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Post by rocmills on May 28, 2004 11:09:30 GMT -8
Hi Gang!
Well, maybe I wont have to turn Bailey into a shoe or find him a new home after all. His orange is finally fading to yellow, and today he let me hold him and kiss him and didn't try to thrash or bite once. It only lasted a few minutes, but it's progress ... and I nearly cried, it was so wonderful to have my baby boy back even just for a little while.
--Roc
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Post by dominick on May 28, 2004 16:15:44 GMT -8
Awe, Great news Rox!
See, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
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Post by Tesa on May 29, 2004 3:42:59 GMT -8
Oh Good!! Green shoes are rather uncalled for after St Patrick's Day is passed. (Thrasher seems to be making past her 2 month long psychotic episode also. WHAT a relief! )
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Post by rocmills on May 29, 2004 10:26:49 GMT -8
We're not celebrating yet, but there does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. When I'm not holding Bailey, he just stalks me in circles - leaning against me, rubbing his jowls on me, but so far no biting attempts. He still seems to hate my husband and the cat, but I'm hoping time will mellow him out towards them, too. I just want us all to be one, big happy family again - like when the picture below was taken last year.... Thanks for the support, everyone! --Roc
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Post by prism_wolf on May 29, 2004 11:43:35 GMT -8
Zair seems to be back to norma,l too. He's been kinda kookoo since Sept/Oct. of last year. He's now back to eating full pie plates of food...about 4 cups. He no longer head bobs as crazily as he did...no more trying to break out of jail.
He is again the proverbial "lounge lizard".
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Post by rocmills on May 29, 2004 11:54:16 GMT -8
See... this is what happens when you get your hopes up. I was just outside, feeding the igs and having some bonding time with Bailey... I had all my apendages held in, so even if he did lunge without warning he would only get vertical surfaces... so I thought, anyway.
Without warning, the cat lept down into the pool, startling all. I had my hand poised about to pet Bailey on the head, we all jumped and scrambled... when it was over blood was pouring out of my left ankle. No pain, oddly enough... but rather large flaps of skin hung loose and had to be cut off in the bathroom. I'm not certain if it was tail or teeth that got me, but it is easily the ugliest ig wound I've ever received. Still, the lack of pain is curious.
It's a good thing hubby wasn't present when this happened, or Bailey would be on his way to Boot Barn already.
Veronica, don't let your guard down yet!
--Roc
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Post by prism_wolf on May 29, 2004 12:00:15 GMT -8
I'm glad you're ok...
...and let my gaurd down!?! I'd like to say THAT will never happen...but that would be a pretty stupid thing to say. I do stay ever wary since he grazed my finger when feeding him a grape several years ago. It was just a brush and I came away with blood.
Ya...you betcha I gained some respect for those teeth over that one.
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Post by rocmills on May 29, 2004 12:03:27 GMT -8
The amazing thing about this encounter was I'm pretty sure that my right thumb felt iggie teeth, but didn't get bit. I probably brushed my hand through/past his open mouth while trying to stand up.
--Roc
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Post by IguanaKing on Jun 10, 2004 16:26:35 GMT -8
I'm glad to hear you're not too badly wounded Roc. Hercules had his one day of aggressive behavior about two weeks ago. He and Audrey were out roaming through my apartment and both had decided to come into my room where I was typing away at the computer. I paused to stretch my arms and, as soon as I put my arms over my head, Hercules went ape. He ran under my bed and sat by the wall, clutching the carpet. I went over there to get him out and I couldn't move him from that spot, he would just clutch the carpet harder and hiss at me. Then, I pulled the bed away from the wall so I could get to him from above, and managed to pry him off of the carpet, one claw at a time. As soon as I lifted him above my waist, around came that long tail of his and connected with my side, just under my right arm (left a huge bruise, its amazing how powerful their tails can be). I could see he wasn't happy, so I set him down on the bed and he immediately thrashed his head toward my arm with his mouth open wide. A few minutes later I sat down on the other side of him and began petting him to try to calm him down. His body finally deflated and he appeared to be calm, except for the fact that his pupils were still just little pin-holes. I tried to pick him up and that's when the second attack came. I rolled out of his path, just as he charged at me with his mouth open. Of course, not wanting him to get the idea that he is in charge, I jumped up, ran toward him and let out a loud "RRRRAAAAHHHH!!!!". He finally admitted defeat, ran away, and hid behind his cage for several hours. Later that evening, I pulled him out from behind his cage and everything was cool again. Do you fight back against Bailey when he attacks Roc? It seems to help with the aggression problem if you show him that you're the boss. I'm not suggesting that you use physical violence, but try doing something to scare him and make him run away from you after he attacks...and of course, make sure that you protect yourself, in case he decides to "call your bluff".
Good luck, I hope you get your baby back soon.
Sean
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Post by Tesa on Jun 11, 2004 6:56:48 GMT -8
lol at "I jumped up, ran toward him and let out a loud "RRRRAAAAHHHH!!!!"
