Because of the volume of questions we receive, we cannot answer them all immediately. Before asking a question, please check here or in Tips and Tricks or Previous Articles to see if your questions might all ready have been answered. If your iguana is seriously ill or not responding to you, do not wait for an answer - GO TO THE VET! Additionally, we often answer a question only to get the e-mail back as unanswerable...no such e-mail address... in that event, we try to post the question and answer here. For more complete answers to your questions and a constant source of information, subscribe to IGUANA IGUANA Newsletter. Details below. TEMPERATURE | TAMING | NUTRITION AND DIET | COMMERCIAL DIETS | ABSCESSES/LUMPS | GRAVIDITY/EGG BINDING | SALMONELLA | WALKING/LEASHES | SNEEZING | FREE-RANGING IG | NECROTIC (DYING) TAIL | SHEDDING | MITES | TOE LOSS | OUTSIDE ENCLOSURES | IMPROPER SET-UP WITH HOT ROCK | FEEDING MEALWORMS | USING VITAMIN SPRAYS | CHANGING ENVIRONMENT | MY IGUANA ISN'T EATING SALMONELLA Dear Spike: Hi! I have a three year old iguana named Ziggy. I'm going to have a baby in about 3 weeks and I have been told I need to get rid of Ziggy. My family and friends are starting to make me think that I am a going to be a bad mother, because I don't want to get rid of her. I would like for you to tell me how the salmonella to spread from iguana's to humans. My baby's doctor has told me that as long as I keep Ziggy away from the baby everything should be fine. The only problem is, my husband's parents are coming in for the birth of the baby and we had to move the baby's crib in our bedroom, which is where we keep Ziggy. Ziggy lives in a 75 gallon aquarium. She gets out when ever she feels like it and roams around the apartment. Now that the baby's crib is in our room, I am worried the Ziggy will get up in the crib. My husband and I know that we have to wash our hands after we hold her before we pick up the baby. Ziggy goes pottyin the shower once a day. She does not go in her little home. So is everyone right or am I panicking for nothing? Ziggy sees a vet annually. Last year she had her ovaries removed because she was egg bound. The vet says that she is in good health as far as he can tell. Please advise on what literature I can read on this subject. Thanks for your help. Debbie Debbie: I must tell you that I can understand everyone's concern for your baby. Salmonella is a very dangerous pathogen and can be fatal to a baby. Adults may get diarrhea and other stomach distress but babies can get meningitis and brain abscesses. You could not keep Ziggy and your baby in the same room. You may not let Ziggy poop in her tank but pathogens are carried on the skin and can become airborne. Therefore, I recommend that either you find someone else to care for Ziggy for a year or put Ziggy in another room and don't handle him yourself. Let your husband handle all the Ziggy-related stuff. And use antibacterial soap everywhere. Wash down the shower with antibacterial soap, bleach, and boiling water every day. Salmonella bacteria can live for weeks in water and on damp surfaces. You could track bacteria around on your feet without realizing it. Even if you had your vet check for salmonella, it is a very hard organism to detect. The test can be negative several times and then show up positive. And many tests show that 85% of iguanas carry one or more of the hundreds of species that make up the Salmonella ssp. family of bacteria. Obviously, never wash Ziggy's dishes or cage materials in a sink that would have baby bottles and foodstuff around it. NEVER use the kitchen sink for washing iguana stuff...ever...with a baby or not. I know how much I love my iguana but I would think long and hard about keeping her around a newborn. Many people do and have no problems but it is important to be scrupulously clean and careful. You don't say where you live but if you are in a really temperate part of the U.S., you could build Ziggy an outdoor cage for the summer and for all the warm days. She could come in at night and go out during the day. Top of Page ABSCESSES/LUMPS Dear Spike: I have had my iguana for 3 years, and I have been very happy with her. Although, I have recently come to find a hard lump just below the opening of her mouth on the side of her face. I don't know if she has maybe fallen of of something and bumped her face, but I am concerned and there is no vet around my area that takes care of lizards. Am I safe to assume that if it doesn't hurt her not to worry? Also, if it doesn't go away shortly, is it safe to take her far away from home to see the vet? She gets very upset if I have to move her anywhere out of the house. When she gets mad, she stops eating. Thank you. Linda Linda: Lumps are not a good thing. They can be a sign of NSHP (nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism) or MBD (metabolic bone disease) from incorrect nutritional practices over a long period of time. The lump can be an abscess which is not unusual in an iguana as infections often appear as an abscess. Lumps are never something to ignore. You should take your iguana to a vet for a diagnosis. If the lump is an abscess from an infection, your iguana needs to be on antibiotics. Make sure to check your enclosure for sharp wires or rough sticks, look at the lump for signs of a previous cut or wound. If you have two iguanas, separate them. Abcesses can often be from old injuries caused by one iguana biting the other. Check in the phone book for a herpetological society in your area (you didn't mention where you live). They can recommend a reptile vet in your area. But, please get your iguana to the vet soon. And yes, most iguanas don't like changes and will stop eating for a day or two. If the problems persists however, then the anorexic behavior is from something other than just a change of scenery. Consider Force-Feeding and get your iguana to the reptile vet before your iguana experiences organ failure. MOUTH ROT Dr. Spike, My iguana has mouth sores so I took her to the vet. She has beautiful colors and the vet was quite impressed with her appearance other than her mouth area and a dehydrated look. I thought that the mouth rot was caused by rubbing on her caged enclosure! Am I way off? Also, usually I have no problem force feeding her. There have been times when things have come up where force feeding was used but she never gave me problems! Now she doesn't even want to eat through the needle looking device. It is so hard to even give her the antibiotic. She fights and I feel that applying pressure (even touching her gums) is causing excruciating pain! She doesn't even want to drink! She looks so dehydrated and her colors are starting to fade now! Julie Julie, If your iguana does a lot of cage rubbing then her environment needs a serious change. It is either too small or too exposed. An iguana needs room to move around and climb and also must have privacy and the ability to hide if it wants. Also, look at the possibility of burns. Force feeding is critical if your iguana is not eating. Gatorade or Pedialyte must be given often to prevent dehydration. You can also force feed with well-blended food in a plastic turkey baster. Use a small squeeze bottle to dribble in a bit of fruit-flavored Gatorade at the front of the mouth first. When your ig tastes it she will lick. Then place the turkey baster at the front of the mouth and gently but firmly push it into the front and squeeze some food in. Hold the baster in place and when your ig licks, push it in slightly more. You can slowly squeeze in some food, take the baster out, let her eat the food and then put the turkey baster back in front of her mouth again. You can also rehydrate an iguana by soaking