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#2266720
Toolshed48
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 Bad diet for 5 months.
My new Iguana is more than 6 months old and has been fed a diet of only frozen carrots and peas. I immediately started him/her on a 40% diet of collard greens/40% mustard/20% butternut squash. It’s taking to it nicely but slow. That’s to be understood seeing how the sweet carrots would get it to eat more. He/she has ran around the cage trying not to be picked up, but I don’t give in. Most articles that I’ve read said to chase it down ’in a nice way’ so that it knows it will be picked up no matter what. It is really easy to handle with even the slightest pressure from my grip. The previous owners told me that he likes to be handled, and he has no problem with handling after I have to chase him around the cage, even with soft verbal commands/coaxing.
I was told that he was much easier to hold, and prefered to be ’handled’ more than looked at, and so far it has made minamal jesters telling me to leave it alone, but once I have a gentle hold on him he seems totally cool with it. Should I keep this up? I want to get him to like being held to the point where I don’t have to fight to pick him up. Once he is picked up and held right he can last that way for an hour.
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05/17/12 10:40pm
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#2266723
Milan
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Message To: Toolshed48 In reference to Message Id: 2266720
Bad diet for 5 months.
you have started on the right track, my little boy was also fed unfit foods for the first year of his life util i got him. you can also add mustard greens, turnip greens, escarole, dandilion greens, kale and such to his diet too. and from what i understand it is usually better if you leave the ig alone for the first few weeks because moving to a new home is stressful enough, you dont want to add more stress by grabing him when he isnt ready. you can read the sticky at the top of the forum ( i think its called "getting you iggy to like you") it has some great info there from a very experienced iguana mom! congrats on your new baby, it seems like hes got a great new home!
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05/17/12 11:09pm
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#2266774
JessiM
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Message To: Milan In reference to Message Id: 2266723
Bad diet for 5 months.
poor guy, just like a baby given just fruits for the first time and not bitter things like some vegs. but yes you are on the right track for feeding him right.
yes chasing your iggy around will only stress him out and cause him to trust you less. baby iguanas are very flighty and will flee at anything that seems threatening.
leaving him be for a few weeks before letting him visably see your hands for longer periods other than to change his food and water. it will help.. just talk to him ggently. :)
as milan said there is a sticky up top that will help you out more on this subject ^^
good luck with him.
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05/18/12 04:38pm
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#2266860
Toolshed48
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Message To: JessiM In reference to Message Id: 2266774
Bad diet for 5 months.
Thanks for the replies! My little guy has been eating his greens up, including the squash. He loves getting sweet potatoes as a treat. My daughter and I are so lucky to have an Iggy who is so temperamental and personable. He wags his tail when I talk sweet to him! lol I love my new Iggy!
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05/19/12 12:55am
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