Iguana is an animal that belongs to the reptile specie and it looks similar to the lizards but is large in size. They range from 1.5 to 1.8 m that is approximately 5 to 6 feet in length. Their bodies are covered with scales that are available in a variety of colours.
They are known to have a powerful vision and sense of smell. As we know iguana is a solitary creature which means they love to stay alone and do not like to get disturbed.
Iguana have large cages which need to clean every now and then so that the iguanas can live a healthy and happy life.
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Why it is important to clean the cage of an iguana?
We know that in order to live a happy and a healthy life it is very important to maintain the hygiene of the cage of the iguana. The reason being is that the iguana spends most of the time in their cage, so for their well- being we need to clean their cage properly.
If you do not clean the cage of the iguana properly they will develop lots of healthy issues and this will lead to infections and diseases. So make sure that the cage of the iguana is cleaned properly and that too on regular basis so that the iguana can live in a healthy and a clean environment and that is the reason that it is so important to clean the cage of the iguana.
How often you should clean the cage of the iguana?
Ideally you should you should clean your Iguana’s cage every 3-4 weeks. Although, you can clean the cage with following phases. The cage of the iguana should be cleaned in 3 phases:
Daily Cleanings
In this, you need to clean your cage daily so that your pet is not stressed. In this phase, you have to clean food and water dishes daily.
You also have to clean the poop daily and also wipe the spilt food so that the unwanted odour is eliminated and the iguana also stays healthy inside the cage.
Weekly Cleaning
The owner is advised to have a proper clean-up of the cage once in a week. As there are some places that you cannot clean daily so you can clean it once in a week.
In this cleaning, you can wipe the surfaces carefully so you can disinfectant the surfaces and all the infection is wiped off. In the weekly cleaning, you can remove the decayed plants from the cage and the dirty substrate should be replaced.
While doing the weekly cleaning you can temporarily remove the iguana from the cage and clean it, so that the surroundings are not much disturbed.
Monthly Cleanings
Once a month it is recommended to thoroughly clean the cage and this type of cleaning is not frequently needed for some of the iguanas if the above mentioned two cleanings are done properly.
For monthly cleaning, everything should be removed from the habitat and all the surfaces should be properly scrubbed off. In this cleaning, all the substrate should be removed and should be replaced by a new one. After removing the stuff clean the cage properly and let it dry for some time.
Now also remove the iguana from the cage to another box for some time and by that time you can clean the cage properly and if you want to add a new item or toy in the cage you can do so. After putting everything inside the cage, put your iguana back inside the cage.
By following all the three phases mentioned above you can now understand when and how often you need to clean the cage of the iguana and how important it is to clean the cage of the iguana clean.
Understanding the proper timings and clean properly can give the iguana a refreshed environment inside the cage.
Disinfecting the cage
When you bring or add new things in the environment of the cage of the iguana you need to disinfect that as the surfaces of those items might be covered with parasites, viruses, etc. that is not good for your iguana. Even when you clean the surfaces of the cage then also you need to disinfect them.
The steps for disinfection
The following steps need to be followed for disinfecting so that the proper cleaning is done for the cage of the iguana:
- To disinfect any movable surface, you need to soak that surface in the diluted disinfectant. It is recommended to use the disinfectant that is safe for children or is safe for kitchen surfaces.
- Do not use bleach for disinfecting purpose. If just in case you do not have any other disinfectant then dilute it properly and after disinfecting with bleach put the items or surfaces in the fresh water and keep them for sun drying for at least 12 hours.
- While disinfecting the cage make sure the iguana is not inside the cage and keep it away from the cage.
- Return the iguana inside the cage when the cage is properly disinfected and the cage is dried properly.
Disinfecting the cage is an important part of cleaning the cage properly as it will remove all the infection from the cage and will be quite helpful in keeping your iguana safe and healthy from the disease-carrying bacteria.
Things to be kept in mind while cleaning the cage
The following points need to be kept in mind while cleaning the cage properly:-
- You have to unplug all the light bulbs and also all the electric accessories. Also, let the bulbs cool down before you clean them.
- You have to throw away any poop from the cage and disinfect the place properly so that no germs are present there.
- For daily cleaning of the cage, you can use the homemade cage cleaner i.e. cider vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (that should be diluted 1:1). You can gently clean the cage with this solution.
- Remove the substrate like carpet, paper or any other substrate that is used in the tank. If you have carpet as substrate wash it with hot soapy water and hang dry it in the sun. Always keep a spare carpet inside the cage if you are washing one of it.
- Clean all the accessories of the cage weekly so that if there is an infection it can be removed from the cage.
All these points should be kept in mind while you are cleaning the cage of the iguana properly and also it will make your cleaning schedule quite easy.
More: How to Trim Iguana Nails?
You should be very careful while cleaning the cage of the iguana as everything needs to be cleaned and disinfected. Though cleaning may take some time, it will be worth doing that and your iguana will be healthy and will stay stress-free in a clean environment inside the cage.
Summary:
The iguana loves to stay alone so you should make sure that the environment in which they will dwell should be neat and clean and the cage should be cleaned properly.
Everything should be wiped off properly and should be disinfected as the disinfecting the cage is a very important step in cleaning the cage properly.
So you should be active in cleaning the cage and never pass it on to another day if you want that your iguana should stay healthy.