her in a warm water bath with Pedialyte added to the water. It is often absorbed through the cloaca opening (but not through the skin) and is generally sipped by the iguana who is probably very thirsty but too weak to drink. Give your iguana a soaking every day, early in the day, for at least 20 minutes. Apply Betadine (povidone iodine) to the injured area. Do this several times a day. It will take patience and time but the wound will heal. Top of Page NUTRITION Dear Spike, My name is Jerry and I am one of your new subscribers. I am a big fan of Henry Lizardlover. Henry feeds his lizards all kinds of food. Spaghetti, macaroni, and scrambled eggs. Are they bad for iguanas to eat? I have an iguana named Spike too. I have had him for about one and a half years. I got him when he was pretty big. What I like about Spike is that he was tame and had a good attitude. I bought him extremely cheap yet in great condition. He has his own room but he is not lonely because I have a leopard gecko named Sam. Spike sometimes is jealous when I pet Sam so he crawls onto my lap and scares Sam off my lap. Spike knows that he is dominant and it is his room. Spike's birthday is coming up on Feb. 23. I do not know what to get him. Last year I just made him his favorite dish, mustard greens, topped with diced mango, surrounded by heated vegetables, and sprinkled with a crushed alfalfa tablet. If you guys can publish some ideas in your newsletter before the end of March, I would greatly appreciate it. Iguana Lover, Jerry W. Dear Jerry, Thank you for your thoughtful letter and for taking such good care of your friend, Spike. IGUANA IGUANA interviewed Henry Lizardlover in December of 1995. We have sent you that issue so you can read the article. Look for the gift suggestions in there too! In the interview, Henry talks about the different foods he feeds his iguanas, like Hasbro...who likes pizza! But he also talks about giving your iguana a variety of foods and all foods in moderation. That would apply to spaghetti, macaroni, and scrambled eggs. You should only feed an iguana foods like pasta and scrambled eggs every couple of weeks or so and then only a little and mixed in with their other greens and veggies. Make sure to toss the greens and veggies, and especially treats, all together so your lizard can't pick out only his favorite food and leave the rest. You mentioned heated vegetables. I am assuming you mean frozen, defrosted mixed vegetables. Our recommendation is that you don't use frozen vegetables (except perhaps peas) but grate fresh vegetables instead. Frozen veggies have been in that condition for a long time and have lost most of their nutrients through the long freezing and storage process. Take the time to prepare a few days worth of grated and chopped veggies and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. You can also grate and chop a big pile of vegetables, blot dry with a paper towel, separate into baggies and freeze those. Defrost a bag to room temperature before serving. Fresh, frozen veggies that are only stored for a short time are much better than the packaged variety from the grocery store. Crumbling alfalfa tablets on top of the food is a good idea because alfalfa contains plant protein that iguanas need. Keep up the great job with Spike and say Happy Birthday to him from us! NUTRITION/DIET Spike, The diet plan you showed for an iguana seems pretty expensive to maintain, is their any easier way to make up their diet other than a vastly expensive salad that doesn't last very long? Curious, Jim Jim, I have an adult iguana who gets about two cups of shredded/grated vegetables and greens every day. I figure that it costs me about $4.00 a week and I am lavish in my choices because she means a lot to me and I really spare no expense. That's $16.00 a month...a young or juvenile iguana would eat much less, even though you should offer them food twice a day. Of the reptiles, an iguana is the cheapest animal to feed properly because you buy their food at the market and don't have to spend money on live prey. I keep the vegetables for the week in a bag..a sweet potato, a carrot, a turnip, a piece of squash, a zucchini, for example. I grate a little of each, tear up some greens, chop a few green beans or defrost a handful of frozen peas, chop a bit of fruit and I'm done.. It only takes a couple of minutes in the morning. Sometimes I prepare enough for a few days. With some planning and preparation, you can make several days worth of food at once. Grated vegetables can be stored in a tightly-sealed plastic container for a few days to a week. Chop the greens and store them separately. Then when you feed, just mix the two together. Fruit should be chopped and added at the last minute because adding fruit to a stored mixture with break it down more quickly. BTW, store-bought, pre-prepared food is not very nutritious and, while easy, is much, much more expensive over all. My sermon: When you decide to add a pet to your life, you accept a responsibility to care for them. I am concerned at your reticence to spend the little time and money on your pet. If you are concerned about spending a few dollars a week on food, I wonder how you feel about the cost of vet visits. I feel strongly that if someone can't make the time to care for a pet properly so they thrive then perhaps that person should rethink keeping a pet. I hope you understand that my concern is for the iguana and the position we often put them in...captivity in an often small and unhealthful environment, not enough nutritious food, and often untreated sickness and death. COMMERCIAL DIETS Spike, Living in Houston I don't have much trouble with the temp. getting too low, though (day 95F, night 80-85F inside the terrarium). What is your opinion on feeding him the juvenile diets (he's 6 inches nose to vent) such as Kaytee or T-Rex? I also give mixed veggies and occasionally some Romaine lettuce as a treat. The local pet store also gave me Reptosol to put in his water. David, Your iguana should have an outdoor cage environment to be able to benefit from natural sunlight. Put it in a filtered light situation and use a mister (they are cheap and fit on your hose) if it is too hot outside. Always provide water and shade. An iguana, especially a young one, needs sunlight to develop properly. Most of the health problems associated with young iguanas are from not exposing them to UVA and B rays from natural, unfiltered (not through a window) sunlight. Never feed an iguana a processed diet like Kaytee or T-Rex. Some iguanas are allergic to wheat and can have seizures and die. It is so easy to feed a young iguana fresh food. Do not feed your iguana iceberg or romaine lettuce...there are much better choices. Iguanas need large quantities of dark leafy greens (not spinach or romaine) and grated vegetables high in calcium, vitamins and fiber. Collard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens are the best greens to feed. Frozen, thawed mixed vegetables have very little nutrition. Put a zucchini, a rutabaga, a piece of hard squash like acorn, a carrot, a turnip, a few green beans, for example, in a bag in the refrigerator. Get a metal grater and grate a pile of vegetables. Chop up some greens (more greens than vegetables) and toss them together. It takes five minutes and is healthy food...not processed. If you want to avoid serious health problems later then it is worth the few minutes to prepare fresh food. A variety of fresh greens is also very important. If you feed your iguana a diet rich in calcium, varied and fresh and give him a few hours in the sun every few days, you won't have to add Reptosol or anything else to his water or food. These commercial products are a