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Iguana Health Care
Veterinary Care
Veterinarians tend to be a little-used resource among iguana owners.
There are indeed a growing number of veterinarians who specialize
in reptiles and amphibians, and their help can sometimes be invaluable.
Virtually no illnesses that your iguana may contract are easily
cured without the help of a veterinarian. There are medicines
and recommended dosages for herps, and veterinarians can prescribe
them for your iguana. I highly recommend finding a veterinarian
in your area long before you have a problem with your iguana.
I also recommend yearly check-ups, because sometimes a veterinarian
can spot a problem that you may miss. You can also call your veterinarian
if you need advice. Most will be happy to talk to you on the phone
about your iguana if you have a question.
In addition, I do not recommend that you visit a veterinarian
that does not specialize in herps. If you do not know if any of
the veterinarians in your area are knowledgeable about herps,
check the Yellow Pages and make some calls. Often times the person
you talk to at one veterinarian's office can refer you
to another veterinarian.
Quarantine
It is very important to quarantine new iguanas, as well as all
other herps. If you purchase a new iguana, it is possible that
it harbors either internal or external parasites, or even a virus
or other disease of some kind. It is a good idea to keep new iguanas
in their own, separate cages until it can be reasonably determined
that they are healthy. They should be inspected daily for external
parasites, and even if none are observed for a couple of weeks,
it is always possible that eggs are present somewhere and that
they may yet hatch. If no external parasites are observed for
about four weeks, it is pretty safe to say that the lizard is
mite-free. You should also take your new iguana in for an appointment
at the vet, because veterinarians are very experienced in spotting
problems with iguanas and he or she might notice a problem that
you missed. You should definitely take a fecal sample with you,
so your vet can check for internal parasites. If any exist, the
iguana should be treated and re-checked before it is introduced
to your other iguana(s).
In general, you should quarantine any new iguanas that you may
purchase for at least six weeks before introducing them to your
established iguanas. During this quarantine period, you should
check for both internal and external parasites, and observe the
iguana daily to make sure that he or she is acting normal. Do
not introduce any new specimens to your established specimens
unless you are pretty sure that the new ones are healthy.
External Parasites
You should check your iguana daily for any strange physical appearance.
One thing you should check for are external parasites. Iguanas
do not have keeled, or "spiky", scales so they do
not usually harbor many external parasites. (Also called mites.)
But around the spines and head they sometimes do pop up. These
mites will simply look like little bugs. They can be black or
red. They must be removed as soon as you notice them. You can
remove the ones you see by squashing them, but that is a very
slow process as there may be hundreds of mites present, all laying
hundreds of eggs.
If you do find mites on your iguana you must buckle down with
your cleaning duties. Your iguana's enclosure should be
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. You may use a bleach solution
(one part bleach to ten parts water) for disinfection, and you
must rinse those areas thoroughly after cleaning. You must clean
all branches, rocks, substrates, bowls and dishes. I then recommend
first bathing your iguana to drown as many mites as you can right
away. It will be impossible to get them all that way, as you cannot
submerge your iguana for any length of time. But it is a start.
You can then purchase a Pest Strip from your hardware store, home
and garden store, or variety store. It will look like a yellow
block of plastic. You should avoid direct contact with this substance.
You can place it either inside or outside the iguana's
enclosure, but make sure that, wherever you put it, the iguana
cannot come into contact with it. If your iguana lives in a small
cage, you might want to cut off a very small strip of it and place
it in a margarine tub with holes in the top. You need not leave
the strip in or around the cage at all times; rather, you could
use it for a few days, then remove it, and then repeat the treatment
each week for about a month. There is some speculation that even
if your iguana can not contact the strip, the fumes it gives off
are water soluble and could contaminate your iguana's water
supply. Change your iguana's water frequently when using
a Pest Strip, use as little of the strip as is necessary, and
do not leave it in the cage at all times.
Another messy, but effective way to eradicate mites on iguanas
is to douse them with olive oil. I use a kitchen brush type baster
to coat their bodies with the oil. It is like a prolonged bath
because it drowns the mites. If you use this method, be very careful
not to get any oil into the nostrils. I stop using the olive oil
when I get right behind the eyes. Because you are not coating
the entire body, it is not 100% effective, but it has proven to
kill large numbers of mites. I like to coat my lizards in the
evening, and then bathe them in the morning.