A co-administrator of IZ (who shall remain nameless) ;D has made fun of me for hissing back at Thrasher. I know exactly what you're talking about. She gives me a look like "ooooooops, I forgot she doesn't back down." lol
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Post by dominick on Jun 11, 2004 11:03:36 GMT -8
Folks-
Consider this: This year has been very screwy for Iguanas. There are record numbers of females double-clutching this year as well as extended male breeding seasons and males going into severe season who never have before.
I've coined this phenomenom: Ig-nino. LOL
As always with Iguanas, hang tough, maintain control and weather the storm. This too shall pass!
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Post by rocmills on Jun 11, 2004 11:43:56 GMT -8
Ig-nino? YOMANK, Dom, I was having my morning coffee when I read that!
Bailey has lost all his orange now, but he still puts on one helluva display when anyone comes near him. I did manage to pet him some yesterday without him opening his mouth at me.
Sean... I wouldn't say I wasn't too badly wounded this last time - I mean it could have been worse, certainly, but it was a far cry from a minor injury. Turns out I should have had stitches. I downplayed the injury when it happened because I didn't want my husband to go ballistic and kill and the little green monster. We also couldn't afford a trip to the Urgent Care that weekend, so I tried to treat myself. Not the best decision I've ever made. Sigh. I'll have another great scar to show off when the healing is finally done. But I haven't been able to wear shoes, or even sandals, since this happened. Everyone teases me at work for walking around in my stocking feet... then I show off the wound and they all go "eeewww" and slink away.
Anyway... is the trick here to let them get their aggression out and not show fear, or to try and suppress their aggression?
I've tried it both ways.
I put on my bulkiest sneakers and wrapped beach towels around my legs until I look a bit like the Michellin Man and then let Bailey attack all he wants... he gets nothing but a mouthful of cotton. Thus armored is about the only way I can approach him and *not* run away when he comes at me with mouth gaping and tail thrashing.
On the other hand, one day I really really *needed* to cuddle with Bailey (i had had an iggie nightmare and was in desperate need of reassurance that bailey wasn't willing to give), and he was nothing but fight. So I took some surgical tape and very carefully taped his mouth shut! I made certain there was just enough give so he could breath if he had a stuffy nose, and made certain that the nostrils were not covered. This worked for about 10 minutes, then he went wildly insane when he realized he couldn't bite anything. I've never seen anything quite like it before... he was a green tasmanian devil.
Sorry to ramble on so much. I just don't know what to do anymore other than ignore him completely or get myself dressed up in cotton armor when I want to see him (it's summer in vegas, so you can imagine how much fun it is to be wrapped in 4 inches thick of terri cloth!).
--Roc
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Post by IguanaKing on Jun 11, 2004 12:32:27 GMT -8
Oh...I'm sorry to hear that Roc. When you had said that there was no pain, it almost sounded like you had just been skinned or something. Maybe the wound went deep enough and severed some of the nerve endings. It might be too late now, since its been a few days, but if you're having trouble keeping the wound closed, try using a little bit of super glue in it. I know, it sounds strange, but it works really well, I used this once when I did something stupid and sawed about 1/4 of the way through one of my fingers. It worked so well that I don't even have a scar there, just a little anomaly in my fingerprint. As far as aggression goes, you don't want to allow it, but you don't want to suppress it either. The only way I have found that I can maintain my authority over Hercules when he gets like this, is to actively fight back. I'll yell at him, and I also think its important that he sees true rage in my eyes when I'm coming after him. I can look pretty scary when I'm fighting back against him, but its all just for show really. If you allow him to attack you without any retribution, he'll keep doing it, they usually don't do this just to "get a rise out of you". Think of him as the class bully, if you don't stand up to him, he's just going to keep doing it...trust me, he won't get bored with attacking you. Suppressing it by restraining him will protect you from injury, but it usually only serves to further infuriate your ig, he may end up hating you if you do that too often. Fight back and show him who is head iguana, he may seem to hate you at first after your confrontation, but he'll learn to respect you this way. Of course, there's no guarantee that he'll be non-aggressive during mating season, but he needs to be told, in no uncertain terms, that he is no longer the king, hopefully this will help.
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Post by dominick on Jun 11, 2004 13:04:48 GMT -8
Hi Rox-
I'm investigating resources for you now (the non-medical kind, LOL).
You must maintain control of him. You need to sstrongly associate biting behavior with unpleasant reactions. Now, before the hubby gets involved, a standard practice is to take your hand flatten it and push his head down from the top. Restrain his head for a few moments everytime he bites. they really hate this. So, hopefully the association of biting to restrain will help him realize he should just posture, but not bite.
I'll let you know when I have more to offer. Until then, be careful, but be diligent. Giving him his "space" or "way" will only make it worse.
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Post by rocmills on Jun 11, 2004 13:09:28 GMT -8
Okay, Dom and everyone, no more running away. No more taping mouth shut. No more letting him attack because I'm armored. I'll still be armored, though, in case he gets the better of me.
We plan to clean out the habitat this weekend (installing a pump and filter in the pond) so that will give me a good opportunity to try my new approach.
Now, if Mary would only stop being so tweeky! She had tamed down so well while we had her inside for the winter, but now she's all tail-whippy and running from us again since we moved them back outside.
Sigh. Sometimes you just can't seem to win.
--Roc
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