waste of money. Top of Page TEMPERATURE/NUTRITION Dear Spike: I received an iguana recently as a gift, a very unexpected gift. I take pet ownership very seriously and for that reason I turned him down even though he was being carried into my home as I did so. That was 6 days ago and my husband won, we kept him. I am very much enjoying him, he is four feet long and in great shape! He came in a cage that is 4'H x 3'W x 2D so we are having to give him free roam to our business and home depending on where we are and of course upsize his cage ASAP. The main problem right now is his temperature, how do I know if it is right? I live in Little Rock, Arkansas (USA) and it has been getting to about 50 or so degrees at night. There are two clamp-on lamps that put off good heat but I don't know how much or if enough. What works with the easiest but is still safe? And how can I tell he is warm enough? I know my home isn't but 75, maybe 78 degrees but I would rather he got to roam. We are in a fixer-upper and have no heat currently and don't plan on it for about 4 more months since we are heading into summer. Once summer hits it will be very hot and very humid. Until the conditions are good and I feel assured he is comfortable how can I tell he is warm enough and comfortable? Is he okay if he is cool to the touch? Should he be warm to the touch? The food was easy, I have been making sure to always have at least 6 different vegetables from the list of foods containing 2:1 calcium:phosphorous ration in each serving of food. I am unsure how much he is eating though since my husband does that, we want the iguana to bond with him. For his size, about how much food should he be eating? Also, is it normal for him to be cranky? He loves our touch a lot of the time, he'll push into your hand and close his eyes. At other times he is offended by people. He has never been openly hostile, just yanks away and puffs up. He has been good around and with people but he is so outspoken sometimes about wanting nothing to do with people and you never know which time it is. Please help, I hope this isn't too much to ask for information on. Thank you for any information...Erika Erika: A four foot iguana is probably 3 years old unless it is a female. Are you sure it is a male? Look at the inner surface of the thigh. He should have large scales running along the center of the inner thigh. These are called femoral pores. A female's inner thigh is smooth and the scales are small. Please read the web site thoroughly. Many of your questions are answered there. An iguana needs a range of temperatures. Think about what the day would be like for your iguana if it still lived in the rainforest. An iguana must be able to bask in the sun to raise it's body temperature to about 100 degrees sometime during the warmest part of the day. A very large outdoor cage works well. Normally, an iguana will go out into the sun and lay, moving back into the shade for a while and then returning to the sun for a while more. I have observed iguanas who even put part of their body in the sun with the rest in the shade. Basking during the day is essential for proper digestion. An iguana who is allow to roam freely and not provided a basking spot will not digest food properly and is in for trouble later. If you let the iguana roam, you must create a spot with a hot lamp (check temperature with a thermometer) that he can easily climb to for basking purposes. Hopefully, you are using a dark red or blue light at night (this is where a ceramic heating element comes in handy). Iguanas must be kept at no cooler than 65 degrees at night with 75 degrees being more beneficial. Remember, you are responsible for recreating the rainforest for your tropical pet. Warm temperatures, sunlight, humidity...all year round. Feed at least two cups of grated and shredded veggies and greens every day. If your iguana finishes everything, increase the amount. If he eats less, remove the rest and refrigerate, adding an additional amount the next day. Don't let old food sit around. Offer fresh food every day. Your iguana will eat more food in the summer than in the winter for obvious reasons but you should always offer more than is eaten in one sitting. Feeding should occur between 11:00am and 2:00pm when your iguana is warmed and will still have time to bask in the afternoon to begin the digestive process. Iguanas have personalities and, like us, moods. Sometimes they want interaction and sometimes they want to hide and be left alone. Respect your iguana's moods. The iguana is not domesticated...it is a captive wild creature of the rainforest that we have chosen to try and make a pet. The more you handle your iguana (hold him in your lap to groom shed skin), the more he will trust you but he will always be slightly wild. But isn't that what we like about them? If we wanted complete obedience, we could just get a dog! TEMPERATURE Dear Spike, My daughter has had her Iguana for about 8 months now. It is about the 4 feet in length and about 3 years old. Its name in Chum, chum. Recently it stop eating and doesn't move around much any more. We live in a colder climate and it is the winter season. My question is what can we do to get it to start eating more? Do Iguanas have a time of year where they are less active. KPractice Ms. Practice, Thanks for the inquiry. Iguanas, as rain forest inhabitants, must be kept at tropical temperatures to function properly. They must be able to bask in an area in their enclosure that is at least 90+ degrees (provided by an overhead light bulb during the day but must also sleep in temperatures no lower than 70 -75 degrees at night (a special blue or black bulb would provide that heat). It is critical. Read the section on requirements for a properly set-up iguana enclosure. Top of Page TAMING Dear Spike: I got 2 green iguanas 3 weeks ago when they were 4wks old. It seems to be getting more and more difficult catching them. When I finally catch them (one at a time) they seem to mellow out real fast. Even fall asleep in seconds. I have been doing this everyday. They seem to be getting more violent. Today one of them learned to whip its tail and open its mouth and snap at my hand. At this time it doesn't really hurt, but if this continues when they get bigger, I'm afraid of losing a hand. I feel this is the time to train them, thats why I handle them every day. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you, Jesse Jesse: Your iguanas are called "hatchlings". Iguanas of such a young age have instincts to protect them when they are born in the wild. These little animals are not domesticated like cats and dogs. They are wild creatures that will react to captivity like any wild animal. At first, you are viewed by your iguanas as a predator who is going to eat them. One of the defense mechanisms is to pretend to be dead...hence the closed eyes. You may have thought they were mellow and sleeping but they were, in reality, scared to death. As they have gotten bigger, they have developed other defense mechanisms. Now they can tail whip, bite, and run away. Until they trust you, they will react in a defensive way, trying every trick to get you to let go of them. During this time (which can last for months) it is important to handle them a lot...several times a day for at least 10 minutes at a time. You need to gain their trust. By the way, if you keep them together, taming is much more difficult. The will naturally prefer each others company to yours. It is not a good idea to ever house iguanas together. Later, one will dominate the other and terrible fights can occur. Don't let them get away with biting, tail whipping, and twisting. Hold them firmly (but not tightly) and never put them back