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Iguana weight issues. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

J

JessiJ

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I have a male blue iguana who is about a year and a half old. We bought him and he was under-weight. Finally about a month after, the started gaining some weight and then lost it again. Ever since then he has been underweight and no matter how much I feed him, he just wont gain it. He's eating healthy and everything just not gaining anything. I dust his food with calcium every time I feed him adn i feed him 2-3 times daily on lettuce and dandelions plus random other fruits and veggies I have at the time. Someone please tell me if there is a way to put weight on him? I really love him and don't want to lose him.
 
Iguana Weight Issues

Hi,

I would suggest feeding only calcium rich greens like collards, mustards, dandelions chicory etc. lettuce really has no food value for them. Do you have UVB lighting? Have you brought him for a well check at the vets? with a fecal exam for parasites...that could cause the weight issue. Good luck with your baby. Lyn
 
We have a 100w UVB bulb and we brought him to the vet when we first got him. They just told us to use the powder. I'm trying to get him in again as soon as possible. Ill have to try changing up his diet like you said. Thank you so much.
 
I would tend to agree with zelda1lyn. You could also give him some zoo-med iguana food in a can. This stuff is real good to get the weight back up. I would tend to think if he is eating good, and has UV lighting, it would probably be parasites like zelda1lyn said. However a vet visit would be best.
 
oh really? I was told that the canned food was no good for them thats why i wasnt trying it. But if itll help ill start feeding him that.
 
I like the can food that zoo-meds has. Iguanas that of poor weight will gain on this stuff. I am also very glad to help! :)
 
Make sure the canned food or any other pelleted food doesn't have animal proteins in it. Some of them do. Do you have full spectrum lighting on the animal? That is very important for him. Also, don't feed lettuces. They don't hold much nutrition for them. Feed greens like collards, dandelion, mustard, turnup and some other dark greens as well as a variety of veggies. There is a link below from green ig society of a charton the foods that are good and bad and why. Also, consider taking him to the vet with a fecal sample and see if he has parasites. If so, get him dewormed.


http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm
 
I started researching iguanas and proper diets for them about a year ago. Every site I have come across states that lettuce should only be given very occassionally, if at all. It consists mostly of water and provides very little (if any) nutrition for your iggy.

As for the canned foods, they are made of natural ingredients and vitamins and provide a great source of nutrition. They are also made for iggys and are indeed good for them. The only issue I had with canned food was getting my iggy to eat it. It was different from his regular diet so I think he was having difficulty adjusting to a new diet. But keep up the effort. You will find something that your iggy likes. There are also a lot of sites out there that will provide you with a list of good nutritious food for your iggy. Just type in iguana diet into your search engine, and you will find what you are looking for.

Good luck.

JJobson
 
All lettuce is not bad for iggys. Iceburg is the one that has little food value. Romain is a good choice. :)
 
Here. This is a great site about iggys. This food chart will help you decide what is good and bad to feed your iggy. And romaine isn't the greatest to feed to your iggy. There are plenty of more nutritional greens out there.
 
I agree with dragonsfire on this one. Every site I have visited in regards to iggys recommend you stay away from lettuce as a food choice for your iguana. Even romaine lettuce contains a lot of water, and has very little nutritional value. It is the better of all types of lettuce but again, not very healthy as far as nutrition, proteins, and vitamins go. According to every site I have ever read on the topic, you should only feed your iggy lettuce sparingly, if at all. It should NEVER be a main source of food for your iggy.

Considering I have never found a site that says different, I am going to take their word for it. I also learned a lot about them at work, as I work in a pet store. I also speak to the breeders on a regular basis, so I believe that the information I have gathered, both from the internet and my contacts at work is accurate, considering it is all the same.
 
I have the same problem with my male. He eats a little her and there but is still healthy and active and strong as a horse. If it gets to the point where the bas of the tail where the hip bones are begins to lose weight and shrink vet visit is a must. But if he's a bit ribby and still good weight at the bas of the tale and eating (even a bite or two) and pooping daily you should be good. My ig from day one has never gorged himself on his food. I have been meaning to try out Repcal for my Ig but havent yet.
 
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