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My Iguana is about 3 years old and about 4-5 ft. long and is a male and had not shed right for years and his only skin is still on him from years of bad sheds but still a very healthy iguana overall and is starting to calm down a lot more but my question is how do I get his old skin off without hurting him or costing too much. Any help would be great and thanks, NYHM thanks you too.

>>My Iguana is about 3 years old and about 4-5 ft. long and is a male and had not shed right for years and his only skin is still on him from years of bad sheds but still a very healthy iguana overall and is starting to calm down a lot more but my question is how do I get his old skin off without hurting him or costing too much. Any help would be great and thanks, NYHM thanks you too.

How often do you soak him? Long baths will help and you can easily massage old sheds off while the skin is damp with a sponge or wash cloth.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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The only problem with that is he is a little/big bastard and does not like big tubs of water, but thanks for your coment and any other idea I will be greatfull.

Thanks.

Rub your igs stuck shed areas with hidratation cream like B-pantene, it will come rigth up in a few days or less. Also what is the diet your using? It can afect sheeding

If he's not shedding properly, is it a humidity issue? What is the humidity in his enclosure? Igs prefer a minimum of 70%.

If he won't soak, then you have a couple of options...the shower vs a bath with a soft spray of lukewarm water, live plants in the enclosure that are safe to eat and can increase humidity, evaluating your enclosure to make sure there isn't a screen lid allowing humidity to escape, hand misting a few times daily, setting up a drip system that supplies a continuous supple of water. You can set up a drip system with a water bottle of any size by poking a hole on the bottom and filling it with warm water. Adjusting the lid adjusts the flow of the water. If he has a towel on his basking area and the water drips on the towel, it can increase the humidity as well. You just don't want him to be sitting on a soaking wet towel all day, just a little moist. Spritzing his food will help to increase his fuid intake, too.

The other thing to consider is that the retained sheds could be the result of some sort of skin infection. Are there scabby areas and the skin is sticking to it? If the skin has any sores or suspicious black areas apart from normal markings, then a vet visit is in order for the proper treatment.

Well his Humidity during the summer is usally around 20% and during the winter it is usally around 50% and I know that is horibaly bad but his cage has a all screen top and half screen front.

Put some cover in it like a plastic sheat, that will increase humity. Dont forget all moist should be gonne by the time the ligths go of, so give preference to moist in the morning

PHFaust already said it, bath time!

I know he may not like them at first, he'll think you're trying to drown him or cook him, but your ig would reep boo-coo rewards from daily soaks.

Don't make it deep, where he can still stand up, & not too hot, warm to us is hot to them....& if he's squirmy, make sure all objects (including shower curtains) are out of reach.

Set him in gently & let him go.....

Forest tries to swim at first then realizaes how shallow it is & how nice & warm it is & if I leave him for 10 minutes or so, I come back & he's asleep in the tub.

Hilarious, actually. LOVES his baths. Make take some time but your ig sounds like he really needs these. His old shed stuff will come right off with a rub once he's soaked for an hour.

Try them for a few days!

Good luck!
Terri

My iguanas absolutley hate baths....