in their enclosure while they are fighting you. Wait until they calm down and then put them back. Reach in and stroke them on the head. If they run away from you, you have to get them used to your hand. Put your hand in holding a fresh mustard green leaf or piece of fruit to get them to eat out of your hand. Start by just putting your hand in and not even trying to catch them. Once they are not afraid of your hand (think about how big it looks to them), they will be much easier to handle. And remember, if you want a really tame pet, you can't keep the two of them together. TAMING Dear Spike, We need some advice on taming our baby iguana, Rex. The pet store gave us bad advice--to leave him alone for 48 hours then begin to pick him up. He was very scared and when we called the pet store they told us to"just do it". We did and it was awful. He raced around his cage and struggled when we held him. After a week of unsuccessful attempts, we decided to back off. We have been talking to him and slowly putting our hands in the cage and each time getting a little closer. We have been able to pet him several times. Any advice on how to proceed will be appreciated. We are thrilled with him and want him to be comfortable with us. We have only had him a month so maybe we are being unrealistic. He was calm at the pet store and we were able to hold him there. Thanks. Linda and Devin (9 yrs.old) Linda and Devin, You are doing the right thing to take the taming of Rex slowly. When he was calm at the pet store he was in a familiar place but when you brought him home he felt frightened and in danger. Take it slow and at first, just one person should interact with him. You are right to just put your hand in and stroke him, showing him that you aren't going to eat him. It is important to increase the time you interact with him every day and when you do pick him up, hold him firmly and don't let him go until he calms down. Then put him back in his terrarium. It is important that he not learn that if he wiggles you will release him or he will try that trick every time. Also never grab him by the tail or it may break off in your hand. If he gets loose, work him into a corner and try and pick him up with your hand underneath him, from below, not from above. You can also try using a big branch to put him on while you are holding him with one hand. It gives him something to grip onto. They like to ride on shoulders (better vantage point) so when he calms down, try letting him sit on your shoulder. Don't walk around with him up there at first (sit on the floor so he won't fall far if he jumps) but soon he will enjoy the ride. An iguana leash can be helpful to keep him under control but they can also be dangerous and often just don't work so I don't usually recommend using one. TAMING Spike, Is it possible to tame an older, aggressive iguana? Hello: Obviously, it is much easier to tame a younger iguana but, with consistency you can make progress...but you must be vigilant and work with the iguana regularly. Consistency and patience are the watchwords of iguana taming. A horse trainer we know swims his young iguana in the bathtub for awhile to tire him out before handling him. A horse taming trick. If this iguana is afraid of water, you will have to begin this process slowly. An iguana moves slower in the morning so perhaps plan your taming for when the iguana isn't heated up. You can carry your ig around on a piece of wood. Pick a large branch with some texture so he can grip it with his toes. Place him on the wood ( a branch section that is bigger around than your pet is ideal) and hold him lightly on it. Your ig will cling to it and feel safer and more secure. Reward your ig by offering a favorite food while he's out. Getting a snack may encourage him to look forward to being out of his enclosure. Hold your iguana while grooming him. Wait for him to calm down then approach slowly with a q-tip, showing him what you are doing. Rub the top of his head until he closes his eyes. Remove loose shed skin and wash his or her face off with a wet q-tip. Any grooming you can do will increase your iguana's trust. Bottom line: Handle your iguana as much as possible and don't let the iguana decide when you are going to let him go. Always put your iguana back in it's enclosure when it is calm and not whipping or wiggling. If it thinks by wiggling and thrashing, you will put him or her back...then your ig will continue this bad behavior. Be gentle but firm. Top of Page GRAVID IGUANA/EGG BINDING Dear Spike: My iguana is eggbound but I can't find any advise on the internet. The Vet is giving her extra vitamins and we are watching closely. She laid about 10 eggs 6 weeks ago but stopped. She hadn't eaten well in two months and now I am force feeding her. She looks better now that she has food but still no eggs. Last year she had no problem laying her eggs.<< Anita: You should have her x-rayed to confirm that she still has eggs. If so, you may have a serious problem. Have you provided her with a really good nest? It should be large, filled with moist loam and sand, and warm. If she has eggs and hasn't laid them by now, you should have a very reputable reptile vet do an ovariosalpingectomy (spay). If she is egg-bound, she can become septic and die of peritonitis. Don't wait too long...six weeks is getting into the danger zone. Anita wrote back: My iguana was operated on today by the Vet. She had 14 eggs left inside. She came through surgery just great. Dr. Bell at VCA hospital on Fallbrook, Canoga Park, California did the surgery. Good Doctor. Thanks. Top of Page WALKING/LEASH Spike:: I do have a couple of questions for Spike. I'm wondering what some of these web pages mean by walking the iguana ... is it around the house? We live in Iowa so it certainly couldn't be outside until the heat of summer... Also, when info states that they need to climb our 2 mo. old hatchling doesn't that much ... but eats well, poops every day, and generally seems happy ... so how much climbing should he does ... he doesn't climb all that much just occasionally. Finally, certain web sites say to handle the guy 20 minutes a day, it doesn't seem possible while he likes us to hold he ... after about 5 min. he wants to climb us and that isn't that comfortable for us. We hold him about 3 or 4 times a day but for short periods. Any comments or suggestions? Sean Sean, Iguana walking probably means on a leash but I don't recommend that. I think an iguana should be outside in a large outdoor cage with lots of room to walk and climb in and out of the sun. A young iguana should be held for long periods to tame them. They do like to ride on shoulders and if you keep their nails trimmed, it shouldn't be uncomfortable. Handle as much as possible. If you hold your iguana on your knee (cross your legs and hold him against the knee that is highest) with one hand under his shoulders for a while...watch TV for a while with him there... SNEEZING Spike: A question about my iguana. I have noticed when she is in the tank she spits. I have asked a couple of pet stores and they say they never have seen a iguana spit before. She usually spits at the glass, and what comes out of her mouth is a whitish substance. What is interesting is that it comes out at a high velocity, and splashes the glass. Sometimes the fluid she spits is clear. Seems she' does this more often after eating food with calcium added. Have you seen this before and is it natural or a sign of some type of illness? She has never done it when I have held her? Hello, The good news is that she isn't spitting, she is snorting through her nose. This is very normal and I can't believe a pet store didn't know that. An iguana sneezes out excess salts. They