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Post by Jess on Oct 26, 2004 13:26:44 GMT -5
Here's what i came home to today....i left at 7:30 and got back at 1:00..... Why'd he do this!?!?!? He's been rubbing a little lately, but today he really outdid himself. I guess keeping this cage wasnt such a good thing after all......  I'm so worried, there's blood everywhere, and he's completely missing his 1st lip scale in the middle and the huge on between his nostrils...They are completely gone. I know he's hurting cuz he didn't put up any kind of fight what so ever when i got him out and he's still just sitting on my shoulder as i type this....(so not like him). I have a list of ?'s for whoever has experience w/ igs and would like to help me out: 1. Will he be alright, should i schedule a vet apptment? 2. What special things should i do to keep it from getting infected? Betadine bath? Silvadine? Anything? I'm going to wait to do anything till i get some advice, cuz this gash is pretty deep. The blood ran down his mouth and his dewlap too. 3. He's about (2yrs old) 3 ft. stl, his cage is 5x3x4tall. I seriously thought it was a fine size for him right now considering as a hatchling he lived in a 30 gallon. Is that too small for him right now? Is that a likely reason he'd have done this? 4.Is it breeding season already!? Is that the reason he might have done this? Also tell me anything else you think i should know and i'm happy to answer any questions you all might have. Much appreciated. ~Jessie |
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Post by Jess on Oct 26, 2004 13:45:14 GMT -5
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Post by geekcoboy103 on Oct 26, 2004 13:52:42 GMT -5
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Post by Jess on Oct 26, 2004 13:57:06 GMT -5
No, lol...I can't really bandage something like that. But i'm in serious need of some help. And i know not to use the neosporin w/ the pain killer in it too. But again, i'm not going to do anything till i get some advice w/ someone with experience.
Also, i dont know how minor this is, or what can still be used on it.
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Post by Jess on Oct 26, 2004 15:33:09 GMT -5
I went ahead and bathed him, cleaning it gently w/ warm water. No peroxide, betadine, povidone-iodine, neosporin, silvadene, or any of all that. Just water and qtips. Realizing that my poor baby has a giant indent..gash...and I'm no vet (although I hope to be someday), i called the [best] vet. I made an appointment for tomorrow morning. He might be better off on oral antibiotics to watch out for infection anyways...
Herp vets are very expensive...But the trip is completely worth it. Not only does my iggie get taken care of, but I get to see my favoritest vet in the whole world!!!
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Post by Patrick Kubeja on Oct 26, 2004 16:02:15 GMT -5
Hey Jess I realy can not answer right now I am at Work just check in but start with betadine, povidone-iodine, neosporin, for right now make sure the bath you give him in Betadine is a weak tea color and then put some neosporin on it.  That was Mr. Worf When I first got him |
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Post by Jess on Oct 27, 2004 14:26:47 GMT -5
LOL, this is like my diary...i'm posting to myself it seems. I took Gollum to the vet. We decided its probably cuz of breeding season. He is on daily oral med's (baytril....raspberry flavor  ) As well as having silvadine applyed to the wound daily. This should keep it healing nicely and prevent infection. The situation (and how to make it stop) still are a problem. I just finished moving his shelfs down six inches, hoping that now he be able to reach the wire and rub. (He's never rubbed against the front wire, only the top...I hope he doesnt start now.) With the shelf down a few inches, i took his lights, that are usually sitting on an 'elevated platform', which now are straight against the wire top. That should minimize temp changes. If this doesn't work.....then more changes must be made, starting i guess with putting a sheet of plastic against the top wire and only cutting holes for the lights to shine through. And most drastically, a new bedroom all for him. LOL. At first, giving him free roam of a room wasn't such a bad idea, but my vet said that if i do that, i better be prepared to keep him a 'freeroamer' for the rest of his life. He wouldnt like to have to go back into a cage after being free....and well, I can't promise that I can do that in 5 or 10 years, so i'm leaning away from free roaming. Also, a nice little love sock is in the process of being made....LOL...that will be fun. Maybe he'll spend more time w/ that instead of 'escaping the inescapable'. |
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Post by geekcoboy103 on Oct 27, 2004 15:19:54 GMT -5
If he does free-roam in his own room, you better not let that cage go to waste! That's GREAT that Gollum is going to be alright.  -collin |
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Post by Patrick Kubeja on Oct 27, 2004 18:15:24 GMT -5
Hello Jess I am here been kind of busy that is great you took him to the vet to get that checked out and your vet seem to be very good… ;D ;D I was going to mention lowering the shelf a bit but I would not put plastic on the wire. What you could do is, they make a plastic coded wire you can find it at Lowe's or Home Depot and put that up on the top and they make a all plastic wire mesh for the front if he starts rubbing there. Free roamer are hard especially for the temps and you never know what they are doing Mr. Worf has his own bedroom and it is hard wood floors thank god because if I do not give him a bath every other day I come home to a big mess!!!!  But check in to the coded wire mesh and the plastic wire mesh for the front of the enclosure that may help.. But for breeding season I cannot help you to much with that Mr. Worf has been a sweet heart this time thank god!!! ;D Again Jess I am Glad your guy is ok. If your remember to make the iguana as comfortable as you can it will work out for you  Ps. I love the plastic wire mess I just replaced Miss Jr. enclosure with it because she Scratch though the screen in had on there plus that is what on my outdoor enclosure Patrick |
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Post by Jess on Oct 27, 2004 21:38:45 GMT -5
Thanks Patrick:) I'll definitely look into that plastic covered wire.
