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Luke5   Tempestborn   Iggysmom  
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 #2087910


Luke5
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 HELP BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hi everybody, im new 2 this site and i like the way u lot help each other so i thought i would sign up and get help. iv just brought a red iguana from my local pet shop and he/she does not want 2 eat, all my lightin and heatin is correct, and i hav him/she in a 6ft by 3ft by 2ft tank tht i built my self. i keep going to the shop to get differnt fuit and veg so i can try differnt things but no eating, im really startin to get worried and i dont want to lose him/her, iv got a black throat monitor, bosc monitor, 2 water dragons and 1 nile monitor and they are doing fine so i dont think its my husbandry. so if any of you fantastic people can help that would be amazing. CHEERS.
10/23/09  12:53pm

 #2087935


Tempestborn
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   Message To: Luke5   In reference to Message Id: 2087910


 HELP BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well, i believe i speak for all of us when i say we like to be called fantastic :)

if your ig is brand-new, s/he’s just adjusting. iguanas 100-percent, completely HATE change. people on the forum have had them go off their food when they moved their cage to the other side of the room.

i’m hoping that the 6 ft part of your cage measurements is tall? iguanas are arboreal (tree-climbing/dwelling) and s/he won’t be happy in a short cage, no matter how much floor space s/he has. i’m not a water dragon pro, but they need UVB, right? so do iguanas--it’s VITAL; they’ll develop MBD without it.

ummm, i don’t know how old s/he is, but you’ve also brought home an iguana in the middle of breeding season, when we’re all freakin’ out ’cause they won’t eat, anyway. think of him/her as being po’d about the change and hormonal.

and of course s/he needs to be warm enough; an iguana has to have a body temperature of at least 75 to be able to digest its food at all, and 85 to 95 is preferable, with a slightly cooler part of the cage so they can get away from the heat if they want to.

if s/he appears reasonably healthy, and i would think w/other lizards, you’d have an idea of what a healthy one looks like, she’s probably just reacting. even so, since pet shops are not known for having any idea what they’re doing, a vet visit is a good idea. take some poo in a plastic bag so the vet can do a fecal.

good luck with him/her. i’d love to have a red, but i have two greens--that’s plenty.
jesse
10/23/09  02:25pm

 #2087938


Iggysmom
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   Message To: Luke5   In reference to Message Id: 2087910


 HELP BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, how long have you had your ig? It might still be adjusting to its new home. Sometimes they won’t eat when they are in a new environment. You might try covering the cage to make it feel more secure and less exposed and just putting the food in there. If there is one thing I’ve learned about animals it is we may think they aren’t eating but I can guarantee you when you aren’t paying attention they will eat even if it is only a little bit. They won’t starve themselves. Try covering the front of the cage for a couple of days when you feed it and then just leave it be. There are more experienced ig keepers on here that can probably help you more and give more advice. As far as trying different foods, I would just stick with the staple foods and have patience. Patience, Patience and more patience is the key. Also, there is a thread on here for new ig owners that has very good advice on feeding etc. I will try to bump it up for you.



10/23/09  02:32pm


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