iguana health help needed ASAP !!

[JanKoorsBoom]

Hi
Have been on the forum a while, first post though.

This weekend I took in my first Iguana. Have kept tons of other reptiles ect.

I am worried about some things,
So I would like some thoughts on this specific case.

I am the iguana's third owner, the first was a young boy who needed money and sold it to the elderly man that I got it from.
The man actualy just wanted to help the boy with the money and bought the iguana cause it would look good in his bar/lapa.

Nobody knows the exact age of the iguana and speciific sex is still a mystery also. I would think its about 3years according to Kaplans's charts on the net. It's been at the last owner for about a year.

Now I got it from Horrid conditions. Staying in a small enclosure, no uvb or nightlight only a heatlamp. Being fed dry pellets and butternut only. I went to fetch him with a massive amount of mould on a bowl full of butternut and a very dry waterbowl.

Thus the animal is very dehidrated, very aggresive and nervous. I took of about 3skin capsules of each spike, and the tail tip is dead and off.

So here is what I have done so far.
I put it in a much bigger enclosure (1.8x1x1.5m) with basking light uvb tuibe and red nightlight.
I totaly discontinued the pellets for now only feeding greens and fresh matter. I put it in a cat crate in the bathroom and steamed it up with the shower a bit, to try and get it rehidrated, its very skinny aswell.

What I want to know :
What bloodwork can I ask my vet to do on it to determine ilness and/or kidney failure ?
Sould I start it on suipliments before I know the kidney status? As I a. Scared on straigning the kidneys even more.
And should I restrain it and get it in the sun for natural light aswell or shouldn't I puiit the extra stress on it now?

Its very lively, though I am positive it's health cannoit be of the best.

Any advice would be great thanx.

[Inyanga]

Hi Jan

Iggys are tough critters, my first was also in a bit of a state although not as bad as what you are dealing with.

First things first, what "pellets" was the poor chap eating? Also, what UV light are you useing in his/her enclosure?

Dont stress the animal out too much at this point, I wouldnt "force" natural light on it if you have adequate UV, the best thing for now is to establish a good routine, they are such creatures of habit...

[Inyanga]

Also, any black scaleless lumps on the skin?

[JanKoorsBoom]

Hi

Luckly no black scaleless spots - skin is pretty coloiurfull bright green and orange not the normal faded colours of bigger igs

At the moment I have a zoo med, 5.0 uv light tube in if I remember correctly.

Think it's gonna takmme a while for it to settle.

Will keep trying our best !!

[Jamster]

Probably a UVB 5.0 For now I reckon keep him well fed on a variety of greens and veggies, plenty of water and mist the cage regularly(provided the cage is sufficiently warm). The aggression is a good thing as it means he is still lively and has some fight in him.

good luck

[Bushviper]

I would get a wire cage to put outside and also position a spotlight above the cage so that it can get heat from the spot light but UV light from the sun. Make sure it can still avoid the sun and rest in a shaded area if it gets too hot. Keep the basking spot above 32 degrees and that will be adequate. The sun has the best UV we know of so use it.

If you don't offer it anything that could put a strain on the kidneys it will be fine so avoid all meats etc. No supplements are required if you are feeding a wide variety of leafy green vegetables which are "straight from the garden" and not defrosted stuff. Obviously add some powdered calcium every second day. If you can get some fresh (wet) lucerne that should replace a large percentage of the calcium the animal needs.

The fact that the animal is not dark and has nice green colours sounds like it should recover quite easily. Put a fine mist sprinkler on every afternoon for about 20 minutes. It will take quite some time for the signs of dehydration to disappear although the animal is hydrated it does not show immediately like with other animals.

[JanKoorsBoom]

Hi guys
Just an update on the Ig.

The pellets that came with it was "Top Pet" brand, it was fed to him dry, even though the package says to moisten the pellets.
I haven't fed him any pellets, trying to get him back on veggies, he likes spinage and those green salad mixes, even though I know its not very nutritios he seems to have a vendetta against carrots and butternut, he doesn't even react on bananna yet.
So good news is he is starting to eat slowely again - some days its like a cup full and other days its like only two bites.
One majour brake-through for me is his reaction to misting and drinking - every afternoon I mist his face, he wasn't very fond of it but the past 3 days every time he seems to get angry and then directly after exciting, starting to lick the water vigorously then starting to lick the puddles forming on his ledge. This kept on for 5mins yesterday !!
He hasn't pooped since monday though it wasn't such jelly mucus as his first poop it was more runny no jelly consistancy at all, which I take as good. But the past days no bowel took place. Should I get concerned ?
Do any of you know the top pet brand ?? Can I try reinmtroducing moist pellets in the hope that he will eat better?

BV- getting luisern from a friend, to give him a bit of a boost, hope he will eat it !