have to do it to keep the necessary minerals in their body at the correct level. High levels of salt will cause organ mineralization. Check your heat. If your enclosure is too warm, she will sneeze more. Check the web page for the proper temperature ranges. The bad news is that all the pet stores you asked didn't know about this very normal iguana behavior. Another strong reason not to trust information that you are given at a pet store, unfortunately. Top of Page FREE-RANGING IGUANA Spike: Since Jakey got too large for her cage she has had free range over the apartment and I am just wondering if this is bad to do. Erica, There are a couple of problems with a free-roaming ig. One is that they need a spot that has UV light (a screened window or a UV tube), a heat lamp, and a branch or flat area to rest and bask. If they don't have a place to heat to optimum temp (100 degrees), they won't process food properly and will suffer from that. Illness is inevitable. Another problem for a free-roaming ig is getting into trouble. Igs are know to knock things over and get wedged into places that they can have a lot of trouble getting out of. It is dangerous to let them out unsupervised. You are much better off screening a corner off in a room that you can climate-control and keep your iguana secure and safe in a large enclosure. NECROTIC (DYING) TAIL Dear Spike, The past two months her tail just dies and falls off inch by inch. What can I do to stop this as there are not any vets near by to treat the problem. I bathe her daily and other than her tail she's overall healthy. 3 1/2 feet and 3 pounds. Please help as I hate to see her hurting. Theresa Theresa, You must stop the infection in the tail or it will continue to die. One remedy, if the necrotic (dead) section is near the end of the tail, is to break the tail off at a spot just above the necrotic part and treat the new break with antibiotic cream and Betadine liquid. Iguanas have an autonomous tail that will regrow if it breaks at a fracture plane (a vertebrae). The tail is very muscular and needs a really strong twist to break so a strong person should do the breaking and someone should hold the iguana. You cannot cut the tail...it must be broken. Keep stypic powder handy to put on the tail end to stop bleeding (available at most pharmacies). You may not need to bandage the end but always have bandaging material handy, just in case. Never bandage for longer than is necessary and keep the bandage dry. While you do not need an anesthetic, this treatment is often best done by a veterinarian. Also, if the necrotic part is up into the fleshier, thicker part of the tail, it will need surgery. Make sure you have a qualified reptile vet do the surgery. You probably do have a qualified vet in your area and you can find one by calling information and asking for the number of the herpetological society in your area. Top of Page SHEDDING SPIKE COVERINGS HELLO: I'm very concerned and can't find any references to this in anything I've read.) Falcor's spikes along the the top of his neck (above his shoulders) have gotten very thin. It's almost like they are collapsing. I can see thru some of them. I'm afraid that it might be a calcium deficiency, although the main staple of his diet is collard greens and we do use a calcium supplement. The skin on top of his neck is also turning a light rusty color. What might be causing this and do I need to be concerned? I don't want him to loose his beautiful spikes. Thanks for your help! Michelle Thanks for the note about leashes. I agree and think it is a dangerous practice. Michelle, Soaking an iguana in a warm bath as often as you can..my iguana has a warm water soak every day...can help to facilitate shedding, especially for spike shed. Do not let the old shed stay on the spikes as it can cause the spike to deform. Perhaps this is what is happening. Iguanas need very high humidity to assist in shedding. Sometimes spikes are clear and they do twist as they grow but they should shed off cleanly. A change in coloring may just be a normal male turning orange which some of them do or it could be the beginning of a jaundice condition. Watch this area and if it is getting larger, you notice a change in your iguana's behavior (stops eating, seems depressed), take your ig to the vet for a blood test and a check-up. Take a fecal sample with you also to check for parasites. Please review what you are feeding your iguana. They need a rich and varied diet. If you are feeding them the proper foods in the proper quantities, you shouldn't have to supplement their diet at all. Artificial supplements will not improve a poor diet. MITES Spike: Our two iguanas seem very healthy. However we noticed tiny (half the size to a pin head) red and black bugs in the cage and on them. They look like arachnids of some kind. Do iguanas get parasite in captivity? They have been bug free for 3 years. Thanks Jerry Jerry, Sounds like you have mites to me. Mites can come and go depending on many factors. If you've had them before, you can certainly get them again. Read the sections on mites on the web page. Read the Previous Articles section on Creepy Crawlies. Here is an excerpt: "Expensive mite products aren't necessary but a complete cleaning with boiling water, household bleach and sunlight are. Move your iguana to an alternate enclosure for a day or two. Remove all branches, substrates, plants and dishes. If you have a glass terrarium, rinse the entire terrarium with hot water and bleach. Be careful to begin rinsing with warm water so that the glass can become used to the increasingly hot water. Concentrate on corners and crevices while cleaning. Pour the boiling water/bleach mixture over all branches and wash all plastic plants with a soapy bleach and water mixture. Dry all cage materials and the cage itself in the hot sun. Make sure that all branches are thoroughly dry before replacing them in the enclosure. If your enclosure has any wood, you should be especially careful. Mites can hide in wood and wooden branches. If possible, and if you are experiencing a reinfestation, replace all branches with new ones. You can also put all branches and even the terrarium itself (without your iguana in it, of course) into a large plastic garbage bag with a No-Pest Strip and leave overnight. It is essential to fully air out all items for a couple of days after removing from the bag to eliminate all residual insecticide. You also have to treat your iguana before returning him or her to the enclosure. Physically remove and crush all visible mites. Mix a teaspoon of Listerine per quart of warm water in your iguana pool (kitty litter pan or other swimming/soaking pool). Submerge all of your iguana EXCEPT THE HEAD in the warm, treated water for fifteen minutes. Discard and refill the pan with clear, warm water. Resoak your iguana for an additional fifteen minutes, this time pouring water over your iguana's head. Be gentle and expect a lot of squirming and splashing. Most iguanas won't willingly submit to this treatment but a thorough soaking can eliminate this irritating and potentially harmful pest. Repeat the medicated soak and rinse in about two weeks to get rid of any mites that might have survived the first treatment. Never put a No-Pest Strip or spray insecticide in or near your iguana's enclosure while your iguana is in the enclosure. Pet store mite remedies and treatments are usually ineffective. Don't waste your money." Top of Page TOE LOSS Spike: We have an iguana who has lost two toes and might be losing a couple more of her/his toes. We were told by a local pet store that perhaps the two toes she lost were because of her heat rock being too hot. We covered the heat rock with a cotton tee