just got a iggy and now i have a few questions...

Drax · #1 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 08:05 AM

hey all,

just got a iggy about a week ago from someone who didn't want it anymore. his body is about a foot and a half long with about another foot of tail that's slowly growing back. which brings me to question number one: how long will it take for him to completely regrow his tail and is there anything i can do to help?

as for feeding, every day i chop up 4 pieces each of turnip greens and mustard greens then mix with a little bit of f/t mixed veges, add in a bit more f/t green beans and then chop up some squash and zuccini. every couple of days i'll give him a bit of chopped up strawberries. i know all this is good for him but is there anything that i'm leaving out that is a definate must have?

ok and now for an odd question, this morning and about two days ago i found a small puddle of orangey brown liquid on the floor underneath his enclosure (which is a big ferrit cage). i know it's not poo and not urate. is this normal? could he have spit something up?

lastly, how often do they poo?

thanx
[addsig]

#2 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 08:29 AM

hehe Got an Iggy now HUH ?

Ok..As for the tail regrowth thing. it can take a really long time..like ayear or so for it to grow back. Sometimes also the tail does not do a complete regrowth either. i have one that has only like half a tail and there is no sign of regrowth at all on it even now..a few years after it lost the tail. Just leave it alone. there is nothing you need to do for it at all. Should you note any bleeding or such you can use the ole standby of neosporin on it to prevent any infection. Also make sure that the tail does not get any signs of infection either. Just watch it and you'll note if there is any.

On feeding.. sounds like your on the right track. Just a reminder though NEVER feed an Iguana animal protein.. Also the frozen veggies that you are using actually have less vitamin content than fresh would too. There are many other foods that the iguana can feed on also. i had a web page but accidentally deleted the dang thing when doing the beardie one arghh. I'll fix that soon though and send ya the link. Their food ratio should be
2 to 1
calcium to phospherous
Also about 2-3 times per week dust their food with a calcium based powder too.
Food offered/eaten should be in the ratio of
70% dark greens
20% other vegetation
10% fruit

As for your strange question. that is the Iggy's poop/urates you are seeing. they are a bit different colored than a snake's hehe. They can poo like every day hehe. Most of the ones I keep and have here in rescue go to the bathroom like every other day on the average though.

ALWAYS supply fresh water too for them. Just place a large cat litter pan in the cage and they will also defacacte in that also. [ makes cleaning easier] OH add water to the pan.
They also like to "swim" in the bathtub too. This will help them with their sheds and also gets their poop going too. Just place enough water so that the iggy "treads" water into the tub and let it "swim" about for like 15-30 minutes is all.
Make sure you clip their claws regularly. Your wrists will thank you for it lol. Just use a regular animal claw trimmer is all for this. Handle often and the iggy will "tame" down for you also.
Anything else ?

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Drax · #3 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 10:54 PM

Thanks Lori.

yea i saw him poo this morning and figured out what the liquid on the floor was. thank god he's on lenolium not carpet!

i'm going to start taking him out today for a few minutes and continue holding him every day so he can tame him down more. he'll go into his threating posture everytime i move near his cage to clean and feed him.

thanks again.
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Drax · #4 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 10:56 PM

oh yea are his poops supposed to be really wet and runny? i had a little baby iguana a long time ago and that was my only lizard i've ever kept. i just never noticed that the little guy's poos were as wet as the big guy i have not.
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#5 (**permalink**) 06-06-2002, 06:22 AM

NP.. Yeah their poo is not like a formed mass at all. GROSS is what it is lol
You'll learn all the different "head bob" postures they take as time goes on. Some are meant to warn ya that they mean biz and others are just them saying hi hehe
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DogVsRaptor · #6 (**permalink**) 07-19-2002, 05:10 AM

Iguana poop is the worst. My iguana, Chino, for the most part is a great iguana.
I bought mine without any knowledge, studied my #$%^&#$%^&#$%^& off looking for information
and found it all over. My iguana fell into an unwanted pattern for a while, I get mine out
everyday, hold him, my friends hold him, he runs on others furniture no problem, but
started to hate my bed and couch. Before my dad built his new cage he was housed
in a 55 gallon tank, I know it wasn't big, but I left the top off, because he could get out
and run around, and for a few months he would never go in my room. Then one day
it started, I would get back from class, sit on my couch, and end up in a pile of ig poopy.
But when I got my new cage he picked a place to go, I keep newspaper there, change it daily,
and have no problem. Good luck with yours.

Nick Nacrelli
[addsig]

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