Pet Blog April Archive

Call the Fire Department..the Iguana is in the Tree!

By Lizzie Botticelli at 04/25/07 14:11

I just recently moved my Iguana's cage, which USED to be in my bedroom, out to the sun porch in my home. Since the weather is getting nicer, I thought it would be a good opportunity since having your bedroom shared by a six foot green iguana is not my idea of comfort.

A couple of days ago, it was so sunny and beautiful outside, I decided to let him sit on the deck rail (which he has done many times before) to catch some good UV rays. I thought he would be fine while I went to Wal Mart for an hour.

When I came home, i found him not on the deck rail where i left him...but about twenty five feet up a tree! I decided I would let him be for a while to see what he would do...not that I could have done anything since there were really no climbing branches on the particular tree he chose.

Well, the enxt thing I know, the weather starts to turn chillier, then the skies got black, then the doggone tornado wirens start wailing! Of all times, we had just been put under a tornado warning and it was getting pretty windy! My kids were all upset. The storm passed pretty quickly with nothing further than a brief, very hard rainfall. Still, the dumb iguana is up in the tree swaying back and forth.

I wasn't really sure, since he has been captive all his life, that he would actually climb the twenty some feet back DOWN the tree although they are arborial creatures by nature. By the time dark arrived, he was still up the darn tree. Kids are now crying, because he will be very cold and wet. What do they expect me to do? Fire department can't get the truck in the backyard, mom cant shimmy up the tree..what am I to do? Well, the answer was..nothing, not a darn thing. He stayed in that tree all night and forze his scales off (not literally).

The next morning as soon as the sun came up, he got down that tree. I still don't know whether he fell down, climbed down, or even jumped down. He was really cold. As he has been cold a few times before, I knew he would pretty scary to try and pick up, but I did anyway and brought him inside and put him on his bed with his heating pads and warming light. They have very little muscle control when they are cold, and subsequently are kind of violent because they can't really protect themselves.

I have a question directed to whomever may be able to give advice on this subject: I know that Iguanas are tropical creatures and I know what their normal temperatures SHOULD be, and I also know that if they are subjected to really cold temperatures, they are sorry creatures for a bit, but bounce back pretty good. My question is, does this have any long term effect on an iguana to get that cold? Does it kill off their tiny brain cells? Will my iguana be retarded if he keeps getting cold? Please someone, help me know the answer!

Now this is what I call you scratch my back and I will scratch yours!

These two little kitties are the cutest things I have ever seen. Not only are they sharing a bed, but a bath as well.

Too bad us humans couldn't use them as an example of harmonious living. They take turns sleeping in the best spot and everything.

I wonder if their tongues ever get dried out from all that licking? Is it like licking a bunch of envelopes do you think?

Despooking your spooky horse

Horses tend to shy away from things that startle them, especially things that they are unfamiliar with. Young horses that have never had, for example, a plastic bag blow against their legs may go into orbit the first time this happens to them.

It takes time and patience to get horses used to situations and things that they are not familiar with. You must not force or reprimand your horse for shying from an obstacle on the trail or something that spooks him, because then he will ALWAYS associate that obstacle or item with punishment (pain) or negative feelings.

You should quiet him the best you can, move away from the object and let him try again, each time letting him get a little closer, until he will make contact on his own.

Be patient, and before long, your horse will be bombproof!

Equine Affaire In Columbus, Ohio is an Amazing Adventure!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Equine Affaire in Columbus. I was able to attend several clinics on topics that interested me such as trick training, dressage, reining, and several other things.

There was an excellent show in the evening called Fantasia, that was composed of several acts with horses to music. There were acts from trick horses to draft horses pulling wagons, to acrobats on horseback.

There were so many items for sale in the buildings that my husband had to hide my credit cards. Our trainer from our boarding stables had entered the Extreme Cowboy Contest, which was an extreme obstacle course judging both horsemanship and time.

This event takes place every year, and I am already anticipating the next trip.

World's Ugliest Dog Competition

I can't believe that there is so much publicity generated from something of this nature. This poor creature is supposedly a purebred dog, but what I see is something that is an [404 Check: was link to http:/ / samugliestdog. com/ , anchor: abomination] of a creature.

I am sure that this dog was loved by its owners, and I am not saying anything different. I simply fail to understand why we as a society would make something that looked like this a celebrity, when we should instead, probably be trying to figure out whether that purebred line is in need of dilution. It looks to me like a serious case of inbreeding.

Lighting Requirements for Green Iguanas

Iguanas need a special light in order for their bodies to flourish and be healthy.

A source of UVB lighting in an iguana's cage is imperative. UVB lighting helps them synthesize vitamin D3, which is necessary to metabolize calcium in the Iguana's diet. Dietary vitamin D3 cannot be processed by iguanas, and they require a strong UVB source to help their bodies produce it. Without a UVB source, they cannot process calcium properly, and will be prone to Metabolic Bone Disease, an often fatal result of calcium deficiency.