Internal Parasites
Your local reptile veterinarian can diagnose internal parasites
with a fecal sample. If your iguana is acting peculiar, typically
not eating or acting lazier than normal, it could be due to internal
parasites. They can take control inside your iguana's alimentary
canal and steal away the essential nutrients that your iguana
eats. If your veterinarian finds parasite eggs in your iguana's
feces, he or she can prescribe medicine that will easily take
care of the problem. If you have multiple iguanas and only one
of them is diagnosed as having internal parasites, you should
keep that one away from the others until the parasites are eradicated.
Usually, if one iguana is diagnosed with internal parasites and
it has been living in the same quarters as another iguana, both
will be given the medicine. This is one good reason for yearly
check-ups: sometimes you will not know if your iguana has contracted
an internal parasite, but a quick fecal analysis will reveal it
right away and treatment is rather easy.
Sneezing
Your iguana may sneeze quite often. In most iguanas this is a
normal behavior. Iguanas do not sweat as humans do, so they do
not excrete salt through their skin. Instead, they do it by sneezing.
There is no need to alter the salt content of your iguana's
diet if it seems to be sneezing a lot or hardly at all. If you
house your iguana in a glass enclosure, you will find white spots
on the glass. This is simply what your iguana sneezes out. It
cleans up relatively easily.
However, iguanas can also contract respiratory infections. This
can happen when your iguana is not breathing clean air, such as
air surrounding a dusty substrate, and when it is kept in cool
conditions. If your iguana breathes loudly, possibly with its
mouth open, it might have a respiratory ailment and you should
consult a veterinarian. Bubbles or liquid outside the nose and
mouth can also be indicative of a respiratory infection. If you
ever suspect your iguana to be ill, always keep it a little warmer
than usual.
Tail Loss
Your iguana might at some time in its life lose part of its tail.
In the wild, this serves as a defense mechanism against predators.
If a bird or other animal grabs the iguana's tail, the
tail can actually drop off and even wiggle for several seconds
to distract the predator while the iguana gets away. In captivity,
iguanas lose their tails only by accident. You should never grab
your iguana by the tail because it will break off. Tails usually
do grow back but they do not look like the original tail. In most
cases it is a dull brown, has different-looking scales than the
rest of the tail, and it never grows back quite as long as the
original tail. If your iguana's tail does break off, you
may try to keep the area clean but you should not have to do anything
other than that. It should grow back on its own. But if you suspect
that your iguana is having problems following tail loss, consult
a veterinarian.
Burns
Thermal burns are relatively frequent for iguanas in captivity,
mainly due to the use of "hot rocks". As is discussed
in the Heating and Lighting section, "hot rocks";
are no longer considered by most herpetoculturists to be safe
ways of heating your iguana's enclosure. Iguanas can also
burn themselves on lights that are used for heating. Lights should
not be placed inside the cage; rather, they should be positioned
outside the cage so they can shine into the cage. Most burns are
relatively minor and can be treated with a triple antibiotic ointment.
If the burn seems to be very bad, you may wish to consult your
veterinarian. In general, if your iguana is still acting normally
(eating, pooping, etc.) the only thing you should concern yourself
with is applying ointment to the burn. If you think the burn might
be serious, if your iguana is still acting normally, it will probably
be just fine. Never hesitate to contact a veterinarian, however,
if you are in doubt.
Nose Abrasions
Nose wounds are common in many lizards that are housed in cages
that have wire or screen on the sides. If your iguana is unhappy
with its cage, it may spend much of its time rubbing its nose
against the sides, trying to escape. Some lizards rub their noses
against the cage so often that their flesh is rubbed away clear
to the bone. If your iguana is exhibiting this behavior, you might
want to consider making some changes with its cage. Often times,
this behavior is indicative of a cage that is too small, or one
that is not tall enough and does not have ample climbing space.
You must try to make your iguana as happy as possible, and if
it is cutting its nose on the sides of its cage, you must make
changes. As with general wounds, (discussed next) all you can
really do to help your iguana's nose to heal is to keep
it clean. If the abrasion seems to be very bad, you may wish to
consult your veterinarian.
