A New Rescue!

My neighbor next door stopped me the other day. "Come and see my iguana! Something's wrong with it. It can't use it's back legs."

Of course, I ran to help.

Going inside, I was shown to a hand-built wood and wire cage, way too small for a baby iguana, with wood chips on the bottom and plastic leaves for decor. The leaves were fine, so was the log. But the worst thing you can do is use a bottom filling that isn't easily cleaned. I always say newspaper! It's easy to change and better for the animal. The iguana could choke, trying to "chew" on the wood and it holds bacteria very well.

Sure enough, this tiny, little baby iguana's hind legs and tail were paralyzed. He had spunk, I got to give him that. He would drag himself around with his front legs and had the nerve to gape at me in fear. His eyes were wide and he was scared. You could tell by the look on the poor thing's face.

My first thought...due to the paralyzation and the tremors was MBD, metabolic bone desease. It is the bane of all pet iguanas. They don't get enough sunlight or calicum-rich food (he was giving lettuce), and their bones deform and they get paralyzed.

"Let me hold him for a week," I told him.

I've had the little guy almost a week now, and I believe otherwise now. I think that their teacup sized dog somehow got to the animal. The iguana is eating well, he drags himself to the food and water bowls. He has no deformities to suggest MBD.

He is tough and fiesty and, other than the yellowish color he had when I first got him, he actually looks pretty good.

The one serious problem he does have, is that he can't do his bathroom. He can not straddle and push the waste from his body. I have had to run very warm water over his belly as I hold him and press on his belly gently to push the waste out for him. He can't do it for himself. If I don't, he would die from the feces poisoning him.

This is a little iguana that is in alot of trouble and would die a horrible death from not being able to go to the bathroom.

I plan to buy a healthy baby iguana for my neighbor, help him care for it properly, and keep this little one for myself. Who else would sacrifice the time needed to care for this handicapped animal but me?