Before anyone I know that is thinking of getting an iguana as a pet, they always ask me if iguanas smell bad. Some animals can have a very foul odor. This can be very disturbing, especially if you are going to keep it in your house such as iguanas.
Before getting my own iguana, I was asking the same question. So, I decided to do some research online, and here is what I found.
Iguanas usually don’t smell bad, they are actually pretty clean animals with a neutral smell. They usually stay away from dirt and their own feces. However, iguanas can smell bad if they are not given a bath every now and then.
Keeping your iguana from smelling bad isn’t hard as long as you know what to do and when to do it. As long as you are willing to put in the work to ensure your iguana and its enclosure is clean, there shouldn’t be any foul odor.
3 Tips to Keep Your Iguana Odor-Free
As I’ve mentioned, iguanas are relatively clean compared to other animals. This makes your job of keeping them from the bad smell that much easier. Here are 3 tips to achieve exactly that.
Bathing Your Iguana
You should be giving your iguana a bath once every week to prevent foul odor coming from your iguana. However, you can also choose to bathe your iguana daily if you want and have the time to do so.
Iguanas really enjoy the water but do not bathe your iguana for too long. If you have a juvenile iguana, start with a few minutes, and gradually increase it to 30 minutes as it grows older.
When bathing your iguana, you can choose to use a small tub or your own bathtub, just make sure the tub is at least two times the length of the iguana from snout to vent. You don’t want to confine your iguana in a small tub as small spaces can stress iguanas out.
Moreover, you should bathe your iguana in warm water, about 80°F to 85°F. Water that is too hot can injure your iguana and if the water is too cold, your iguana might be immobilized.
Try your best to keep the temperature of the water constant. If it starts to get cold, slowly and carefully add some hot water bit by bit into the tub.
Cleaning Your Iguana’s Cage
Iguanas tend to avoid dirt and feces but if the cage is dirty, they wouldn’t have a choice. Bathing alone isn’t enough to keep your iguana from the bad smell, you need to keep its cage clean too.
Personally, I clean my iguana cage and everything inside it at least once a week with reptile cage disinfectant spray. When cleaning your iguana’s cage, make sure your iguana isn’t in or near the cage, you don’t want any cleaning agent on your iguana.
Some cages such as those made from wood can be a lot harder to clean and smell a lot worse as feces and urine might get soaked in it. I always get a metal cage for any iguana that I own.
To make my life even easier when trying to clean my iguana’s cage, I also put a cage carpet in it which is easily removable.
Keep Your House Clean
Letting your iguana roam freely around the house can be very beneficial for your iguana. However, if your house is not clean, your iguana will pick up all sorts of dirt around your house.
It is very common for iguanas to pick up hair and strings on their toes from the ground when they roam around the house.
Not only does that make the iguana dirty, but it can also cut off blood circulation to their toes. This could lead to amputation if not taken care of promptly.
Reasons Iguanas Might Smell Bad
The most common reason for iguanas to smell bad is when things such as feces and rotten food particles stick onto their skin.
Even though iguanas tend to avoid their feces the best they can, feces could still get stuck onto them every once in a while. When iguanas have feces stuck on them, it can get extremely rancid.
On the other hand, having rotten food particles stuck on your iguana’s skin is a lot less common, especially if you keep it in a cage without letting it out.
Therefore, it is important to bathe your iguana at least once a week to make sure none of the above is stuck on its skin.
Importance of Keeping Your Iguana Clean & Odor Free
When your iguana is odor-free, it means that it’s clean. You don’t want your iguana to be dirty. It could bring you lots of trouble if you don’t clean your iguana regularly.
Here are some things that you could expect from a dirty iguana.
Germs & Infection – Not only will it make your iguana smell bad but it can also attract germs and infection. This can get very dangerous for your iguana if it gets a wound.
Mite Infestation – One of the best ways to prevent mite infestation on your iguana is to give it regular baths. Not only will it keep your iguana clean and odor-free but it will also drown any potential mites on its body.
Should I Use Soap to Clean My Iguana?
You should never use soap or any sort of bubbly water to clean your iguana as it can be dangerous. If there is something stuck on your iguana and you can’t get it off with just warm water, you can use some baby soap.
However, make sure you put it in a separate bowl. Then, use a toothbrush or washcloth to clean it off after dipping into the soapy water.
Be careful and try not to use any soap water anywhere near the sensitive areas on your iguana. These areas include the nose, eyes, mouth, and ears.
Right after you use soap to clean a certain area on your iguana, make sure to rinse your iguana with lukewarm water to make sure all the soap is off.
Conclusion
Iguanas usually do not smell bad as they are relatively clean animals. Just like any animal, they can smell very bad if they are not given a bath every now and then.
Keeping your iguana odor-free isn’t too hard, all you need is a little bit of effort. Also, keeping your iguana clean and odor-free can prevent germs and infection on your iguana.
Lastly, soaking your iguana with soapy water is a big no-no as it could be quite dangerous.
