Double D's Story is a bit sketchy but I will give you as much of the details as I can.
Double D is 2 to 3 years old. She was an owner drop off (not sure which) at a local pet store. When she arrived at the pet store the cage she was in was filthy. Her tail was barely hanging on, she had thermal burns from a heat rock, ammonia burns from either ammonia being poured on her or her cage cleaned with it (the vet leaned toward it being poured on her), sever skin disease, MBD, lack of proper nutriton (having only ever eaten canned iguana food), no uvb light. The pet store took her straight to the vet who took one look at her and said it was doubtful she would make it. When he picked her up the spikes that were remaining on her back just fell off in his hand. Her tail had to be amputated further up to get rid of the part that was hanging off. She had several broken toes to go along with everything else. How anyone can treat a living creature like that I will NEVER understand. With all the bad you hear about pet stores this one could have easily had her put down and not tried to help her, they decided she was worth the shot and worked with her. Daily shots and meds, baths, treatments for her skin, another tail amputation due to her tail regrowth being VERY crooked. I'm not advocating all pet stores, but wanted to point out that despite some faults they cared enough to put a lot of time, money, and care into her. A year of daily treatment, uvb lighting , proper diet, and what attention they could give her (which wasn't much though) and she was recovered enough to find a new home. This is where I step in. My husband and I had purchased and iguana about 5 years ago, we followed what a pet store told us (not the same one) and unfortunately after 3 to 4 days the iguana sadly died. Present day we are in the planning process of buying our new house and started to think about getting an iguana again. We both did lots of research read and asked questions. It was a toss up we were thinking we would wait till the house was built. I called around to get some prices of not only the iggy but the "equipment" I would need to go along with giving them a happy healthy life. When I heard "ruperts" story. Double D was formerly named Rupert by the pet store (couldn't see my self calling "him" rupert UGH). I go up that next week not able to get the story out of my head and just had to go "check" on her. Well That day being totally unprepared equipment wise but information wise we were on our way but still learning. After holding her and her acting wild when the store clerk got her out, I took her and then she calmed right down. After two of these in and out of cage times and hearing two teens talk about how she'd "fit" in her ten gallon tank I couldn't leave her there or let them take her. After MUCH talk, discussion, and begging my husband allowed her to come home. That was February 3, 2001. When we first brought her home she was a very light green with a grayish tent and her rib cage was easily visible, and was 16 1/2 inches in length. After making a rough cage for her (new one will be the size of a full wall in our new house) we started doing even more research, got all the proper foods, and battled to get her to eat them. Spent many hours holding her and taming her. When she was first brought home we thought she was a he, and our 5 (now 6) year old daughter named her Double D after one of her favorite cartoon characters (from Ed, Edd, and Eddie). Its been lots of work, love, proper nutrition and lighting, and spoiling rotten but shes doing wonderfully. Double d will now set on my shoulder or head, will run around the house on her harness, will jump into my lap, climb all over, tail whip the dog (still working on that), eats like a pig, has a GREAT coloring, is completely healthy, and is now 23 1/2 inches and has went from 13 oz to a full pound. WE continue to look forward to her improvements, and enjoying her life with us. |
