Hi. I noticed today that my baby ig of about 6 - 7 months old has lost one of its back fins/spines/spikes whatever you call them. It was on the middle part of his back, where his torso was thickest. I have no idea how this could have happened as everything in the terrarium is pretty safe and has smoothedges on all the shelves.

I'm a little sad over this. I'm hoping that the spine will grow back?

I can't find the spine of course it is so small and the cage so big.

Has you ig shed at all since you have had him? They can retain skin on thier spikes which can cause them to fall off (as far as I know - plz correct me if I'm wrong). Godz used to love me gently easing the skin off of his spikes after his shed. I could stand theere for ages just twiggling them gently in my fingers and eventually, they would all have an outer casing come away from them with a littlt bit of skin on the end. Maybe some of the more seasoned keepers can offer you better advice though. Could you not ring the vets for some advice over the phone (ie - do you need to put cream on it?)

Yes its only been 2 and a half weeks and he's shed a few times.
He was seriously malnourished at the pet shop and all skin and bones and NO UV at all. Once he was in my home, he grew thicker and 2 FULL INCHES longer in one week, haven't measured him this week and a half but he sure feels a LOT bigger again in my hand and he is far stronger, clawing and whipping.

It wasn't because of shedding though. I found out where it got hurt. He was taking a shortcut to his basking platform by squeezing himself through the gap between the shelf and the wire mesh of the cage. I just spent the last few hours filling in gaps with pieces of cardboard and rolled up bamboo curtains and my back is aching sp bad. And to top it off he's now seems scared of me even more because I had to grab him and remove him from his platform as I was working on it. So now I haven't done any of the work I was supposed to do today with my mail order business and my mom (who doesn't know I have a pet) is getting on my back about why I don't spend more time with her.

SIGHH........ Am I a bad Ig father??? How on earth you guys manage to let them free roam? I can't even forsee the dangers in a 6 X 4 X 4 foot cage.

My interest now is, will it grow back???

Depends on the amount of damage. My 13 year olds are missing several from when I use to use a leash on them. How far down did it break?

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Jan. 25, 1963 - Sept. 10, 2006 (R.I.P)

All the way to the skin pretty much. It's already healed in that area no bleeding, but there is no spike there. She's a baby still so they are very tiny like sesame seeds, not much room for them to break.

Generally the spikes do not regenerate. Being yours is so young it may come back, you just have to wait and see. However the loss of one spike is no big deal. I have seen them with huge chunks of the spikes gone.

Replover don't beat yourself up. Its hard to foresee everything that these guys can do to get themselves into trouble! They are masters at it! I sometimes wonder how they ever survive in the wild!
The people that allow igs to free roam are doing it with larger igs, not hatchlings. When they are bigger they are a lot tougher and stronger. However you still have to ig proof the room.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I second Merlin.

Don't beat yourself up over it, many, many things like this will happen in the future. It's all part of owning such an exotic pet. Forget about him being scared of you from catching and handling him. That too will happen over and over again. It's all part of building a bond with the iguana.

As Merlin suggested, the iguana is young and has the best chance at this stage for the spike to regrow. If not, you'll always know which iguana is yours! ;-)

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Regards,
Dominick
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"Do you watch too much television? Did you do so as a toddler? Evidence tonight that it could be the cause of learning disorders, like attention deficit and hyperact-Ooooh, a kitty!" - Keith Olbermann

and I reccommend soaking your ig daily during a shed, and using zoo-med "shedding aid" it's a spray on shedding relief kinda deal that keeps the skin moist. It's the equivelent to moistourizing lotion for humans I guess. If you spray a little on your fingers and then massage the spines gently every day it helps a whole bunch.

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-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"