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i need help please!!!

crazylady1193

crazylady1193

Teresa
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i dont know if i am putting this in the right spot or not,forgive me and move it if need be..
i just recently had to adopt a green iguana..i say had to because my husband came home with him from work on friday. "spike" belonged to one of his co-workers. it was either we take him in or the guy was going to let him free in down town montgomery. i had my last iggy for quite a few years but this time i dont know what to do...spike's tail has been broken off. the story i was told is that they have had him for about 5 months BUT NO ONE has EVER handled him at all. they had company and a friend decided to take him out and spike went nuts and broke his tail off around the mans hand. i have no idea what to do to make sure he doesnt get an infection or what ever. i have him in a 55 gallon tank for now with uva and uvb lights and everything that i know he needs but i just dont know what to do about his tail. i am trying to get him used to me and i know this is not going to be easy..any advise is welcome. i want to make sure i at least try to give him the best care possible..is there anything i can do? will he live? hes not eating well right now but i hope thats just the stress from the move..i dont know. i am very worried. please help if you can
teresa
 
More info needed..

Hi Teresa,
You mentioned the guy had him 5 months but you didn't mention how big he is. Give me an estimate on what his body length is from nose to vent, and give me a percentage of how much of his tail was broke off. Half?
The good news is, if you keep it clean, it'll probably heal and regenerate a new tail. Normally in a tame lizard you could use a 10% Povidone and water solution (generic brand for bacetracin, found over counter at pharmacies)
But with him being wild it'd be hard to soak just the tail without getting it in his eyes. So being just the tail, which they drop when scared, I would just keep him on newspaper and mist him well 2-3 times a day on a regular basis, like normal. Making sure you keep the tank clean to eliminate the chance of infections.
After he's been there a few weeks, use a tupperware container and lid to scoop him into without grabbing him. And put him in the bathtub with the plug in, and put on the shower on very warm water. By the time the tub starts to fill it cools off.
By running the shower, he's able to breath the mist and humidity he'd normally find in the rainforest. Make sure shower curtains pulled out so he doesn't climb it. When he eliminates, unplug the tub to empty, and plug again so he can soak a bit. I'd do that at least once a week.
Let the water fill till he has to swim to stay afloat, and sit next to the tub with your hand in the water. That will be his only branch and he'll learn to climb on your hand and trust it over time. But it takes time and patience with wild caught lizards.
And be careful because once they get big they can bite extremely hard and maim. I have a friend who got bit hard enough to get her finger broken. That iggy was about 3ft to tail tip though. So just use the tupperware container and lid till he's tame, and if he's big already you'll have to find something bigger like a storage tub? And use gardening gloves if your worried.
If he's not eating well, work extra on hydration as he may be dehydrated. Other than getting him in the bath for hydration and training, I'd leave him alone in his territory.
Here's a pic of Godzilla. See the black tail tip? When I got him it was a fresh wound, but when it regenerates it's black. Now it's a long tail again.:thumbsup:
Good luck!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gina,
hey he is about 6 inches long from nose to vent. i dont know how long his tail was before it was broken but it looks like about half way. thank you for showing me that picture..he is about the same size as that lil guy. he does have a small black part growing where his tail should be (thats what had scared me,i didnt know that was normal).i have been trying every hour since i got him to let him know i will not hurt him. mainly just by putting my hand in his tank close to him, so far no luck,but its only been a few days. i dont plan on keeping him because i was not ready for another iguana (mine passed away). i would however like to get him somewhat tame and find someone with experience to take him. i have bacitracin and have been spraying his tail with it three times a day. do you know about how long i need to do this? i dont want to stop to soon. the only thing i know about this little guy so far is that he was bought at a flea market and kept the past 5 months or so in the critter box he came in. i did notice this morning he ate, not much but some is better than none. he doesnt get far from the basking ledge tho. i am going to try again today to contact the previous owner and see if he can tell me anything else about him. thank you very much for your help. i really do appricate it.
teresa
 
He just needs to aclimate first.

Hi Teresa,
It sounds like he's healing fine if the tail is growing back. It is weird! I'd suggest just give him his space and only put your hand in his tank to replace his food and water. He needs to aclimate to his new environment, and learn it's his territory, and that he's safe there. You'll just be stressing him out by going in there to pet him.
Just follow the once a week bath and handle him there. He doesn't need the medicine. And continue misting 3 times a day. Also, you can go to yahoo.com and look for an iguana email group called; IguanaMail I think. There are a few iguana email groups but that one has the most professionals in it.
And here's a link to a great site that has everything!
http://www.anapsid.org/

Good luck!:thumbsup:
 
Gina, ive been doing like you said...only putting my hand in to feed and clean the cage. he runs and hides everytime still. i really hope he will come around and start to trust me. its hard because i feel helpless. ive never been this way with any of my babies before. i have not completly decided to keep or rehome him. guess its one of those wait n see kinds things. he is eatting better so thats a good sign. and doesnt seam to mind the misting like before. thank you for your advice. it has been very helpful.
teresa
 
just an update: we (my son mainly) have decided to keep spike. his new black tail is now about 2" long. he is eating great and is no longer running and hiding from us. my son scott has bonded with him, he and my husband are going to build him a bigger nice home this weekend and move him from the animal room to his bedroom. he got out yesterday and jumped into my daughters hair, she freaked out! spike however just held on and scott was able to get him with no problem. we can not figure out how he got out without us knowing it unless when he was feed the door wasnt shut all the way..that taught us to double check everything with him. i had forgot that you never under estimate an iguana.
 
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