Wounds and Abscesses
Iguanas sometimes wound themselves with their acrobatic antics.
Iguanas frequently break their toes and pull out claws when they
leap through the air, and those injuries are not considered to
be very serious. Iguanas can also break legs, however, and if
your iguana begins to limp or begins to move strangely in some
other way, it needs medical attention.
Iguanas can also get scratches. Usually, scratches are the result
of contact with other iguanas, but they can also happen accidentally
in other ways. If your iguana has a scratch, all you can do is
keep the wound clean. You can use Betadine scrub, hydrogen peroxide
or alcohol. These do not need to be used at their full strengths,
so you may dilute them with water. If the wound is very deep,
you may wish to consult your veterinarian to see if stitches are
in order. But generally, for minor wounds and burns, by keeping
the area clean you can fend off infection and the wounds will
heal fine.
Sometimes, what started out as a minor cut or puncture can turn
into an abscess. Basically, this is just a pus filled, infected
lump. If you ever find any lumps on your iguana, you must seek
medical attention. In the case of abscesses, the lump should be
drained and antibiotics should be administered. The sooner attention
is given to abscesses, the better.
Constipation
Most iguanas generally defecate every day or every other day.
Others do so twice daily, and still others regularly skip two
days. If it seems as though your iguana has not been pooping as
often as it should, your first response can be to soak it in a
bathtub with lukewarm water. This action
will sometimes stimulate iguanas to defecate within a few minutes
or up to a half an hour or more. Another option is manual palpation.
The abdomen of the iguana can be gently squeezed which can cause
defacation. This should be done gently, and if you are unsure
about performing this option, it is best if you consult an experienced
iguana owner or a veterinarian. If your iguana refuses to defecate
for prolonged periods of time, and definitely if it is not acting
as it normally would, please consult a veterinarian. There may
be a blockage within the iguana's digestive tract that
needs to be removed.
Food Refusal
There are a myriad of reasons why your iguana may be refusing
to eat. It could be a psychological problem, physiological problem,
or even both. One common solution to the problem is raising the
temperature of the iguana's enclosure. Many people tend
to keep their iguanas at temperatures that are too cool for them,
and consequently, abnormal behavior ensues.Many times, correcting the
temperature will motivate an iguana to start feeding. In addition,
most iguanas will eat voraciously in the summer months, and then
slow down considerably during the winter months. If the weather
outside is cooling off, your iguana might just be entering its
own version of hibernation, where it cuts down on food intake
until spring.
If those things are not the problem, stress could be the culprit.
Is your iguana's enclosure in a heavily trafficked area?
Sometimes iguanas do not respond well to much human activity around
their cages. You might try moving the enclosure to the corner
of a room, or simply away from the most highly trafficked areas.
This may reduce your iguana's stress levels. An improper
photoperiod can also bother iguanas.
Do you keep the overhead light on in your iguana's room
24 hours a day? Iguanas need darkness at night in order to get
enough rest and relaxation, just as most people do. Try to work
the room that your iguana is in around your iguana. If something
in the room bothers him, you must change it if you want a healthy
and happy iguana.
Finally, your iguana might be ill. Internal parasites, external
parasites, any kind of bacterial or fungal infection, as well
as most other illnesses will cause your iguana to go off feed.
As an iguana owner, you must begin to realize that commonly, the
only symptom your sick iguana will present to you is food refusal.
Once an iguana, or any reptile or amphibian, stops eating, there
is definitely a problem at hand. Remember, anorexia (food refusal)
is not a disease, it is a symptom of some other problem. If your
iguana stops eating, you must immediately make some changes. If
you suspect your iguana is physically ill, a veterinarian's
assistance is usually all that can help. Please do not hesitate
to contact one in your area. Sometimes, just a quick fecal analysis
can pinpoint the problem and just two doses of medicine can get
your iguana up and running again.
Lethargy
Similar to anorexia, lethargy in iguanas is a symptom of a larger
problem. It usually accompanies disease. If your iguana seems
listless, please review the nutrition and general care sections
of this booklet. First, adjust temperature, lighting and diet,
and if your iguana does not perk up, I recommend an immediate
trip to the vet. He or she can almost immediately determine if
your iguana is suffering from a disease related to hypocalcemia, and
a quick blood test can tell very much about your iguana's
health. Please act quickly with both anorexia and lethargy, as
iguanas are very good at masking their problems. When a symptom
becomes visible to you, any disease your iguana suffers from is
probably in its more advanced stages. Luckily, most diseases can
be completely reversed if caught in time and if a proper course
of action is taken, and large doses of TLC (Tender Loving Care)
and perseverance can help bring your iguana back to good health.