Will try posting some pics over the weekend. I think its a male, al male features, but the spores between the legs aren't that clear as they should be in a male !!

Regards All !!

[Inyanga]

Hi Jan

Sounds like good progress is being made!

Iggies are naturally folivores (live on leaves) and some diets (the Ig-Den diet being the most obvious) base almost the entirety of the feeding plan on leaves, if he has a preference I wouldnt be that concerned, just check out the diet as mentioned.

My two loath pellets and grated anything, they get both on occasion when Ive been too lazy to bring home leaves from work (I curate a botanical garden so they eat well) and will eat *some* but throw the rest arount their cages.

Put a large water dish in the cage, both of mine are swimmers and use the dish as a latrine too so poo every day and makes cage cleaning a breeze.

Incidently, I use a Zoomed 10 light with mine. Almost by accident, had to put Barnabas in the beardie cage temporarily (no beardies present) while cleaning his cage and came back to a bright green and happy chap with their light so changed over, never looked back! My first Ig (Barny) had black patches, stuck on shed (in layers) and an ulcer or abcess on his leg, between the light, humidity and Pets Pleasure beeswax balm he became the most gorgeous animal in a few months without too much trauma!
My reasoning is that theres no way any artificial source is as strong as the sun so I may as well increase their intake!

[Inyanga]

Oh, and speaking as a botanist: Mulberry leaves and lucerne are great sources of protein, mulberry is also very high in calcium. Try and get Moringa oleifera seeds to grow as well, I strongly suspect that Iggies would be willing to commit murder for the leaves, hugely nutritious and very good for bribes/taming! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera and http://www.moringatree.co.za/)

[JanKoorsBoom]

Thanx for the tips,
I do research but its always nice to hear from people that does the practise.

I have my mind set on getting him in the best condition he can be and trying to start taming hiom after that.

Will definately try the mulberry leaves

He totally ignores his waterbowl, maybe because its from his last enclosure and was dry most of the times back then.
Its a big stainless steel dog bowl. I am planning on getting him a plastic catlitter pan for water over the weekend, think its more appropriate and hopefully he will be curios and find water in it haha .

Thanx guys

Will post some pix over the weekend, would like to hear your thouights on the animal,

Best regards !

[Bushviper]

Stay away from Spinach, That stuff is bad for iguanas that are recovering !!

[Inyanga]

I agree with Bushviper, spinach and/or swiss chard in large amounts is not good for animals with any kind of calcium deficiency /increased need for Calcium (such as gravid females or recovering rescues), it contains calcium oxylate which "binds" calcium already in the Igs system. When your Iggy is a happy and healthy chap then in moderation its no worries, for now though please follow the link provided, http://www.iguanaden.org/diet/dendiet.htm, please dont hestitate to ask after the plants if the names dont make sense (they are in "American").

[JanKoorsBoom]

Okay so stopped feeding spinach, luckly he only got it in small amounts twice.
Got a real fright on monday as he didnt move for the whole day and didnt eat aswell, we gave him a bath and after a few minutes' struggle he seemed to love it, since monday I have handled him every day til he settles down, about 10 - 15 mins every day just so he could start gwetting the idea, once he calmes I place him back.

after the bath he seemed to hop back on normal schedule, basking eating, drinking from the misting bottle and eating much more, he usually only ate about a cup of food, whilst yesterday he ate about two cups.

I am giving him a big variation, including mulberry leaves, hibuscus flowers and leaves, fresh cut lusern, mixed with herb salad.
doing the calcium powder thing and added some protexin, just to get the gut healthy.

Early next week he is going to the vet for x-rays, as he haddn't pooped since last week and it was a weak bowel movement, and the only one since he came to me, and to determine bone density.
With the xrays we will also do a bloodtest to determine any tipe of infection and maybe the status of the kidneys, as I understand from the vet.

I am propably being to over the top, but I just want to try and figure out what exactly I am working with as to not be geussing the whole time, not keeping it on a trail and error basis but giving it a healty lifestyle and focussing on the points that matter.

Wil post some pictures just now, just so you guys can see he looks excelent.

[JanKoorsBoom]

As promised some pictures of our new rescue, surviving the horrid conditions he came from, I think he looks pretty okay.
Very good fighter and personally I think rather colourfull.

would you say it's a male?? as the colour and dewlaps makes me think it's male although the pores between the lleggs arent that clear as I have seen in males.

Thank you for your interest, tips and comments.

Truely Appreciated.

Best Regards

[Inyanga]

S/hes a gorgeous fella!

Its difficult to say for sure as I've met boys who look like girls and vis-versa but looks like a boykie!

Variety in diet is key, so long as theres that then I dont think you have to worry about a bit of spinach/whatever now and then. Kudos on taking full responsibility for the animals well being and seeing the vet, please let us know how the green china-bean checks out.

Looooove the pale head!