Poorly Iguana

[Sticky]

I am sad to say we lost our poorly Iguana Timmy a few days ago.
He was only 6 weeks ish when we got him and his buddy Princess.
He seemed fine but more aggressive than the female but we put that down to hormones.
After countless trips to the vets because he was sleeping all day in the coldest part of the enclosure the vet tried a couple of remedies as he was too young and too small to x-ray.He was on minerals 3 times a day,water syringed and food paste to relieve his stomach burning sensation.
There was nothing more we or the vet could do.
Timmy died of a Liver Disease which the vet says he was probably born with.
My advice would be to take a poo sample to the vets asap when u buy a new pet so you know exactly what you are faced with.

Princess (sad name i know but fitting!) has been given the all clear for any illnesses and birth defects and is doing just fine.

 

[PardalisGirl]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I have two large adult iguanas. A male and female. They are not buddies. The male (Kaiser) wants to be with the female (Riley) but Riley wants to kill him. The only time they were together she bit him several times and then he bit her. She would have fought him until death. They will never be together again. I had Riley "fixed" four years ago. She was egg bound with 45 huge eggs. After the vet removed the eggs he "fixed her". The best thing that could have happened to her. There are too many igs out there anyway. The egg process is so hard on them. She never has to go through that again. She has become a large very healthy girl since then. I'm going to take the male in and get him fixed too. He stops eating every breeding cycle for over a month. It really thins him out. So how old is Princess? And she's doing well? Hope so

 

[Sticky]

Princess is now around 2 1\2 months old and doing really well.Shes growing,eating fine,getting used to being bathed and would sit with us watching tv all nite if she could.Shes shedding for the first time since we had her so finds the bathing and towel drying more enjoyable.
We worried at first because she was supposed to be a hatchling but had a very sweet nature which im sure you would know,means something may be wrong.
I personally think after she got given the all clear we put it down to the way she was handled i.e in the most unthreatening way possible.Shes still a bit flighty sometimes but i think her personality is more rational than Timmy.He went mad before u even went near him.
Shes showing her personality more and more everyday and im sure shes developing a pout if you disturb her sun time!!
She now living up to her name and is a real joy to have around.

 

[PardalisGirl]

It sounds like she has a good life! Keep on handling her so she is used to it. You really have to work with them. Otherwise you wake up one day with a huge lizard that is grumpy or even mean. That's why so many people abandon them. My big girl loves to be petted on her head like a dog or cat. Males are usually less friendly. Breeding season is a real tough time with males. Even the sweetest male will get mean for a month or two. The main thing to remember with your girl is that when she matures after the first year she will have her first egg cycle. They will be unfertilized but they will still be an issue. She will slow down in eating and then stop when she is close to laying. If she does not lay them you will have to get the eggs removed. Egg binding is common in female iguanas. It's nice to meet another iguana owner

 

[Sticky]

Out of your experience whats the best procedure to encourage her to lay her eggs when the time comes?

im sorted about the Chameleon,Terence but ive read so many ideas and never actually spoken to a human being about what they found to be the best for their Iguana.It would be interesting for me to hear what you find works from your actual experiences.
I shall try and post a pic of her as she is a blue faced green iguana with thee most wonderful shades of turquoise on her head and shoulders.Thats why shes my pretty Princess!!
Thanks

 

[PardalisGirl]

Your female iguana

She has some growing to do before she forms her first infertile clutch. Proper diet with high calcium greens will keep her in good condition. I feed ZooMed Iguana soft pellets one day a week to supplement the greens. I spray the greens with a liquid vitamin spray a couple of times a week.

She will get fat and start to lose her appetite close to egg laying. You will need a large Rubbermaid tote with a cover to make a nest box out of. Cut a large hole on one end about a foot off the bottom. Fill it with a sand (play sand) or sand/soil mixture. This will be like a private chamber where she can crawl into and feel safe. She may sleep in it before she lays the eggs. If she never lays eggs and seems to be deteriorating from not eating you will have to take her to the vet for egg removal surgery.

I have to tell you..........the best thing I ever did for my female iguana was to have her fixed. The egg laying container situation is VERY messy because of the size. Adult female iguanas are big. Their egg laying container is big. The activity of going in and out of the thing causes the substrate to get everywhere. The loss of appetite during the final two weeks before egg laying causes their beautiful spines to be used as a food source. They start to dry up and never fully recover. They get really grumpy too. It is a tough process. My female has been a dream during the last three years after being fixed. I would recommend it to any owner, even if egg binding never happens. My reptile vet highly recommends it too. I will be having my male fixed in a couple of months before his next breeding cycle. He is a total bear during his little process.

Hope this helps......