Question
front left arm
I just got two small iguanas from the pet store about a week ago and notice that one of them wasnt moving around or eating like the other one was and when i go to pick him up he dont run from me like the other iguana does . when i went to feed today i notice that his arm was bent back and something red which looks like blood is around the elbow part of the front left hand(seen in photo). what do i do???
AnswerHello,
My first impression after seeing that picture is that this iguana is VERY skinny and probably not in good health. A lot of times when iguanas co-habitate in pet stores, they spread internal parasites and other bacteria/viruses to each other. I think this is a separate issue from the elbow, but perhaps the more important of the two issues. I think that the elbow issue is a bite from another iguana. I don't know how the two babies you got get along and if it could be from his cagemate, but it looks like it was from a bigger iguana. I think it is important to keep a close eye on him at this time and just make sure he is eating. If he doesn't feel good enough to run from you when you come at him, he is in rough shape and you should try to manually administer food and water to him and not stress him with holding him right now. If this were my baby iguana, I would do the following:
Take out the iguana and do all of the following things at once then leave him alone for the rest of the day:
1- Treat the elbow with betadine/saline solution (flush the skin with the solution)
2- Apply antibiotic cream to the wound
3- Dab a little bit of activia or a similar yogurt onto his snout so he will lick it off. The live and active cultures help to stimulate healthy hind gut bacteria and make digestion easier
4- Obtain a needle-less syringe and pump some water into his mouth
5- Attempt to hand feed him some leaves of collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, or squash (even if you have to gently pull the jaws apart and place the leaf into his mouth)
6- When you are finished, put him back and leave him alone for the day...it would help if he had his own cage so he was less stressed but then again, changing his life up again may induce more undue stress than it's worth
Then, I would focus on providing him with the following staples for health:
1- Ensure you have a UVB lamp and that it is shining on the iggys 10-12 hours per day. The UVB is necessary for them to produce vitamin D3, which allows them to digest calcium
2- Ensure your temperatures are always right. The warm side should be 95-100 under the basking spot and the cool side about 85 degrees or so.
3- Ensure he has a hiding place in his terrarium like a hide-log, so he can get some refuge if he feels stressed
4- Make sure you are feeding the proper foods, NO lettuces...avoid commercial foods...opt for collard/turnip/mustard greens, squash, green beans, sweet peas, escarole, parsnips, dandelion, and some fruits to include banana, mango, etc.
5- Make sure you keep him on a predictable routine with feedings at the same time everyday and the lights coming on and going off at the same times everyday.
Thank you for your question and please follow up with any further questions.
Sincerely,
Sara J Gwerder
President
Raptor Rescue Iguana Sanctuary
Shreveport, LA
www.RaptorRescue.org
Good Diet + UVB Radiation + Proper Temperatures + Set Daily Schedule = Healthy + Happy Reptile
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