Metabolic Bone Disease
The most common nutritional ailment among iguanas in captivity
is metabolic bone disease (MBD), or fibrous osteodystrophy. If
you follow the diet and temperature guidelines in this booklet,
your iguana should not suffer from this sickness. However, I would
like to give you a rundown of what the symptoms of MBD are, so
that you can spot them quickly.
When an iguana has MBD, it does not have enough calcium in the
blood due to a calcium poor diet. When the iguana's blood
cannot get enough calcium from the food it eats, it starts to
take calcium from the bones. This results in the bones becoming
soft. If your iguana starts breaking its bones easily, it could
be indicative of MBD. However, there are other signs that usually
develop before broken bones. One sign is a "crooked"
back. If your iguana's spine seems to be bent, no matter
what position it is in, it might be curving due to MBD. Another
symptom is lack of toe use. If your iguana's toes twitch
frequently (this is called tetany) or don't seem to be
very strong, it could also be indicative of MBD. Perhaps the two
most common symptoms are the swelling of the limbs and the jaw.
If your iguana is appearing "muscle-bound"; in its
limbs but it hasn't changed its exercise routine, it could
be due to the body's attempt to strengthen the weak bones
by surrounding them with a fibrous tissue. Iguanas' lower
jaws can also become swollen or appear to be "caved in"
when they get very weak. If the mouth does not close all the way,
it could be indicative of MBD. Also, sometimes the jaw will appear
to be normal, but be soft. A very gentle squeezing of the jaw
can be done to tell if the jaw does not seem to be well calcified.
MBD is a reversible disease, especially when caught early. Your
veterinarian will easily be able to tell if your iguana is suffering
from MBD, and can help you nurse it back to health. The most common
"cure" is simply a change to a better diet, more
exposure to unfiltered sunlight, and calcium injections are sometimes
administered.
Salmonellosis
Salmonella is a bacteria that is present in the gut of about 90% of
reptiles. It usually lives there happily and harmlessly, just as its
cousin E. coli lives in the gut of humans. As a matter of fact,
many humans harbor small amounts of salmonella as well. However,
salmonella in larger amounts, especially in the young and the elderly, can
be extremely dangerous, even deadly. Therefore, it is important that you
practice good hygiene when there are reptiles present in your household.
After handling your iguana or items from your iguana's cage, you should always
wash your hands (preferably with an anti-bacterial soap, but regular soap
seems to work just as well) to prevent further spread of the bacteria.
In addition, you should keep your iguana's cage clean and bathe your iguana on
a regular basis to keep its skin free of debris such as feces which spreads
the bacteria. Salmonella is not comonly transmitted from iguanas to humans,
but it does happen occasionally. Many adults can fight off the bacteria
without treatment, as many people generally think that they have a 24-hour
flu. But young children and the elderly are particularly prone to becoming
sick from the bacteria, and it can be fata. Therefore, it is extremely
important that you make sure guests wash their hands after handling your
iguana, and that you do the same, to avoid transmittance of the bacteria.
It is not usually necessary to treat iguanas for salmonella. Actually,
unless there is a problem (salmonella in excess is simply an internal parasite;
see iguanas should
not be treated for salmonella. It is best to leave the small amount of
bacteria inside the iguana and simply practice good hygiene.
Summary
You must inspect your iguana every day for changes in its appearance
or behavior. If it starts acting lethargic or stops eating, there
is almost definitely a medical problem that must be addressed.
Nutritional problems are reversible through change in diet. It
is extremely important that you offer your iguana a varied diet
to avoid nutritional problems. Physical injuries usually heal
just fine as long as they are attended to. Overall, do not neglect
your iguana. Even if you are extremely busy with work or school,
you must take a few minutes every day to look your iguana over.
It will help you spot problems, and it will also work to keep
your iguana tame. Healthy, friendly iguanas can be great pets,
so let's keep them that way!!!