Re: Okay so WHY an Iguana??? A survey of sorts

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Posted by xta on January 26, 2002 at 18:25:26:

In Reply to: Okay so WHY an Iguana??? A survey of sorts posted by Christy on January 26, 2002 at 09:25:02:

Well I've lived in FL since I was young and always loved the anoles around here... would try to rehabilitate the injured ones. One day I saw a large iguana in a petstore as a youngster and was mesmerized.... 12 years later when I was out of college I still really new nothing about them, but had the opportunity to adopt a very injured one. I didn't realize how injured he was until he was dumped on my doorstep....I figured he would die so I wasn't sure how much I would invest in him. I had already set up an aquarium cage and hand built a lot of accessories to expand it, bought him dishes, lamps etc. I was expecting him to be smaller and be able to fit in the cage longer as well! He turned out to have horrible heat rock burns that had melted his scales together all over his chest/stomach/legs. There was a huge nasty plastic/waxy like substance stuck to his belly with hair and dirt stuck in it. I was freaked out to even touch him. He had cuts all over and bumps on his tail that were damaging his scales. I looked up at my Salvador Dali painting...and named him SALVADOR.

I started off by smearing antibiotic ointment on him everyday, bought some ig care books (which sucked at the time), and spent a lot of time with him. Within 2 weeks I was madly in love with him. I could not spend enough time with him and though about him constantly... I took him to the vet and had to give him antibiotic injections in his back for 3 weeks to help stop the bumps from spreading. Eventually his nasty mystery junk on his stomach fell off-- I guess it was a scab. He had horrible scars. I doted on him constantly but it was awhile before I learned I needed UV light other than sun through a window or that not all calcium rich foods were proper (like Spinach). When I finally got internet access and when better books were finally written, my care improved tremendously. I had him for 5-6 years...and he died Jan. 11, 1999. Some people will not understand but it was the saddest day of my life. My mourning was long and painful. I think because I do not have children yet, he bacame my child. I have never loved a pet so dearly before or since. He will be remembered always. A couple weeks after his death, he came to me in a very realistic dream and laid down beside me in bed, sighing as if to say..."silly woman, I understand your pain but give me one last hug..I will stay with you until you fall asleep...this is goodbye and I am in a better place now...move on."

Now I have Sleestack the iguana and Flapjack the bearded dragon. I adore them, but I am more removed as I probably should be.

The photo is of Salvador scratching his face which is getting ready to shed.

SALVADOR'S PAGES

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: Well I've lived in FL since I was young and always loved the anoles around here... would try to rehabilitate the injured ones. One day I saw a large iguana in a petstore as a youngster and was mesmerized.... 12 years later when I was out of college I still really new nothing about them, but had the opportunity to adopt a very injured one. I didn't realize how injured he was until he was dumped on my doorstep....I figured he would die so I wasn't sure how much I would invest in him. I had already set up an aquarium cage and hand built a lot of accessories to expand it, bought him dishes, lamps etc. I was expecting him to be smaller and be able to fit in the cage longer as well! He turned out to have horrible heat rock burns that had melted his scales together all over his chest/stomach/legs. There was a huge nasty plastic/waxy like substance stuck to his belly with hair and dirt stuck in it. I was freaked out to even touch him. He had cuts all over and bumps on his tail that were damaging his scales. I looked up at my Salvador Dali painting...and named him SALVADOR. : : I started off by smearing antibiotic ointment on him everyday, bought some ig care books (which sucked at the time), and spent a lot of time with him. Within 2 weeks I was madly in love with him. I could not spend enough time with him and though about him constantly... I took him to the vet and had to give him antibiotic injections in his back for 3 weeks to help stop the bumps from spreading. Eventually his nasty mystery junk on his stomach fell off-- I guess it was a scab. He had horrible scars. I doted on him constantly but it was awhile before I learned I needed UV light other than sun through a window or that not all calcium rich foods were proper (like Spinach). When I finally got internet access and when better books were finally written, my care improved tremendously. I had him for 5-6 years...and he died Jan. 11, 1999. Some people will not understand but it was the saddest day of my life. My mourning was long and painful. I think because I do not have children yet, he bacame my child. I have never loved a pet so dearly before or since. He will be remembered always. A couple weeks after his death, he came to me in a very realistic dream and laid down beside me in bed, sighing as if to say..."silly woman, I understand your pain but give me one last hug..I will stay with you until you fall asleep...this is goodbye and I am in a better place now...move on." : Now I have Sleestack the iguana and Flapjack the bearded dragon. I adore them, but I am more removed as I probably should be. : The photo is of Salvador scratching his face which is getting ready to shed.

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