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Iguana going to bathroom from top of his cage.

21 15:00:26

Question
Hi, I have a 9 yr old iguana who's cage is 5ft tall, 4ft long and 2ft deep.  He has a ramp that goes to a shelf mid way up and another ramp from there going to the top shelf. We also have a plastic container he uses for hanging out in warm water and for bathroom.  Lately he has been going to the bathroom up in his top shelf. What makes him do this?  Its been happening for the past month and 1/2.  We moved into a new house but nothing in his cage has changed.  Please help me.  I don't know what else to do.
Thanks

Answer
Hi Donna,
Igs really hate changes and the move is a change for him.  A few suggestions...  when something changes in an igs life, they stress.  Stress can cause an overload of internal parasites. An overload of internal parasites can cause them to break potty habits. I suggest having a fecal check done to see if this is the problem. You may have to re introduce him to his potty pan by physically putting him in it when its his normal time for using it.
Other suggestions...  is the water warm enough? Deep enough?  Try making it warmer and deeper in the pan. Is his cage in an area that is different than in your last home? More foot traffic from other pets? Humans?  All these can factor into why he is doing what he is doing. If his shelf is solid, as a last resort, you may want to switch to a wire closet shelf if possible.  Then, if he poops on it, it will fall through and with a properly placed "bathtub" the mess will be in the water.
I do understand your frustration as I've gone through it with my igs when things change or sometimes, just because they changed.  All of the above are things I've done/had to do to find a way for them to get back to their proper toilet habits.