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Posted by Annaka on November 18, 2002 at 23:30:41:
In Reply to: Re: New Iguana posted by sr20_00 on November 18, 2002 at 22:26:33:
Toss the heatrock, they often develop hot spots and can cause terrible burns to your ig. The risk of burns is highest when a cold ig is trying to heat it's whole body up on a small heatrock, however they can burn themselves even on the so-called thermostaticaly controlled rocks. A heat source that keeps heating from the bottom up is just not natural for the igs, and they do not understand being burnt in one spot while the rest of the body has not warmed up. It's best to make a basking spot with lamps. Make sure the basking spot is big enough to heat the whole body of the ig, snout to vent. (and definitely get his UV lighting set up ASAP) Humidity is also very important, and sometrhing to watch out for when you use heatlamps. Heatlamps + screen cage can really dehydrate your ig's area. You may need to bathe your ig, mist him, or buy an ultrasonic humidifier for his enclosure (or all three). Soaks and showers are wonderful for keeping your ig hydrated and healthy.
The diet could use some improvement as well. Focus on nutritious dark leafy greens that have a good calcium to phosphorus ratio. These should make up the main portion of the salad - Mustard, collard, dandelion, turnip, chicory/endive, watercress greens. Other greens that can be added in much smaler amounts are beet, kale, pea vines, rapini, bok choy, grated broccoli, green beans. Other things can be added for color and variety - Grated squash, figs, cantaloupe, berries, lightly cooked yams or sweet potato, bell pepper. My ig LOVES squash flowers, dandelion flowers, and nasturtium(sp?)flowers. (I am probably missing lots of veggies here, but thats all I can list off the top of my head...) Occasionaly, you can handfeed treats such as a small piece of favourite fruit, a small piece of bread, etc.
You don't have to feed ALL the greens in the salad ALL the time - I usualy pick 3 of the main staple greens, add a couple of other greens, garnish with something colorful, and feed. I vary the greens each week, when I go shopping.
Commercial ig food is often of poor quality, and should be avoided. A lot of these dry foods are hard for igs do digest because they are based on cheap grains, which are definitely not natural ig foods. The dry pellets can also contribute to slight dehydration of the ig, which is hard on their kidneys in the long run. By the way, an ig on a good diet, with proper uv lighting, should not need supplementation. Adding extra vitamins may cause an accidental overdose.
Good luck! We all want to see your ig grow up healthy and happy, so I hope you don't mind a bit of constructive criticism...
