Housing help

[lo]

Hey y’all I just discovered this forum and I need help. I just built my iguana a big wooden enclosure, and I sealed it all up for moisture purposes and I just found in a corner that the wood is bloated like it’s absorbed a lot of water. Now I’m worried about mold. What can I do if this is her only home? I’ve thought about making her free roam because the cage isn’t really working out.... I found designs for pvc pipe enclosures i liked but still need to break down this old one and figure out her house. Also- side note- i plan to move in a month or so and she’s never been anywhere but in my bedroom. If I transition her home and also where her home is going to be- will it stress her out to high hell? I’m worried!

Thank you in advance

[JennaAndIguanaGwen]

Hello! I apologize for the delayed response, I just got back from vacation and I hadn't checked the website in over a week. You sure have quite a bit going on right now!

I'm sure she will get stressed out in the moving process but the best way to keep her calm during transportation is to have her carrier covered so she can't see what's going on around her. The more movement, loud noises, and moving people or objects she sees will make the process worse for her. Some people have used dog crates covered by a towel to transport iguana's and other people (including me) used a storage bin (not see-through) with holes drilled in the top for air flow. I chose the storage bin because there's less worry about her claws getting stuck in any of the holes from a dog carrier and there's more room so her long tail wouldn't have too much of a kink in it.

She may eat less for a few days to a week because of the transition to a new home, that's normal. Try giving her more treats (strawberries, banana, watermelon, soaked wheat bread, etc.) to encourage her to eat her food if you notice she is eating less.

I'm not 100% sure about the moisture problem but no one wants mold. You could try sealing it again and letting it air out for a few days before your iguana comes into contact with it. It may sound odd but make sure she doesn't lick it too much. She may initially lick it just to check it out but I wouldn't want her making a habit of it and getting some chemicals in her system. I wouldn't think she would be interested but you never know!

I had a 6x5x4 enclosure with 5 sealed plywood platforms connected by sealed plywood ramps that were supported with 2x4s but the frame was entirely PVC. The top, back, and sides were fabric. The bottom was a small tarp and the front was clear thick plastic with a zipper sewn in between the plastic and fabric for a large door. Everything was sewn together except for the tarp at the bottom which was connected with velcro for easy removal/cleaning. It worked great except for Gwendolyn eventually tearing through the plastic. I iguana proofed my whole room so it all worked out but free roaming isn't the best option. Gwen liked to sit in front of the window instead of under her UVB lamp so I would have to move her back to her UVB basking spot pretty commonly. There's a lot of other health concerns letting an iguana free roam but I don't think I need to go into all the details.

Sorry I don't have more suggestions for your particular set-up but let me know if I can help with any other advice!

-Jenna