shirt but her other remaining toes look questionable, as if they might fall off too. We unexpectedly received her as a gift approximately two months ago and she is approximately 12 inches long. We named her/him Mozart (Mosie) because of her/his long toes when we first got her/him. Is this common? And what can we do to keep the rest of her toes intact? Any tips for a brand new iguana parent? Thanks so much! Laurie: There are many clues that your iguana has been deprived of the proper light and heat requirements. Please do not use hot rocks. You need overhead lighting and heating with bulbs. Iguanas bask in the sun. They need overhead lighting. Check your temperatures more closely by using a strip thermometer and putting it in various places in your terrarium. Read the article on the web site "The Difference Between Night and Day" as it covers all of the necessary lighting and heating requirements. The one critical requirement needed is sun exposure. Your iguana needs the physiological and psychological benefits of pure sunlight. No iguana should be deprived of real sunlight. The problems that you are seeing with the toes of your iguana are directly related to the lack of both UV lighting and sunlight along with improper diet. You don't mention diet but it is one of the most important things for an iguana's proper growth. There is nothing you can do about lost toes...they will heal but never regenerate or change. to stop this problem, you must correct the lighting and the diet and, most importantly, build an outdoor cage for your iguana to get some real sunlight. It will make all the difference in proper growth. Remember the RANGE of temperatures. That applies to outside as well as inside. Provide areas of shade and sun and a pool of water for dipping. That way your iguana can choose what area it wants to be in to regulate his own body temperature. Something else to consider with toe loss is shed skin that is not removed from the toes. Shed skin left on small toes can tighten and cut off circulation and blood flow to the toes. Necrosis (dead tissue) sets in and the toes fall off. Make sure you carefully remove all old shed skin from the toes. Also check to see if small threads from a long-napped substrate or rug (or even hair strands) have wrapped around the toes. Again, this would cut off blood flow to the toes and they would slowly die. Make sure that you use a short-napped, good quality indoor-outdoor carpeting for your substrate. Top of Page OUTSIDE ENCLOSURES SPIKE: I was recently given a 3 ft iguana that was found by a friend of ours. We live in Central Florida and currently have the iguana housed in a cage on our screened in front porch. If we enclose the cage in plastic for the winter and use a heat lamp, can he be kept outdoors all winter? Thanks for any help. I am totally new at this. Joan Joan, You are lucky enough to live in a state that can support iguana life in an outdoor environment almost all year long. I believe you will be able to leave your iguana outdoors most of the year but you should be prepared to bring it indoors for some of the time. If your area experiences temperatures that are below 50 degrees and the temperatures you measure in your enclosure drop below 60, then your iguana should be in the house for those days (nights). Remember that you need to provide a heating pad and overhead lights for those days and nights that are overcast or colder. Some iguana breeders provide a large box with a heating pad that has a door in it for colder nights. They make sure the iguana is closed in there for colder nights. Sustained hypothermia is lethal and just one night of exposure to temperatures below 60 degrees can be fatal. Make sure that if you do put plastic around the cage, that you take it off during the day and let your iguana get pure sun exposure. You need to monitor the cage with several thermometers to judge the range of temperatures and always provide a comfortable shelf that is large enough to support the iguana with a heating pad or overhead light so that the iguana can go there to warm up if it wants. Always cover any lighting fixture with wire so that the iguana won't be able to touch a hot bulb or hot aluminum hood. Dear Spike: I have a clamp on light with a 40 watt bulb, and a vita light. Should I turn off the clamp on light at night and leave on the vita light or does he need them both off for rest, (he would still have a heat pad for heat.) I am also curious about what to do in the winter, I live in Tennessee its really cold all winter and he can't go outside. What should I do for natural sunlight during this time? I also have a question about the food, is it ok to give him potatoes, or would it be bad for him, all I have read about is sweet potatoes, I'm not even sure he would even eat them he is very picky he won't eat hardly any fruits,he loves greens and can he eat too many turnip greens? Hope I haven't ask too many questions, Thanks Brenda Brenda, You need to check the temperatures in your enclosure with a thermometer. There should be a range of temperatures and a 40 watt bulb sounds too small. The heating pad should be for night time warmth only. An iguana should get it's warmth from above during the day. and you must turn off all daytime lights at night so your iguana can get the proper rest at night. Put your iguana in the sun only on sunny days. If you supplement him with the heating pad or overhead light in a part of his enclosure, your ig can go out there even if it isn't a really hot day. Never leave an iguana outside in the winter if they don't have protection and if it is a very cold day, however. Don't feed your iguana regular potatoes, they are too starchy. Give your iguana a varied diet that doesn't rely on any one food. Turnip greens are great but nothing is good if you feed only that and feed too much of one thing. Variety is the most important thing when it comes to feeding an iguana! ENCLOSURES IMPROPERLY SET-UP WITH HOT ROCK Greetings, I've got a problem going on here, and I fear that it may be serious. I'm a dedicated animal lover, and I'm extremely concerned about my green iguana, Sobek. I got him over a year ago (about 14 months specifically) and I was told he was 3 years old when I got him. He is currently approximately 3.5 ft tip to tip. Shortly after I got him he lost some of his green in favor of a brownish hue (his enclosure was against a brown curtain). He was okay, eating, drinking, being himself, until about 2 months ago. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to trigger a change in behavior. The weather turned colder, but he had been through that before with me. He had not been moved, mistreated, or otherwise. My problem is this--he won't eat! I've tried all his favorites--apples, seedless grapes, collard greens, and he just lets the food sit. Of course, after a day or two, I remove it and try again. As far as I can tell he still drinks his water occasionally, but minimally at best, and he hasn't eaten at all in at least a month and a half. He has had no bowel movements in that time. His 50 gallon tank is very clean, and he does have a heat rock and UV lamp. His daily routine as far as lighting, food type, and food and water availability has not been changed at all. He goes back and forth between basking on a log/stick in his tank to hanging out on his rock but will stay one place or the other, sometimes for days at a time. He appears healthy and is responsive to stimuli. I have handled him and he does not appear to be in any distress. If he has lost weight, I am unable to tell overtly. Could the heat rock be faulty in that it's not getting hot enough? It feels warm to the touch, but not very hot (no different than what he's been used to