So you think you're ready to get an Iguana? Before you bring your new friend home, make sure you have everything you need set up and ready to go. It's always a good idea to have the cage fully set up and running at least a day before you bring your new Iguana home so you can check the temperatures and make any changes needed. The following are several supply lists for prospective owners. The first lists details the 'Must Haves' - things you really ought to have no matter what. The second list details things that are not quite as urgently needed, but that are useful / helpful to have.

Must Haves:

• Cage - should be appropriately sized for your iguana. A hatchling may be ok in a LARGE terrarium for a few months, but they grow FAST and you will need a much larger cage by the end of the first year. For an adult Iguana you should have a cage 6'x5'x3' (H,L,D). The cage should be furnished with climbing branches and/or basking shelves. Make your Iguana's environment intersting. You wouldn't want to sit and stare at 4 blank walls all day, would you?
• Heat- can be supplied by a basking bulb - I use UVHeat bulbs to supply both UVB and heat, but for supplemental heating or when used in conjunction with UVB producing flourescent tubs, a regular household bulb does fine. For night heat I use a CHE bulb.
• UVB - VERY important, don't skip this no matter what! Without UVB your Iguana cannot process calcium and will be susceptible to MBD. As stated above, I prefer the UVHeat bulbs that provide UVB and heat in one fixture, but you can also buy UVB producing flourescent tubes such as the ZooMed Iguana Light. Plant grow lights do NOT produce UVB! Make sure you get a bulb specifically for reptiles and it should state that it produces UVB.
• Substrate - this one is easy. I use newspaper for mine: cheap and easy to clean. So it's not very aesthetic...when you have to clean out the cage EVERY DAY aesthetics pale in comparison to ease of keeping the cage clean. Other options include reptile or indoor/outdoor carpeting, paper towels, regular towels, etc. Avoid particulate substrates such as dirt, corncob, walnut shells, and the like. These are too easy for your iguana to ingest and cause impaction.
• Food & Water Bowls - I use paper plates for food bowls: again, cheap and easy to clean up! For water I provide a rubbermaid sweater box that I keep half filled with clean, fresh water. Another good water bowl option is a shallow kitty litter pan (new and clean, of course!) Make sure your Iguana has clean fresh water available at all times. Keep an eye on the water bowl as many like to use it as a toilet!
• Humidity Device - This does not have to be complicated. Depending on your climate, the water bowl in your enclosure may be enough to raise your humidity and provide a soaking area for your Ig. Another simple way to raise humidity is to get a spray bottle of water to mist your Iguana with. I use a combination of those two, along with an ultrasonic fogger on top of the cage because my house is VERY dry.
• Proper Diet - make sure you know where to get the foods your Ig needs on a regular basis! Remember, they need a good VARIETY of leafy greens, vegetables, and fruit. Just giving them collards every day isn't going to cut it. Find a good grocery store or farm market in your area and stock up on several items for your Ig's salad.
• Supplements - Your Iguana may need supplements such as calcium or vitamins added occasionally to their food. My own advice is to discuss supplementation with your vet to determine how much and how often you Iguana will need it. Supplementation often varies depending upon your Iguana's health, diet, and other factors such as gravidity or breeding season.
• A GOOD Reptile Vet - I cannot stress how important this is! Take the time to research vets in your area and find one who is knowledgeable about reptiles. Ask questions. Call the herp society for suggestions, ask other reptile owners. I saw several vets who were willing to treat my reptiles but admitted up front that they were not very knowedgeable about them before I found my current vet who is fantastic! Don't wait until you have an emergency to find a vet. It's a good idea to take you new friend to a vet within the first week for a checkup, and then once a year after that. While it may seem like an added expense, these 'well baby' visits help your vet develop a 'baseline' for your pet so they will have an easier time diagnosing illness or injury later on.

Other Useful Supplies:

• Extra misting bottles - these come in VERY handy. I use 2 in the Dragon Room for plain water for misting, I have one with an Ivermectin solution in it for Mozilla's mites, and one with a Nolvasan solution in it for disinfecting. One important note here - make sure you LABEL your bottles! I mark all of mine in permanent marker so I know what is in them, and for things like the Nolvasan and the Ivermectin, I also mark the amounts used in mixing up the solution so I don't have to wonder how much to add next time.
• Towels - towels are great...I use them for padding on the basking spot when Mo is free roaming, I use them to control psycho-Iguana when I have to give medications, I use them for drying her off after baths, I use them to pad the bottom of the carrier when we go to the vet...you get the idea. ;)
• Eye dropper - good for rehydrating or giving meds that don't require exact dosages. Make sure it's plastic! Glass could shatter if a grumpy Ig bites down on it!
• Paper towels - I always keep a few rolls in the Dragon Room for cleaning up.
• Plastic Gloves - I can't live without these! I buy boxes in bulk at BJ's and use them whenever I have to clean or disinfect a cage!
• Plastic baggies - handy for storing small items (I have my first Beardie's first shed stored in one!) and great for collecting fecal samples for the vet! Turn one inside out over your hand, pick the sample up through the bag, and turn the bag right side out. Instant sample with no mess!
• First Aid Kit - For minor injuries only! Should contain a disinfectant scrub like Nolvasan or Betadine, an antibiotic ointment, gauze, scissors, eyedropper, tweezers, tape. Remember, anything other than a minor injury should go straight to the vet!
• Heating Pad - this is handy for Igs when free roaming to rest on to warm up. I also used it for Mo to sleep on when she was too weak to climb up under her CHE at night.
• IgGrips - these nifty gauntlet type gloves fit over your arms and hands but leave your fingers free so you can feel how much pressure you are using. Not only do they protect your arms from scratches, but they give your Ig a better grip, making him feel more secure. Hubby ordered me a pair after Mo shredded my arms trying to avoid a bath.
• Nolvasan - I've mentioned this several times before. It's a veterinary disinfectant that can be used for cleaning tubs after Ig baths, cleaning and disinfecting enclosures, and even as a wound cleanser when sufficiently diluted. It is used at a dilution of several tablespoons per gallon (read the label for exact instructions) so a little bit goes a LONG way! Your vet may be able to sell you some, or you can buy it online at places like KV Vet Supply.

© 2002 - M. Martin