PLEASE help me!! Lewis is gone

[lovinglewis]

Please take my post seriously...

I have posted on other forums, called "vets" and "pet store owners" and read dozens of webpages...

Lewis, (30 in long 7 mo. old Male) is GONE!! He is freaking gone. This is the third night. I tried everything and looked every where. High and low over and under cold and warm far and wide. I recently decided to let him free roam. His enclosure was 72 in tall and 30 in wide. About a month ago, he grew too large, so I am in the middle of re-doing my bedroom for him. Up until 3 nights ago he had his own basking area on the top of his enclosure. He comes and goes as he pleases. This time he didn't return. PLEASE any suggestions on how long he can survive? I've heard a range of time. Will he perish if not found? Is he just being a goofy little reptile and trying to scare the &*^% out of me?? I sprinkled flour, set up heat lamps food and water throughout the house. The house has 3 floors. I'm sick, worried, and angry, (at myself) Please be easy on me, as I am real aware of what I did was wrong and should have waited till he was bigger to let him free roam. I just really need help and suggestions. So far, nothing has been of use.

[Tesa]

3 stories? Oh Lord.....

ok....you said "this is the third night". Does this mean you are doing the majority of the searching at night? If so, try searching during daylight hours when he would be awake and moving around.
What kind of food have you put out for him? Fruit would be a good choice to attract him. Try counting how many pieces you leave out so you can tell if any is missing.
I've heard of igs climbing inside pockets etc of clothing thats hanging in the closets; search them all well.
He has access to all three stories? Do a methodical search of all rooms, one by one, slowly. Shut off each room after it has been searched.
Oh Lord...you've got your hands full with this one.
There's no magic solution. You'll just have to keep looking.
Hopefully you can nab him while he's searching for food/heat during the day.
I'm sorry I can't help more. Maybe someone else with come up with some better suggestions.
Please keep us updated.
(and welcome to The Zone)

[lovinglewis]

Hi Tesa ... (and everyone else)

Thank you for welcoming me.

I am sorry to report Lewis is still gone. It has been SIX DAYS

My nerves are officially shot... My biggest concern now is well, he didn't make it. He was super healthy when he took off.... I read that iguanas can go 2 weeks without food. Is this true?? Lewis would eat an entire plate of greens every morning . . . He hasnt had anything in his belly since Thursday (It's now Tuesday) I left plates of greens in different rooms throughout the house. I am going to take Tesa's suggestion of fruit today. Perhaps leave a trail. Has anyone lost an iguana for a period of 6 days or more???

Also, I know this is a little far fetched but is there any service or anything where people can come over your house and find your iguana??? (I know that's a real STUPID idea but I am SUPER desparate) I been through heck with Lewis since day one. He was a MBD baby. Now I've got him just where he needs to be, strong and healthy and he's gone

[Cyndi]

One our members lost an iguana outside for 2 weeks I think, and he came home on his own.

Is there any way that Lewis could have gotten outside, or in the walls of your home? Under stove/refrigerator?

Like Tesa said, put out fruit or one of his favorites, close off each room after you search, and we'll keep our fingers crossed here.

Good luck,
Cyndi

[lovinglewis]

Hi Cyndi and thank you for responding.

I just finsihed another useless search. Something is wrong. I keep checking the same spots. I need a new strategy. Lewis is over 2 feet and a little fatty boy when he disappeared. There are very small openings , no bigger than a half inch in the floors, and walls. i searched under and behind the washer and dryer and fridge. Did not check the stove yet. I am going to do that right this second. I am focusing more on the second and third floor because it is warmer on those floors, and lewis lives on the second floor with me. My 2 dogs live on the first, and are never allowed on Lewis' floor. I have a cat too, but her and lewis get along just swell, I am hoping Lewis would not be dumb enough to go on the dog's floor, if thats the case he's probably super scared and will never be found. My dogs are very sensitive to noise and scent. If Lewis was around them, I'd know it. For this evening I think I am going to look in new places. There is no way Lewis was outside. Its hotter than you know what here in MA, and i have kept every thing shut with the AC on. I am thinking the rooms without AC is where Lewis most likely is. Tonight I put out turnip greens and peaches. I havent been buying much at my grocer this week since hes been missing. I get misty eyes when I see produce and organics Thank you for your replies and I will keep you all posted

[Kling]

i lost my iguana for 3 weeks. i did find him i looked the whole house and he was no where to be found so i put out fod like collerd greens like 5 pices a day. and they where missing. i kep puting the greens out every day. some days he would be food missing and some none missing. but i put a bowl of water. and it was all. i found him 3 weeks later. in my room where the all the food was missing in my room.

