Ursula Update

Question
QUESTION: Hi Diane!

I just wanted to update you on how Ursula (the OE iguana) is doing and to ask a few more questions.

Ursula is now back in her larger habitat where she can stretch and climb!  Next Wednesday marks the 6-week point since her surgery and she goes back in to get her stitches out!

I still have two main concerns about her.  First, she's still not eating great.  Maybe I was used to her eating her body weight in greens before she became egg bound.  She eats a small handful of greens every day.  I also cut 4 bite-sized pieces of melon for her as a treat.  I sprinkled vegetarian acidophilus on her salad for 2 days to try to get her gut bacteria going.  It hasn't seemed to change her appetite though.

Also, her color is VERY dark.  She used to be vibrant green color, but now she is almost black.  I know color changes are a strong indicator for the iguana's health and her color just sucks.  =(  Her tummy and hips are vibrant green, but the rest of her is dark dark brown.  I haven't allowed her to soak because of her incision, but recently I put her bathing pond back into her habitat.  She just goes down there to poop daily though, she doesn't soak in it.  I mist her daily. Things are warming up out here so I usually take her outside for about an hour to bask on my shoulder in the sun.  =D

She hasn't shed at all for about 4 months.  =/

Thanks so much for all your help!  I'm looking forward to getting this girl back on track!

ANSWER: Hi Jess,
Glad to hear she is doing well for the most part anyway.
Continue with the acidophilus daily wont hurt.
A Vitamin B injection or two may help.  I've used the liquid (human) Vitamin B on my igs and it does help.
I would try some hand feeding her greens.
If she isn't loosing weight, then what she is eating is most likely all she wants or needs....she may limit her intake due to the incision...what do we know how her belly feels or if its ready to stretch yet??)
Shedding.,..no major biggie at this point. As they get older they do shed a lot less...possibly only head or tail with a good body shed 1-2 times a yr.
Taking her outside may help with color and appetite, not to mention healing.
On her color...it still may be stress related.  Double check your basking temperatures to make sure they are in the range needed...too cool and they do darken to absorb more heat.
Once she sheds the color may also change.
Also, as they get older, they do tend to change colors...
If she is active and basically normal...then most likely there is no reason to worry at this point. You might want to try the vitamin B injections or the liquid to see if that helps.

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


Ursula's Color   QUESTION: Thanks Diane!

I have access to Vitamin B-complex for livestock.  Would that work?  How long should I continue the acidophilus?

I just moved about a week an a half ago.  I thought she adjusted very well, but even when I put her back into her old habitat her color didn't change.  I'm wondering if she's so stressed out that she might be less resistant to illnesses (the weather is pretty changeable around here and if she gets too cold or something I don't want her to get sick).

She is also much less wild-seeming.  I can handle her with limited difficulty . . . that makes me worry.  =/

Her temperature in the basking spot is between 85-91F and at night the temperature where she sleeps is about 84-87F.  Humidity is not good.  About 30-40% even when I mist her.  She likes to lay in her water bowl sometimes.  

I attached a picture of her.  I took it today as she sat in her basking spot.  Do you think that her color looks like normal aging?

Thanks again!

ANSWER: Hi Jess,
Not sure on the livestock Vitamin B but here is a link to info on recommended dosages for various medications, including the Vitamin B.
http://www.cobraman.net/16801.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val*

Her basking temperatures are low..they need to be a gradient of 92-96 degrees.  Her color to me looks like an ig trying to absorb more heat.  Raise her basking temperatures and see if that gets her back to normal colors.  Her color is also that of an ig that has been stressed..moving, her surgery, etc.
On the acidophilus, I would give it to her 3 days in a row, then a few days off then 3 days...
Once she is back to 100% health, you can give the acidophilus once a week or so.
Humidity is always a problem for many of us.  I use a warm mist humidifier in each of their cages.  I use timers that can be set in 15 minute or even 30 minute increments.  This way, I can have the humidifier run every few hours for 15 -30 minutes.
Igs take a long time to heal so she may still be in the recovery period.  Make sure her basking temperatures are where they need to be...even going a degree or two higher in PART of the area if she chooses that.


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

QUESTION: Thanks for the link!  I'll get the vet to send away for some B vitamins =D.  

Crap!  I thought I had it warm enough for her =(.  Sometimes the basking spot reaches 91F and I see her looking pale (not green but tan) and sitting with her mouth wide open like she's too hot.  So I kept the temp a little lower for her.  =/ Bad move I guess.  

I just measured her SVL is 12" now 0.0!!!  Her habitat measurements are 4x3x4' (lxwxh) . . . probably way too small, eh?  Do you know of any affordable options for habitats suitable for iguanas?

Answer
Hi Jess,
Some tricks I've learned with basking areas...
If they are on open wire or other area that isn't solid (towels, newspaper, etc) then they can overheat because their whole body isn't getting the warmth. If their stomachs are cold, they won't move even though their back and head are roasting.  Same is true the opposite way...with heating pads that aren't controlled by us humans for the temperature, an ig will lay on a heating pad or those horrible hot rocks and basically cook their insides if they don't have something overhead heating them from above. Also, when an ig can't bask on something flat,or close to it, they can't get to their optimum temperature because part of their body is below the basking temperature range.  That's why if one end of the basking area is 92 degrees, and the other end of the basking area is 96 degrees, their whole body is in the ideal temperature gradient for them.  You will even see them turn around in that area so their tail is in the hotter end and there head in the lower temperature zone of the basking area.
The vitamin B I use (other than when an injection is needed) is from Wal Mart.  Its a liquid vitamin B complex which the igs actually like.  They get a few drops of it.
Her cage is sorta small for her.... my igs all have a cage that is 6-7 ft long, 6 ft high and 3-4 ft deep.  
All our cages were built for very little expense.  You can see them on my webshots page..link in my signature line.  Sliding patio doors work great and someone is always willing to get rid of their old ones!!  Even sliding shower doors work.  Using PVC pipe and plastic mesh is fairly inexpensive ...you do have to use a wire mesh for the ceiling though and to keep heat and humidity in, its best to use something thing solid for the ceiling such as cement board with the holes cut for the heat lights.(covered with a wire mesh) Here is a link where you can get some ideas on building cages..
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/caging.html
and
http://www.iguanaden.org/housing/cageplans.htm