My vet is a strong believer in neutering too.
For ig's with seasonal aggression, it seems to work wonders...and i think it could help gollum with his raging hormones...(even though i havent seen any agression yet)
My only worry with neutering for iguanas is that it's a delicate surgery and they have to be put under anesthesia.
Does anyone have any input on neutering?? Opinions??
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Post by Patrick Kubeja on Oct 28, 2004 17:27:38 GMT -5
Hello Jess
Well on the neutering part
For male it not a fact that it well stop their aggression during breeding season they still may get aggressive. The vets and people that have had neutered there lizards have been tossing this back in forth for some time now. Some it helps and other it does not so if you want to take the chance and spend the 250.00 Dollar or what ever it comes to and get your guy neutered, do not be surprised if your guy still get aggressive during breeding season. Now on Breeding season some time a male iguana will be a tame and loving as can be and not aggressive at all and then the next breeding season he could be a monster. Like with Mr. Worf and Dominick’s Rex the 4th Breeding season with Mr. Worf he got aggressive with Duke’s Mom but for this breeding Season he is as sweet as pie. Now Dominick can tell you the same with Rex. So I would guess it is in the hormones that the lizard is developing at that time. That would be my best Guess….
I hope this helped!!!!!
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Post by renee on Oct 29, 2004 21:14:14 GMT -5
Hey Jess, Sorry I didn't get to this msg. sooner. My Ig pretty much did the same thing TWICE but not as deep as yours. Iggy tured two in Aug. . We had aquired an outdoor cage for him that had wire mesh. He freaked the 1st time we put him in there as well as the second and he hasn't been back in it since. Not until I change out the wire. He's only been outside a few times and freaked every time so when time permits it'll be small steps for him until he gets used to it. Anyway, he rubbed the same area raw because he really wanted out of his cage. He's a free roamer in the house and just didn't want anything to do with a cage. It was almost healed when I tried him again, this time sitting in the cage with him and he just ripped it all open again. We put a little iodine in some water then blotted it on the wound using cotton. After cleaned we put neosporin on it. By the second time around we realized the neosporin kind of loaded up so we would clean the old off and re-apply.
As for neutering..... I've heard it was best to stay away from it unless it's really necessary. The more you hold and work with you Ig the better off everyone will be. At age two, I feel, that some Igs (like mine) are still kind of skittish and untrusting. With time and age I've heard they come around and calm down. Good luck and I hope his lil nose is feeling better....keep the faith
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Post by Jess on Oct 31, 2004 21:10:05 GMT -5
Yes thanks.
I still want to do some more research on neutering to figure out all the pros and cons. It is a delicate surgery, risky business and I dont feel that agression is a problem at this point in time.
Its the hormones making him want to find a female (and therefore try to escape and noserubbing) and he wont have those hormones if he doesnt have what's making them...lol.
I also contacted my vet and they price it at 400 to do it.
My ig is still skittish, but i too think that with time, maybe when he's 5 he'll be completely settled in.
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) As well as having silvadine applyed to the wound daily. This should keep it healing nicely and prevent infection.
But check in to the coded wire mesh and the plastic wire mesh for the front of the enclosure that may help.. But for breeding season I cannot help you to much with that Mr. Worf has been a sweet heart this time thank god!!! ;D Again Jess I am Glad your guy is ok. If your remember to make the iguana as comfortable as you can it will work out for you 