But the mistake was not shuting the door where i looked. i left the doors open so he colud walk all over. my house. well i found him and i put good amout of food in his cage. and turnd that light opnand he was in haven.

Well good luck finding your iguana keep us posted on your hunting agan good luck.

[lovinglewis]

Hi Kling,

Lewis is the size of the iguana thats on your shoulder on the right (the bigger one) Which is why I am having such a hard time trying to figure out where he is hiding because he isnt that small.

I am a little at ease knowing your iguana was not (dead) after being gone for 3 weeks. The food plates I have been putting out are untouched. I am going to get off my internet bound lazy nervous butt and do some searching on the 1st floor, thank you for replying to me

[Kling]

well i lost spike whan i 1st got him he was ambe anot 23 inch full tail right know he is about 2 ft give and inch. well just shut the doors arter u look in the rooms. that way it give him a less places to hide and iguanas can live like 2 mouths with out food. so he is good yeat

i hope u find lewis good luck.

[mar]

I have no personal experience in this but I have a few years experience with a free roaming ig. Humans and igs don't think alike. Igs climb and humans have a hard time thinking in that third dimension and many igs hate things on an elevated horizontal surface nor are they graceful when moving.

Go on a cleaning rampage and organize everything in the rooms that you expect him to be in. Place small things then on shelves and tables, near the edges (think golf balls, pens, etc stuff too big to be eaten). This way the ig will climb onto the surface and "clean" it off for you and as the objects are knocked off you know he was there. Put everything that you can away I use a handful of plastic bins with lids for this.

When you look for him try early to mid morning as the sun lights up your windows then again late afternoon to early evening as the sun sets. These are the times that the ig is on the move between basking spots to sleeping spots. At night the ig asleep not moving and in the middle of the day the ig is basking and mostly lounging.

Mark

[lovinglewis]

Wow . . .

Thanks MAR!! It's 10:23 pm here on the east coast. I think tonight I will set up certain items, I have a ton of cat toys, I will scatter them endlessly (in places the cat wont get to , of course) My house is pretty bare as it is, but anything I can put away I will. See, the problemwas I'd look for him at the wrong times. Before I went to work (1-2ish) and again at 10 11ish when I came home at night. Now I see those are not good times to look. Thanks so much, I am going to round up my cat toys now and some pens. I will let everyone know more tommorow. Thanks to all

[Tesa]

How many other rooms are on the same floor as your bedroom? Since igs are creatures of habit, I would think he would stay fairly close to his known territory. (I hope)
Are you leaving his cage open and putting food in there?

Igs can survive for a few weeks without eating. The main problem would be dehydration.

How cool do you keep your house? Central air or window unit?
If the temp is very low, Lewis might not move around very much because he is too cold.

[lovinglewis]

Hi Tesa . . .

There are 6 other rooms 2 of them are bathrooms. I have placed food and water in the 4 rooms that aren't bathrooms. His cage is open, yes.

I have A/C window units in 3 of the rooms. The A/C in my room acts more as a fan, as I was hesitant to put it on the cool side in the beginning of the summer.

Do you think he left my room in the first place because maybe he was too cold?? I have 3 heat/light units for him and a ceramic heat emmitter . . .

[URSULA]

Oh i m sorry. Check every "imposible hiding places".Iggy s can hide in a smaller places you can even imagine.
You ll find him. I ll keep my fingers crossed for you and your iggy.

[lovinglewis]

Oh thank you Ursula, you are too kind. It's exactly one week since Lewis disappeared. I just came home from work, checked the food plates, untouched. Checked the toys I left in certain places, untouched. I have to keep my hopes up for him, though. I put in way to much work and grew so attached to give up. I promise I'll let you guys now more tommorow or even later tonight. Take care all.

[Kerrydaktyl]

Oh no, thats awful, poor little guy
Hope he turns up soon, it must be awful for you.

When my corn snake disappeared behind the fire place I called the gas people and had it taken off and everything, even tried calling drain unblocking people who have cameras that you can thread into small spaces and see whats there. I called the vet and the RSPCA too, but none of them seemed to care Cost me a fortune too.