UVB lighting cannot pass through plastic or glass, so the iguana needs to be close enough to benefit from the rays. On the other hand, they can't be placed too close, because they could be burned.

Find a Zoo for a Green Iguana

Remember the cute little green iguanas that were so popular a few years ago in the pet stores? I am not sure if that is still so, but I can remember seeing them everywhere then.

The pet store workers promoted them heavily. They were easy to obtain and pretty easy to sell. This was primarily because they knew NOTHING about the care required in reality, or if they did, they SURE weren't telling the buyers about it!

I bought a little green iguana about 5 years ago as a pet for my daughter. The pet store worker sold us a little 5 gallon aquarium (since he was only about 5 inches long tail and all) and told us to feed him lettuce and some green beans. An occasional cricket would be a treat. Well, not too hard I thought, so out I walked with a glass tank, green iguana, and a warming lamp.

Well, I thought there must be more to the story, so I did some research on some really good iguana sites and found out the REAL story! Little did I know that within the next five years, the cost of feeding this little green guy would equal the cost of feeding a couple of teenagers, or that he would get to be about 6 feet long, be very territorial, and live about 35 years!

The pet store industry should be ashamed of their behavior! I have made an extreme effort for my green guy, but think of how many are just left to starve or just plain die from lack of proper nourishment or care.

Now that my iguana is full grown, I would like to be able to find him a home in a zoo, or somewhere that is knowledgeable and equipped to house an iguana properly. He is healthy and has a pretty good attitude under the circumstances. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. It is not that I cannot care for him, because I can. The RIGHT thing to do is to try and find a better place that is closer to his natural environment.

To Treat or Not to Treat

There is a popular controversy among people who are trying to teach their horses to do things. We know that being rewarded on any level is positive reinforcement. Some believe that giving treats to horses, though, makes them nippy and behave badly, which I find can also be true.

The horse is a creature of habit. Although some say that they have really little intelligence, I find this to be absolutely untrue. Horses have personalities and capacities for learning that varies from horse to horse. Some horses learn quickly and readily without much trouble. Others must be forced to perform the same action over and over and over, with very little retention.

I personally have this view: When offering treats as a reward for a requested behavior, you must also discipline if any negative behavior is exhibited.

My horse, Poncho, a paint who has just turned 4 is a perfect example. He is gelded, so there is no hormonal issue thrown into the mix here. I am currently teaching him to shake hands with both forelegs. When I began this adventure, I did not offer any treat at all, but simply asked him to pick up his front leg on the side of his body at which I was currently standing. At the same time I was asking with a snap of my finger, I said "shake" and touched the outside of his fetlock with my boot. As SOON as he even so much as moved his foot to comply, I stopped asking and petted him and stroked his neck and said "good boy". As a creature of habit, I was soon able to just say the phrase "shake" and snap my fingers and he would start to pick up his foot. At the point where he would pick it up a couple of inches, I would reach down as soon as he lifted it and pick it up in my hand and praise him.

Now, the next step was to simply say "Poncho, shake" and have him willingly lift his foot to me and place it in my hand. From the very first successful attempt, I began giving him a reward (treat), which encouraged him to do this EVERY TIME I requested it.

The problem lies in him ANTICIPATING the treat and reaching for my hand with his teeth. When he does this, I smack him on the nose to discourage this behavior and say "NO!" The use of treats is not the problem in training. The problem is the lack of discipline when the horse exhibits a negative behavior relative to offering or expecting a treat.

What you should know about cat health

Contrary to what we common hear that a cat has nine lives, cats are actually very vulnerable creatures and do not have nine lives. If you cat is sick, then he or she could die from such illness and would never come back. There is not such thing as cats having nine lives so if you have cat, you should know about cat health and learn to take care of your cat.

Learning about cat health would require a little effort from you part. However, if you really love you cat and would like to keep it healthy, you should spend some time learning how to take care of it. Now, where does one find literatures and reading materials about cat health? There are many books about cats that you can easily find in the libraries and bookstores. Most of these books would give some practical ideas about your cat’s needs. You can also find many write-ups online on how to take care of your car. There are even websites that are devoted solely on the topic of cats and how to take care of them. Most of these websites are really very informative and useful.

What are the things that you should focus on when learning about cat health? If you have the luxury of time to read and learn about cats, you can finish the whole book about cats but if you are pressed for time and would like to get back to work, you can just focus on the most important things that you should know about cats namely, their diet, their habits and their need for exercise. You should make sure that you learn a lot about what cats should eat since good diet contributes much to the well-being of your cat. Learning about their habits could also help co-exist harmoniously with your cat.