Re: Couple more questions and new pic for spike

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Posted by PH Meliss on November 29, 2002 at 11:17:39:

In Reply to: Couple more questions and new pic for spike posted by casnake79 on November 28, 2002 at 15:46:12:

:The picture not all that great.

It's not that bad, either. ;)

:(1) His tail is like a stump with alot of dead skin(I think left over shed it peels off) what can I do to help him get it off.

Please read my Reptile Skin Shedding article. Also read the one on Dry Gangrene of Tail and Toe - you will want to make sure that what you're seeing is retained shed, not dry gangrene. Since you're going to the vet soon, s/he should be able to tell, too, but it's something all ig owners need to learn. ;)

(2) I dont know if you can see much but most of his toenails are gone they are also like stumps. I dont want to lose him.

Check out my Treating Ripped-out Claws. If the toes tips have already healed over, then chances are the claws will not regrow. The trick is to get him healthy and house him properly so that he doesn't lose any more. ;)

:He has a aggresive temper but has never tryed to bit he has opened his mouth as to scare me but didn't try to bit. how long do you think this might last?

Depends on all the various reasons that are prompting him to behave this way: stress, pain, testing you, confusion, etc. Some of these will pass as he becomes acclimated to his new home, a process that can take several weeks to several months. The healthier he gets, the stronger he will become, so you need to keep actively working with him through this time.

:We let him play on on the grass today and he ran,ran,ran and ran somemore.Should I try a leash for a little while till the trust builds in him.

I do not recommend a leash, period. Not only are they devastating to the nuchal and dorsal spikes of a juvenile and adult iguana, they do not prevent escapes or serious, even lethal injuries: broken limbs, injured eyes, even death by hanging and, in one case I heard about the other day, decapitation.

Hold your iguana while you are outside, or build a suitably sized (partially shaded) outdoor enclosure for him to hang out in. You'll find some other ig owners' outdoor enclosures at my Indoor and Outdoor Enclosure Designs page.

:I think the other people used a towel for everything even to hold him they wont hold him without one.

Grrrrrr.... I love those type of owners, along with the ones who will never touch their iguana without welding gloves. ::sigh::

:He went to the bathroom again to day in a warm bath but nothing in the cage. Do you think I should soak him more than once a day?

For now, that's not a bad idea - he is likely dehydrated and has retained shed on him (which can also cause loss of toe tips and tail, as well as nuchal/dorsal spikes), so the extra soaking will help that. Iguana output (poop) follows input (eating) in terms of what goes in must come out. ;) If he's still not eating much, you're not going to be seeing as much poop as he will ultimately be capable of.

A lot of folks like daily (or twice daily) baths because their igs become potty trained that way and will only go in the bath. (That becomes a problem for the ig when the owner decides to not bathe the ig more than once a week, or is unable to for some reason and no one else will pick up the ig to bathe him. Depriving a tub-trained ig of tub time can create a slew of behavioral and physiological problems for the ig.)

:yesterday I was able to get him to eat a few small pieces of bananna(I know not good) but nothing else... Is there anything I can do till I can get him the our vet we have had him 24 hours as of right now.

New igs tend not to eat much, if at all, the first couple of days as they are getting use to the new situation - and in many cases, new food. Hydration and temperatures are critical. Boosting gut function with beneficial gut organisms, as discussed in my Emaciation article will help him digest what he does eat better. As for getting used to new food, please read the Picky Eaters article. In your case, I'd go the transition route, lacing the new food with food you know he likes, like the greens and banana. My ICFS article goes into vitamin and calcium supplementation (with more info on products, etc., in my Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation article) - you need to be boosting calcium, anyway, so that will temporarily help counterbalance the high phosphorous in the banana until you get him transitioned to a proper diet.

Let us know how it goes!

--
PH Meliss
PetHobbyist Volunteer Host *Iguana
Iguanas for Dummies
Anapsid.org: Herp & Green Iguana Care, Herp Societies/Rescues & Vets

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