since I got him). Do I need to be as concerned as I am about his not eating? If so, what can I do to encourage him to eat? Do I need to try a different dry food? Thank you for your time and consideration. Gary Gary, An iguana usually turns brown because he is not getting hot enough during the day. You need an overhead light bulb over his basking branch. And an iguana should never really be aware of the weather turning colder. It is up to you to check the temps in his enclosure and raise them if they drop due to outside influences like the room is colder. Iguanas live in a very even temperature range in the wild. You must try and maintain that. An iguana that doesn't reach his POTZ (Preferred Optimal Temperature Zone) during the day will not want to eat because he can't process the food in his hindgut due to lack of heat. NEVER use a hot rock. Iguanas don't heat from the bottom up but from basking in the hot sun. Please try and raise the temp in your enclosure and add heat lamps (you can use regular light bulbs in metal hoods to accomplish this.) If you need to use a heat source other than an overhead, then use an undertank heating pad that is not in direct contact with your iguana. An iguana may seem to like his hot rock but it is only because the enclosure is not set up properly. Constant exposure to belly heat can cause many intestinal and other metabolic problems. Also, an iguana that is observed drinking water is usually dehydrated. They may drink occasionally but usually get their moisture from FRESH food, lots of greens and fibrous veggies. Iguanas are amazingly hardy creatures, for a time. Eventually the inadequate environment will take it's toll. You need to change things to get him back on track. Put a heat lamp over the stick in his tank and make sure it is larger around than his body circumference. You said he had gotten browner which is not a good change so add the necessary heating and get him out into the real sun every chance you get. That can make a big difference. You should be very concerned about his not eating. Read the section on preparing food for force-feeding and put him on a supplemental diet until he starts eating on his own again. When you touch him after he has basked properly, he should be VERY warm. They raise their core body temperature to 100 degrees. DO NOT feed him dry food. Give him all fresh, grated food. Dry food can seriously dehydrate an iguana. Again, NEVER USE A HOT ROCK! Hot rocks are often faulty so get rid of it! It can cause far more problems than it is worth. As I said, the problems have been coming and they are finally showing themselves. Good luck. IF YOU DON'T SEE ANY IMPROVEMENT IN A FEW DAYS - TAKE YOUR IGUANA TO THE VET! Remember that iguanas come from the rainforest so try and replicate that environment...and don't listen to the people at the pet store! They are usually wrong! FEEDING ANIMAL PROTEIN AND COMMERCIAL SPRAYS Hi there, First off, I have to say your iguana e-zine has been the best source of information and has been a real life saver. My girlfriend's father decided to give her an iguana as a birthday gift, little did we know about the important aspects of caring for the ig as a youngster. However, he/she (it's still fairly young so we are in the dark) is doing well. I just have a few questions to ask that I don't believe were covered in the Q&A. 1) What are the ramifications of feeding your ig mealworms? Her father started feeding it them, but I heard that they will make the ig mean as it grows up. We feed him greens and a few mealworms in the morning, but it is so picky and doesn't eat much of the greens we give it. Later in the day we give it more worms, it'll eat about 5-7 at a time. It seems to prefer the mealworms over greens, but we know the importance of giving it greens. He is still skitterish of us after about a month but he will eat the worms out of my hand however not the greens. 2) We also use Four Paws Nature's Reptile Vita-Spray on it daily. Do you know anything of this product? 3) Last, we have yet to see it drink water out of its dish. We usually mist our ig daily while its under the light or in the sun. Is he/she supposed to drink out of its dish? Well, once again your zine is great, keep up the great work. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Bennett Bennett, 1) The reason that mealworms are not good for iguanas >is not< because feeding them will make the iguana "mean" over time but that iguanas are HERBIVORES and do not eat animal protein. Animal protein would be anything that is not vegetable matter but is derived from animal sources, such as mealworms, earthworms or insects of any kind, dog food, cat food, monkey chow, meat or any animal by-product. Iguana get their protein from vegetable sources, such as legumes (peas and beans), and other vegetables with a high protein content (see Nutrition). That animal protein is BAD for iguanas does not mean that they won't show a preference for it. Kids like ice cream and French fries but they will get very sick if that's all they eat. When you feed inappropriate foods, it can be very detrimental. Iguana can become very stubborn about food items and it can take some time to break bad habits. IT IS BEST NOT TO FEED INAPPROPRIATE FOODS TO A YOUNG IGUANA. As you said, your iguana is "picky" - that is what happens when you feed inappropriate food items. And breaking that bad habit can take time. Gradually add more interesting grated vegetables to the greens and try small chunks of tofu to substitute for the meal worms. Tofu is very high in vegetable protein and can become a favorite food. It is very high in fat and is not recommended as a regular food item but it can become a treat that might get your iguana away from the mealworms and into more nutritious foods. You need to improve the quality of the food by feeding more than greens. Make up a "salad" with a variety of the items mentioned in the list of nutritious foods. 2) Vita-Spray is not recommended. Think about it. Spraying your iguana with vitamins implies that vitamins can be absorbed through the skin. This is an incorrect assumption. This is a useless product. Spraying your iguana with plain water will increase the humidity and aid in shedding but will not hydrate internally. An iguana absorbs moisture (hydration) through the cloacal vent by SOAKING in water. You can add vitamins to the water and some may be absorbed but a nutritious diet is a much better way of providing vitamins. You are basically wasting your money. 3) Iguanas absorb moisture from their food - freshly-washed leafy, dark greens, for instance. You will rarely see an iguana drink but the presence of a bowl of fresh water is always suggested just in case a severely dehydrated iguana needs to drink. You may never see your iguana drink but he or she may be drinking when you are not watching. Thanks for your compliments. Something to consider - IGUANA IGUANA Newsletter (the printed newsletter) covers all of these topics more thoroughly. This web site is to aid in the care of iguanas but if you want consistent information and great ideas, please subscribe to the monthly printed newsletter. CHANGING ENVIRONMENT Help!!!!! Yoda, my four year old female, fixed, iguana is rubbing the scales off her nose and now has open sores showing (she's bleeding). I just built her a large new enclosure (7' high, 5' wide, 3' deep) with chicken wire about a week ago and she constantly either climbs it or sticks her nose through it. She hasn't had a cage for the past year and has been living on high shelves, etc. Is there anything I can do to stop her? Or, what can I do to modify the cage so that she can't get to the chicken wire? She now also has an outdoor view in her cage, could it