Answering a iguana care question I got

Susan asks: “Hey, I really like your iguana care website. But… I wonder if you could help me with this. I bought an iguana from the pet store just over a week ago and I’m seeing white spots on my iguana.

I asked my friend who has an iguana for about 5 years but she’s clueless what it might be.

I was wondering maybe you could help me out with this? Thanks!”.

Hello, Susan. Sorry to perhaps give you bad news, but these white (they might also be brown or red) dots on your iguana are likely to be mites. Mites is a kind of disease that is going to kill your iguana if it is not treated immediately.

That’s why you need to contact your vet immediately! It’s a young iguana, so you have already done a check-up at the vets’, huh? Well, if you have and the vet has not noticed these spots, I suggest you get a new vet. If you don’t have a vet, find one. In any case, get your iguana to a VET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Actually, it’s not the first time hearing about people buying infected pets at pet stores. Usually, the people there don’t know much about reptile diseases.

Another thing I must say is, do not, and I repeat, do not try to self treat your iguana. It is a huge risk and get a professional to do it rather than just trying to do it yourself. And though I’m saying that mostly because you’re a new iguana owner, but that’s still valid advice for all kinds of owners.

I hope your iguana gets well soon and you can continue with providing me some happier iguana care questions.

Iguana nail trimming

This is a shorty one. You see, iguanas like to use their nails to do harm and should you want to stop that, the easiest and the best way is to trim their nails. You should be trimming the nails maybe every four or five months. I read a guide how to do this that I was able to apply and now I am going to re-post it here from memory, mentioning what worked and what didn’t for me. Your iguana nail trimming guide:

Preparation: a partner (yeah, you should get a partner to help you with trimming because it’s way easier that way.... you could do it alone in the worst case scenario, though, but that’s not recommended.), a claw clipper from the pet store, a bright light,

,

1) Get a partner to help you with trimming. It’s way easier. You can do it alone in the worst case scenario, though, but that’s not recommended.

2) Get your iguana relaxed.

3) Get your partner to lay both of his hands on your iguana and hold it. One hand should be holding the neck and the other should be onto the front of the back legs.

4) Use a bright light behind your iguana pointed to your pets’s “fingers” until you see where the blood vessel starts

5) Use your claw clipper and clip the tip of the nail. DO NOT CUT INTO THE BLOOD VESEL. If you do, your iguana will be at pain and might go on a rampage, which is too bad for you and your partner. So, be extremely careful! Leave a bit of space from the blood vessel to make sure you aren’t cutting into it.

That should be it. I recommend, however, getting your iguana pet to show you exactly how it’s done so that way you are prepared. You could get some video of it but I know not of any. Anyway, it’s doable as you get some practice. Which, you should get, if you’re preparing to learn iguana care.

Iguana Lighting and heating

You should probably know it by now, but as repetition is the mother of skill, let me remind you that lighting and heating are one of the most important things in iguana care. I am going to provide you some basics of lighting and heating.

You have to focus on the objective: you need to have two areas with different temperatures for your iguana. One should be a warm one (90–95 degrees Fahrenheit and that’s about 32-35 degrees Celcius) and a cool one (75 – 85 degrees Fahrenheit which is about 24-30 Celcius). Lighting should be on only about half the time because the other half iguanas sleep (and that other half coincides to be night usually).

Let’s also talk about lights. There are these UVB Fluorescent lights which product no heat. The light will have to be about 10 inches above your iguana (that’s about 25 centimeters for those of you in the rest of the world). You’ll also need a basking light altogether with this one to produce heat. You also need to replace UVB lights about twice a year. Also, don’t use the plastic cover that goes with those lights. It’s not very needed.

So, you need those basking lights to use along with your UVB fluorescent lights to heat the temperature to about 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Use round bulbs that come in a silver dome fixture. The point is to make just part of your iguana’s territory heated. Your iguana should be able to escape to an area that’s not as hot (that is about 75 – 85 Fahrenheit) whenever should your iguana wishes to.

So, again, to summarize – you have one hot area somewhere on top so that your iguana can climb onto there and bask a bit and then there is a less warm area anywhere else that your iguana can escape to when it doesn’t feel like basking anymore. Makes sense?

Finally, use thermometers. There are some guidelines. Have at least two – one in the warm area and one in the cooler one. Make sure your thermometers work. Also, don’t only trust them. Watch your iguana too and should you notice that it might not be within good living conditions or its behavior is not normal, check it immediately..

Iguana Care at Night

Your iguana needs to get some sleep at night (duh)! Young iguana need to have the temperature of about 78 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 to 29.5 degrees Celcius). Adult iguanas range at about 74 to 83 Fahrenheit (23.3 to 28.3 degrees Celcius).

How do you get that temperature? Well, either you use black night lights or ceramic heaters. There has been some research saying that lights actually disturb your pet’s sleeping pattern but it hasn’t been confirmed. But better be safe than sorry and use ceramic heaters.

Ceramic heaters are no that hard to set up but make sure they are not positioned directly at your iguana to burn it. Also, do not ever use heat rocks because they burn iguanas too. Using a thermometer and measuring the temperature to make sure it’s okay is a key here. And avoiding burns and pain on behalf of your iguana.

Finally, sometimes check if your iguana’s really getting the rest it deserves. If it doesn’t, you should fix that immediately, by all means.

