Re: Help a hurt IG

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Posted by Iguanamomma on July 11, 1999 at 11:34:49:

In Reply to: Help a hurt IG posted by Joe on July 11, 1999 at 08:01:22:

A couple of questions first, okay? (well that makes 3 *grin*) Has the vet seen her again and said her leg is healed? Have you continued with the calcium supplement so that MBD can be ruled out?

Everyone has made good and valid posts regarding the problem you are having with your iguana. I also agree that you should keeping trying. It sounds like you love each other and I'd hate to break up a happy home!

First of all I'm a bit surprised that she's definitely a female just because of her age. It's not out of the question to be able to tell before 2 years of age what the gender is but it is not as common. Also, I would be very surprise if the problem was that she was gravid. Here again that doesn't usually occur until 2-3 years of age and usually they have to be a certain length (that's when you will see younger gravid igs who have grown quickly).

It certainly does sound as if she were constipated. I'll leave you a link on this; I've just had to go a round of this with our female iguana. What seemed to work best (because she will kill you if you try to soak her)was taking her outside for sunning. She finally really let loose the second day of sunning and we were very glad she was outside when it happened! What will also help is getting her water intake upped. Mist her food heavily before feeding her; mist her enclosure several times a day. See if she likes bread and dip it in water (dip, let her get a bite, dip, repeat) You might even want to use Gatorade (50/50 with water)in her water bowl. Soaking is also a good way to re-hydrate. You can also pour in Gatorade to the soak water. A more preferred hydrator is Pedialyte and it can be found in the baby food aisle. While your iguana is soaking in the water/Gatorage solution she can actually absorb some of it up through her vent. Another useful thing for getting things moving is simply exercise. Don't know what your set up is but let her walk around indoors under strict supervision at least twice a day. Maybe a "walkabout" before feeding will help with appetite, too.

Try feeding her watermelon (no seeds), cantelope, honey dew...any of those things that are very water rich...cucumbers!

When you read the stuff on soaking/constipation it will tell you about massaging the tummy area. Just because it isn't real clear I'd like to add that this massage should be GENTLE! Think of how you would rub your own tummy when it is hurting.

I think if you can get her to move those bowels then half the battle will be won! Come on back here for more diet tricks *grin* There's always somebody who has yet another trick up their sleeve for a picky eater! Debbie's suggestion works well so I encourage you to try it.

Since she is still young, you could use a large bird cage for sunning purposes. This will keep her safe from running off and getting lost as long as the door is secure and the bars are closely spaced where she cannot squeeze through. Also, never leave her unsupervised while outdoors. 20 minutes of sun is sufficient; more is better if she's not too hot, etc. If in a birdcage, you want her half in sun half in shade so she can move when hot. DO NOT TAKE OUTSIDE IN GLASS TERRARIUM/AQUARIUM. Heat will quickly overtake her in that set up and she could very well die.

So....do soaks, feed water-rich foods mixed with the romaine that she'll eat, exercise, outdoor sun.

BTW don't let the title of the link I'll leave fool you. I'm starting you at the laxative page because it has hints for getting things moving. You can go backward from there with links already on the page to stuff re constipation.

Please keep us posted on her progress. We'll help all we can even if it is only to say "see the vet."

Laxative Use in Reptiles

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: A couple of questions first, okay? (well that makes 3 *grin*) Has the vet seen her again and said her leg is healed? Have you continued with the calcium supplement so that MBD can be ruled out? : Everyone has made good and valid posts regarding the problem you are having with your iguana. I also agree that you should keeping trying. It sounds like you love each other and I'd hate to break up a happy home! : First of all I'm a bit surprised that she's definitely a female just because of her age. It's not out of the question to be able to tell before 2 years of age what the gender is but it is not as common. Also, I would be very surprise if the problem was that she was gravid. Here again that doesn't usually occur until 2-3 years of age and usually they have to be a certain length (that's when you will see younger gravid igs who have grown quickly). : It certainly does sound as if she were constipated. I'll leave you a link on this; I've just had to go a round of this with our female iguana. What seemed to work best (because she will kill you if you try to soak her)was taking her outside for sunning. She finally really let loose the second day of sunning and we were very glad she was outside when it happened! What will also help is getting her water intake upped. Mist her food heavily before feeding her; mist her enclosure several times a day. See if she likes bread and dip it in water (dip, let her get a bite, dip, repeat) You might even want to use Gatorade (50/50 with water)in her water bowl. Soaking is also a good way to re-hydrate. You can also pour in Gatorade to the soak water. A more preferred hydrator is Pedialyte and it can be found in the baby food aisle. While your iguana is soaking in the water/Gatorage solution she can actually absorb some of it up through her vent. Another useful thing for getting things moving is simply exercise. Don't know what your set up is but let her walk around indoors under strict supervision at least twice a day. Maybe a "walkabout" before feeding will help with appetite, too. : Try feeding her watermelon (no seeds), cantelope, honey dew...any of those things that are very water rich...cucumbers! : When you read the stuff on soaking/constipation it will tell you about massaging the tummy area. Just because it isn't real clear I'd like to add that this massage should be GENTLE! Think of how you would rub your own tummy when it is hurting. : I think if you can get her to move those bowels then half the battle will be won! Come on back here for more diet tricks *grin* There's always somebody who has yet another trick up their sleeve for a picky eater! Debbie's suggestion works well so I encourage you to try it. : Since she is still young, you could use a large bird cage for sunning purposes. This will keep her safe from running off and getting lost as long as the door is secure and the bars are closely spaced where she cannot squeeze through. Also, never leave her unsupervised while outdoors. 20 minutes of sun is sufficient; more is better if she's not too hot, etc. If in a birdcage, you want her half in sun half in shade so she can move when hot. DO NOT TAKE OUTSIDE IN GLASS TERRARIUM/AQUARIUM. Heat will quickly overtake her in that set up and she could very well die. : So....do soaks, feed water-rich foods mixed with the romaine that she'll eat, exercise, outdoor sun. : BTW don't let the title of the link I'll leave fool you. I'm starting you at the laxative page because it has hints for getting things moving. You can go backward from there with links already on the page to stuff re constipation. : Please keep us posted on her progress. We'll help all we can even if it is only to say "see the vet."

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