be simple things like this that are agitating her? One other thing, since the move, her scales have taken on a awfully brown color and she's not eating as much as she used to. I am very careful about her diet and she has UV lighting. Some things that I plan on doing are lowering the temp a little (I think my current thermometer isn't working, it constantly says 80 degrees but she keeps moving away from the basking spot to cool off) and lining the chicken wire with plastic (although I'm afraid she'll scratch it up) and adding a hot water humidifier (although I'm worried it'll raise the temp of the cage). And I have to admit I've been using a heating pad for night heat but I've just bought a ceramic heating light so I'm going to stop using it. Could that be contributing to her sickness? Chuck, Your iguana is reacting to the change in her environment. You gave her complete freedom and now have put her in a more confined space. It isn't a good idea to use chicken wire for an enclosure as the holes are so large that it seems to the animal that they can get out. A smaller gauge hole might have deterred her more quickly but the damage she has done to her nose might have happened anyway. You need to put something more substantial than plastic sheeting. A sheet of plexiglass all along the bottom might work but you will have to drill it and attach it to the inside. Blocking her view of the bottom foot of cage might deter her from trying to get out when she is on the ground. Iguanas don't like change so you need to move her in smaller units of time. You can't expect her to understand immediately so the best way to introduce an iguana to something new - new food, new home - is to do it slowly. Put her in the cage for an hour, then two the next day, etc. taking her out before she gets frantic. Monitor her the whole time and make sure the temperature is right. Get a new thermometer or two and check the "range" of temperatures in the new enclosure. However, if the cage is wire, I doubt it is too warm., especially since she is dark in color. A heating pad is OK for night. It's not a hot rock that she lays on all day. I don't think that is the problem. Put Betadine and Neosporin in her nose and don't put her in the cage without supervision until it heals well. Don't let her go too long without eating but if you take her out of the cage and introduce it more slowly, she might start eating on her own again. And remember, iguanas do not like change and will react in negative ways so take your time when you want to change anything in your iguanas world. MY IGUANA IS NOT EATING Dear Spike, My iguana is sick, I think. He isn't eating or pooing and he is just laying around and not moving much. When I pick him up, he moves around but when I put him down he just goes to his light and stays there. He looks kind of gray too. How can I get him to eat, poo and get green again? Should I feed him baby food? What kind? I'm worried. He is about a year old now. His name is Charlie. Jason Little Helena, Montana Jason, Winter is a tough time for iguanas. In the summer the days are warmer, our houses are warmer and even an inadequate enclosure might work. However, when it gets cold and we let our houses get cold, especially at night, an inadequate enclosure can be deadly. Make sure that you are heating your enclosure at night to a high enough temperature to keep your iguana warm. Daytime temps must be in the seventies with a hot basking area of about 100 degrees. Make sure that your enclosure stays at least 75 degrees at night for an iguana under two years old. Eating and pooping are tied directly to how hot an iguana can get during the day. Food just sits in the hindgut and is not processed as rapidly as it is if the hindgut can reach optimum temperature. With a properly heated enclosure, your iguana should start eating and pooping again. Always offer freshly washed greens and colorful grated veggies. Do not sprinkle calcium supplement directly on top of the food. The smell may confuse your iguana and cause him or her not to eat. Mix the calcium/vitamins on a small amount of grated veggies and mix into the greens thoroughly. Don't give supplements every day. Once a week is fine for young iguanas. The gray color could be a shed beginning or it could mean that your iguana isn't warm enough. Make sure the range of temperatures in your enclosure are right. An iguana that is cold will become a sick iguana very quickly. Make sure your iguana enclosure is heated properly. You can force-feed your iguana but you MUST feed small meals several times a day or a larger meal twice a day. Baby food is OK but it is better to blend in a blender vegetables, greens, tofu, and Pedialite with a bit of chicken baby food or soften senior/lite dog kibble for protein if your iguana has lost weight from not eating. Use a turkey baster to give the food slowly. Top of Page Back to Iguana Iguana Home Page Back to Iguana Iguana Home Page Previous Articles in IGUANA IGUANA Go to Tips and Tricks Go to Questions and Answers Go to Make Your Iguana A Rainforest Go to Games and Puzzles Best and Worst Iguana Hall of Fame Favorite Ig Names Iguana Nutrition A Day in the Life of an Iguana   A subscription to IGUANA IGUANA is $18.00 a year for 12 issues. To get a printed sample issue of IGUANA IGUANA Newsletter, SEND $1.00 to: IGUANA IGUANA, 23852 Pacific Coast Hwy. Ste.123, Malibu, CA 90265 with your snail (regular) mailing address. Make checks payable to: Windemere Designs (Current Month's Issue or Specific Issues - $2.00) This Month's Article - NOVEMBER - MANY REASONS FOR GIVING THANKS The latest printed issues ofIGUANA IGUANA Newsletter contain the following articles: June - From Monster to Mouse and Back Again, Living with a (part-time) Mini-Monster, From the Mail BAg - What I Go Through Living with a Crazed Male Iguana (with photo essay), Nails are for Clipping, Spotlight on Vegetables - The Rutabaga, Ask Dr. Spike - When is it too hot for my iguana to be outside?, Keep Cool! July - Taking a Bite Out of Summer, Reviewing Your Iguana's Health, A Pool for Your Outdoor Enclosure, Adding Humidity to the Outdoor Enclosure - A Mist System on a Times, An Iguana Picnic, Ask Dr. Spike - Why does my iguana eat dirt?, Happy Summer! August - Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?, Breeding Season, Castration - Surgery and Chemical, The Presto Salad Shooter for easy meals, Ask Dr. Spike - My male iguana turns orange. What does that mean? September - Dehydration - Dying of Thirst, Organ Damage Caused By Dehydration, Dehydration - Observable and Clinical Signs, Signs of Viseral Gout, Summer Fruit, Conversion Chart, End of Summer Iguana Salad, Lizards Living Large in Florida, Humidity in the Enclosure, Ask Dr. Spike - My iguana eats his feces - Ugh!, Happy End of Summer! October - Skeletons in the Closet - Building a Closet Enclosure, Electrical Work in the Clsoet, The Third Eye, FallBack - Change your timers, Ask Dr. Spike - there are strange things in my iguana's poop!, Lots of Halloween Iguana Hats, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! and Happy Iguana Halloween! November - Many Reasons for Giving Thanks, The Proper Way to Hand-Feed An Iguana that isn't Eating, Preparing the Blended Food, From the Mailbox - I Lost My Iguana in the House!, Autumn Torte Recipe and Fig Dessert for You and Your Iguana's Thanksgiving Dinner, Happy Thanksgiving! If you would like the CURRENT issue of the printed newsletter, please send $2.00 with your name and address to: IGUANA IGUANA, 23852 P.C.H., Suite 123, Malibu, CA 90265. Make check payable to: Windemere Graphics and Design Random sample issues - $1.00 Current Issues - $2.00 A subscription to IGUANA IGUANA is $18.00 a year for 12 issues.