Take care of your iguana!

Should you be searching for advice on iguana care in the first place?

Some people search for iguana care advice even before they have an iguana. I think, that’s a good sign. First of all, that sends a message that the person is serious about this and might really be taking good care about the pet. In other words, he cares. Second, it can help get the person know more of iguanas so that he doesn’t end up buying one.

People often buy iguanas on the impulse and then they don’t really care about the care. Talking particularly about iguanas, people get scared when those pets start really growing and they either give them away or do some even more cruel things. That’s so wrong. Sometimes people would just mistreat their iguanas too much.

So, if you are thinking of getting an iguana, you should know this. Iguanas are not easy pets. They are nowhere near easy pets. Iguanas are, in fact, even hard pets. Their care takes time and money and knowledge and commitment.

Let’s talk about iguanas in general, then. Males grow up to be 6 feet long and 20 lbs. That’s about 2 meters of length and 8 kilograms of weight. Females grow up to 5 feet. That’s some serious stuff!

A single bite can cost you a finger. If they are not trained well, you are pretty much out of luck. Such a grown-up needs a room dedicated to it. Also, when they breed, males become very aggressive. Females lay eggs. Yes. If there are some complications with that, a surgery is needed.

Talking about care, you need much electricity. By much, I mean, unbelievable amounts of energy. That results in huge bills (I’m not going to begin scaring you here with numbers).

Also, reptiles carry illnesses. Can you handle that? Moreover… vets cost a lot. Medication too. Even food costs some.

I got some of these points before getting one from a iguana owner and it really made a difference. You must understand how important of a decision is to get an iguana. It needs to be a family decision. It needs commitment. Iguana care can be rewarding but it’s really a lot of trouble, so, if you are not totally completely preferred for that, make sure you don’t act stupid. Think before you act!

Iguana Myths

If we’re talking about iguanas, let’s get down to handling some iguana myths. I am going to have my take on the most popular ones only.

Iguanas eat lettuce!

This one is really common these days. Perhaps it’s because it has some truth to it. Yes, iguanas are herbivorous. Yes, lettuce goes. Sometimes. But… lettuce does not provide iguanas with enough elements so an iguana eating only lettuce is something like a man eating only carrots. Makes sense?

But iguanas do actually eat lettuce. Why? Iguanas eat everything you throw them! Well, almost. At any rate, do not feed your iguana lettuce before you give it normal food.

Iguanas can be fed dog/cat/ferret food and various insects

That’s another huge myth. This is so totally wrong. Iguanas do eat those but just for one last time! No iguana should be fed it.

Iguanas can be fed gravel

Wrong! Again, where are you getting this from? Do you eat gravel? Well, iguanas don’t either.

Iguanas only grow to the size of their cages?!

That’s ridickulous. People think that and they actually wouldn’t buy iguana a bigger cage because they think it would only grow to fill its current cage. That’s wrong, cruel and stupid.

Iguanas are okay with simple daylight without special lighting.

No! Iguanas need UBA and UBV special lighting to survive. Quit talking nonsense.

Iguanas don’t need a vet?

Again, that’s another common misconception that keeps playing on my nerves. Come on, get real! They are just like any ordinary pets and they need pets!

Iguanas need little care!

Sorry, it would be nice to believe so but it isn’t so. Iguanas need all this feeding and temperature and lighting and other stuff and they are definitely not even nearly the easiest pets to have. Quit dreaming.

Iguana Tank

First of all, iguanas need a tank. Iguana is also likely to grow off this first tank so you are likely to need to change it and afterwards even get a custom cage for your iguana. But first…

First of all, you need to get a tank that’s about 3 times the length and at least 3 times the height of your iguana. That’s the beginning. The larger the first tank, of course, the more room for your pet’s growth there and the less later you’ll need to change it so that would be a bonus.

When to change a tank? That’s another important subject of iguana care. Basically, you change it then you see that at least these proportions are not met. That’s when the iguana is young. It tends to grow a long during the first 3 years so you might need a couple of tank changes to make sure your iguana’s housing is well balanced.

Finally, let me mention there are alternatives to having a tank (such as having custom housing) but that was not the topic of this little article. In any case, pay huge attention to making sure the conditions of your iguana’s housing are as good as possible or otherwise you and your pet might be into problems…

Introduction to Iguana Care

I was searching for advice on iguana care but did not seem to be able to find legitimate information. Having some experience in the field myself, naturally, I decided it might be cool to create a page with advice on the topic.

Iguana care is a bit demanding but before we talk any more about it, let me convey the message that the first place you must be prepared for intensive growth of your iguana. Iguanas usually grow pretty large and do not even they become really big, they outgrow their cage. So, before even talking about further iguana care, get your first lesson straight – be prepared!

What else? Other accents of iguana care include keeping a clean, heated and lighted tank, making sure the humidity is good and things like feeding your iguana. We will discuss some of these in future posts.

Other thing I want to tell you is that, if you already have an iguana, you probably have all things settled. If not, it might be not too late for you (just kidding, in a way). Please read more on iguana care and about iguanas in general before getting one since you must really be commited if you want an iguana. You have to know about the pets first, so, getting to know about iguana care more is a good sign.

That’s all for today. Later, we’ll extend this discussion and share more information on iguana care and other related stuff