iguna

Question
QUESTION: dear diane, i wrote to you a few days ago about my iguna, well i noticed today she is having trouble with her dewlap she keeps trying to push it out...although it won't with out couple of trys....and she won't take the syringe for food...oh, we talked about if my iguna had eggs or not...and i still can't find a exp. vet here for igunas.....

ANSWER: Hi Michelle,
Not sure what you mean about the dewlap...she may not be trying to push it out and having trouble..she may just be doing it on purpose..we really don't know what all ways they communicate.
You may have to call a vet that isn't in your area and  ask if you can email them a picture of the xrays or if the vet that took the xray can put them on disc so that you or the vet that did the xray can send them to another vet.
Try something she might like from the syringe such as fruit.  Also you might want to try steaming some butternut squash and offering her that.  Steaming it brings out the sweetness  of the squash. Is she starting to look lumpy?  I would give her LOTS of exercise...walking all over, climbing, swimming, etc.  Do make sure to keep her well hydrated. One of the hardest parts of owning exotics is finding a vet that is able to care for them properly.  Many people have to travel  2 hours or in many cases, even making over night trips to get the care the iguana needs. If one of mine would need to be spayed, I would have to travel at least two hours for a vet that is able to do an iguana spay.
If she is acting lethargic, then you do need to get her back to the vet and ask them to PLEASE consult with another vet over  the phone.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: yes she looks very lumpy...still no poops though, still loving her baths, she is walking around a little...i am trying the squash, but, nothing she closes her eyes and walks away...i am called around and most vets say they will see her but, not alot of exp. i will keep looking...she is still taking water when we make her.........

Answer
Hi Michelle,
be sure to make her a proper egging box.  If you go to my webshots page, you can see what mine looks like.  I use 1/4 part childrens playsand and the rest sphagnum moss.  Add water to make it damp enough to hold a "tunnel" when dug into, but not wet enough that it is hard to dig.  A plastic tote that is 30 gallon or larger works well... You want to fill the box with the moss/sand mix so it is at least a foot deep.  For my ig, she wanted the heating pad placed on top the box on the outside.  In the wild, the sun warms the top part of the ground more, and the ground is cooler as you go deeper.
Do keep her hydrated and keep trying to get some food into her...
You may want to get another x ray done if she doesn't lay the eggs before too long or if she starts to show signs of distress.