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The Truth About Most Pet Store IG's

Most iguana's in pet stores are shipped in small little boxes with other dead or dieing hatchling iguana's (iglets). The few that do survive the shipping, are starved, often covered with mites, many have broken bones.Then, with no care in the world, they are thrown into a 10 gallon tank with about 15 other iglets under a plain flourecent bulb, maybe even a hot rock or two. They are fed lettuce and dog food with an improper substrate. Often, the iguana's die off, slowly, one by one. But instead of looking into the problem, most pet stores just get a new shipment, they don't take the time to see if just maybe they are doing something terribly wrong. Whats worse, is that they not only have the improper knowledge about caring for the iguana's in teh pet stores, but they give out the same deadly information to their customers. Most iguana's bought from pet stores come home with hopeful and often loving people. But these loving people often end up watching their iguana's health deteriorate. Slowly their iguana's die a painful death. All they can do is wonder what they did wrong. "What happened here? I mean, I've been feeding him lettuce and strawberries just like the guy at the pet store told me." The guy at the pet store did not tell the people that this iguana will grow up to be up to six feet in length, will need an incredibly large cage, hundreds of dollars in food, lighting, electircity and vet bills, supplies, and more. He didn't tell the people that this iguana needs a special and expensive light called a flourecent UVB light. He did not tell them that the iguana needs this light to survive, to absorb the vital vitamin D3. Without this light the iguana often gets a life threatening disease called Metablolic Bone Disease (MBD). This MBD causes the iguana's bones to become incredibly weak. The lower jaw to swell to unbeleivable proportions. MBD causes the body to develop horrible deformities. And, without proper treatment, kills the iguana, a slow, painful, undeserved death.
So, before you decide to buy that cute little lizard in the 10 gallon tank, think of this, and think of the fact that as long as there are buyers, there will always be iguana's on sale in petstores.

WHY ADOPT?

There are SO MANY iguana's out there in need of loving homes. Iguana's which have been dumped at the very first place that will take them. Once people realize what they have gotten themselves into, they freak out, they don't try to find a better home for the iguana. It is very easy to adopt an iguana. You can go online and look up an adoption agency. Another great place is Kingsnake.com, there you can adopt, and learn about iguana's at the same time. greenigsociety.org also has an adoption program set up. When you adopt an iguana, you get a beautiful animal, who you have rescued from maybe a much worse fate. Rescuing iguana's from horrible conditions is not for everyone. To do this, you must have the time, patience, experience, and money to nurture the iguana back to health, then if you do not choose to keep him/her, you will have to go through the time and/or expenses to place this animal with a good and responsible home.
When adopting an iguana you need to be prepared for what is coming. Before you bring him/her home make sure that you have an appropriate sized cage. I would recommend getting a pair of THICK welding gloves. The iguana will probably be as afraid of you as you are probably going to be of him/her. It is not unheard of for an adult iguana to inflict some very nice sized wounds. Upon arrival the iguana will often be very stressed. Expect whipping, biting, hissing, and not eating. Let the iguana become acclimated to you. Leave him/her alone for the first few days, just put the food in, change the water and leave him/her alone. Then, after the first few days, TRY to approach the iguana, if he/she doesn't want any of it, leave it alone. Then try again the next day. This time put forth a little more effort, if the iguana still acts aggressivley then leave it alone. After a few more days of this, attempt to pick him/her up. Then, Pick him/her up. DO NOT grab the iguana, gently slide your hand under his/her belly, then lift your hand(s) slowly. Each time you try this, take him/her more and more out of the cage, then take the iguana, and walk around the room that the cage is in. MAKE SURE THAT ANY MEANS OF ESCAPE ARE BLOCKED OFF just in case he/she desides to make a run for it. The whole purpose of this is to develop a bond of trust.