new to owning a iggy

[januarie]

Hi! Iam new to iggies and I'm looking for help!
I have almost one of every warm blooded animal God made and several turtles,a geko, frogs and fish! When a friend of mine said she knew of an iggie that was being severly neg, I thought, how hard could it be to take care of one! Boy was I wrong! She came in a 55 gallon tank with a bag of kale, two bowls and some kinda light! Granted, the tank would have been ok 4 years ago, but she is about 3 1/2 foot long and can't move in this tank!!
Long story short, I have read everything I could get my hands on the past 4 days and I'm building her a new cage as we speak! I got the diet, lights, humd, and heat figured out for the most part! My issue is taming her! She has not been out of the tank in God knows how long. If ever! I gave her a bath last night after she was asleep bc she was covered in dead nasty old skin! (Is it ok to put her in tub while she was asleep?) She did ok and is now clean! I spend hours in room where her tank is just talking to her to get her use to me! Any suggestions how and when to try to handle her from here? I want her to be able to hang out with us and not be scared! Sorry so long!

[sincere2iguana]

hey gratz on your new Iggie. i hope everything goes will. as far was your Iggie getting use to you. it is a slow process. just be patient. how long it will take to be clam around you will depends on your iguana temperament, just my opinion.. 2/3 Iggie i own will hang or will even walk up to me. and it took while for me to gain their trust.

[Brandon]

Welcome to IZ.

First off if the Iguana has been neglected I would get her to a Vet asap and have a fecal done.

Second I'm a little concerned about the bathing while sleeping part..Did you pick her up and the Ig stayed asleep through this whole process?? That does not sound normal to me. I would again suggest the Vet asap. Getting the excess shed off is a good thing I just can't picture picking up a neglected Iguana in a sleep and bathing it??

I'm so glad you have been doing some reading. Are you sure it is a she?

As for the taming that will come with trust. If you treat her right and take care of her then daily interaction and a healthy Iguana = the closest to tame as you can get

Some Iguana's will stay aggressive their whole lives but as a general stick to the formula above.

[januarie]

Thanks for the welcomes! No, I'm not sure its a girl, but from what I've read and pictures, it looks to me like one!
I am taking her to a reptile vet next week! Its a couple hours away, but I think smarter to take her there then a warm-blooded vet that don't know anything about them!
As far as bathing her, yes, I picked her up asleep and put her in the tub! She woke breifly, but when I rube her head and back of her neck, she closes her eyes and quits moving!

[Brandon]

A herp vet is preferable as a lot of vets claim to treat herps but it is really just an advertisement. Their knowledge is not always very good. For now just keep up with the soaking and if possible get some natural sunlight on the Ig. I'm a little worried that he/she is lethargic....What city do you live by? I might be able to find a recommended vet closer.

Can you post a pic of the Iguana?

[Camrock]

Doesn't seem like he visits the site much or we would of seen some pictures by now

[Jen]

They come and go just like any other site.