Green iguana grooming and care

By John Gaskell, AnimalForum.com staff

Wash your iguana regularly in the sink or, if he is too large, the tub. It's good for their skin and if you bathe him in standing water, is good exercise, as they will swim. Some pointers though: They will poop, so be prepared! Disinfect your sink or tub afterwards. Wear gloves, because they often don't appreciate going into the tub!

Clip your iguana's nails regularly. Simply buy a pair of average top nail clippers and clip below the wick of the nail. The wick is where the nail turns from opaque to a murky translucent. If, for some reason, you happen to make your iguana bleed, put silver nitrate or flour on it.

Sometimes during a shed, I would suggest using Shed Ease (especially if you're living in a dry climate like me here in Denver) to help loosen the skin and allow for a less stressful shedding.

Nothing helps the appearance of your iguana like a good diet and some natural sunlight. So if you really want to bring out the beauty of your iguana, take him out in the sun (when possible) for at least 30 minutes a week and feed him a good variety of fresh veggies (squash, cucumber, variety of greens, spinach, etc.). Also invest in a good fluorescent bulb and change it a minimum of once a year, but I would suggest every six months since their ability to produce UV-B rays declines rapidly after that time.