includes a variety of veggies (collard greens, escarole, endive, mustard greens, dandelion greens are all great staples) there are many lists of food availble online. I believe anapsid.org has one...if not Melissa Kaplins book Iguana's for Dummys has a really good one. The food should be supplemented with a calicum supplement daily, and a multivitamin supplement a couple times a week.
>>
>>Make sure your ig has access to a UVB light as well.
>>
>>Get to the vet as soon as possible and keep on working with the little guy. Do as much research as possible!
>>
>>Good luck
>>-----
>>0.1 Bearded dragon
>>0.1 mexican Black kingsnake
>>1.1 Leopard Gecko's
>>0.0.1 Tokay Gecko
>>1.0 Blue Tongue Skink
>>0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn
>>0.1 Anerythristic Corn
>>0.0.1 Red Tegu
>>0.1 Bullmastiff
>>4.1 Cats

Sadly to say we live in a town where vets are really not that knowledgeable about reptiles period!Over the past 3 years I belive I personally have more knowledge of my boa's then they do!lol!The iggy's original enclosier was trashed!He had 2 heat rocks that were not even plugged in,no food,no water,an no lighting period,an was on a cold kitchen floor in a chicken wire cage!We have had him since january an since then the only reason he is alive is because I have been hand feeding him,because he wont eat!I strongly feel he is actually trying to bite me,but it gets the food in!He has calmed down quite a bit an his tail has fully grown back!He has a hot spot between 95 an 102 an a cool side between 84 an 87 degree's!A humidity level of 67%,a good size piece of drift wood with a nice leafy vine wrapped around it an a large water dish for soaking an what not!A dish for his vegtables an a dish for his dry food!But he was taking a turn for the worse,But he seemed better today!Oh he is around 5 inches long minus his tail!Shouldn't he be bigger for being in my care going on 7 months!He wont eat dandelion greens or nothing!I didnt even know she posted on here until a freind told me,She's only 13,But thanks again to any help she was given!Thanks[Hypo]
-----
E&C's Exotic House of Reptiles

If you pick him up and put him in the 95 F. basking zone, will he stay there for a while? I'd recommend doing that, as it will get his beneficial gut organisms going. But he might have some bad ones too, so in your place I would drive him as far as necessary to get him seen by a good herp vet. That vet would do a bloot panel, an x-ray to see how dense his bones are, and do a fecal exam and culture (you will have to bring a sample along or contact the vet's office about that if it's a problem getting a sample.

In short, I think your ig is sick, if his environment is properly set up.

Roger

Roger

I think I know the solution, but you might not like it. First he needs a vet check to rule out disease. Then, just place a normal amount of iguana food in his cage every day until hunger makes him eat. He's probably in relocation stress and is bound to settle down pretty soon. Igs can hold out for a long time without harm.

The thing I know about hand feeding is that it keeps the iguana from getting fully hungry, and the ig becomes indeterminatly dependant on your hand offerings. That is a relatively common problem with anxious iguana Moms and Dads.

Rooger