Iguana not growing.

[RandyRhoads]

I bought him about 6 months ago, and he's still tiny. I have a two bulb hood with reptimed uv lights. His diet consists of a combination of squash, peas, romaine lettuce, straberries, collard greens, and bannanas. I mist his enclosure every morning keeping it nice and steamy. I used blue iguana calcium supplements up until a month ago. I know he should be growing rapidly, why is he not growing at all?

The last 2 are of my adults (who is doing great) sunning cage.

[RandyRhoads]

Bump. No one sees anything wrong with this setup or has any idea why he isn't growing?

[NennaMeerkat]

I dunno enough about iguanas but would adding some protein in his diet via crickets get him growing? Or some veggie protein such as beans?

[youngster]

I don't know the first thing about iguanas but every individual is different so maybe he just has a different growth pattern. I'm 13 but I'm only 4' 9" and I'm totally healthy. That's my opinion but I don't really know anything about iguanas.

[vendettaseve]

Romaine lettuce is sort of meh for reptiles. I dont know alot about Iguanas mind you, Im more of a Beardy guy. Id suggest some Dandelion or Mustard greens to replace the Romaine.

[marionsclan]

I bought him about 6 months ago, and he's still tiny. I have a two bulb hood with reptimed uv lights. His diet consists of a combination of squash, peas, romaine lettuce, straberries, collard greens, and bannanas. I mist his enclosure every morning keeping it nice and steamy. I used blue iguana calcium supplements up until a month ago. I know he should be growing rapidly, why is he not growing at all?

The last 2 are of my adults (who is doing great) sunning cage.

Love the sunning cage. Now even though I know nothing about Iguanas, I've looked around the net and found this link about size and hope it will make you feel a bit more comfortable: Size Doesn't Matter (http://anapsid.org/iguana/sizematters.html)

Another link is a detailed diet plan which gives the type of food, what it contains, and what supplements to use with it: "MK Diet" Composition (http://anapsid.org/iguana/mkdietanalysis.html)

One thing that I've read is that Iguanas can't chew their food so everything needs to be mashed enough so the tummy can handle digestion. I assume you knew that because your other Iguanas look great. Well, if nothing else, I've learned a bit more about them. Good luck and sorry if I wasn't of any help.

[youngster]

Hey look I was right, size doesn't matter! :P

[vendettaseve]

Hey look I was right, size doesn't matter! :P


Your not old enough to make that joke yet.

[youngster]

Your not old enough to make that joke yet.

HAHAHAHA! I swear that was a coincidence! I didn't even make the connection

[RandyRhoads]

Your not old enough to make that joke yet.

LMAO. I thought that's what he meant at first but I think he was refering to his height.

From what i've heard Mellissa Kaplan is a joke so I wont even waste my time with that site. Green Iguana Society (http://www.greenigsociety.org) seems to be a great site. I switched his diet off of anything with oxalates or phytates. Crickets are a big no-no Nenna. Normally I cut the food up pretty small. The Romaine lettuce is very seldom, mainly when i'm broke it's the cheapest thing for the ammount you get.

I hope someone who knows alot about them comes along :confused: Maybe the size doesn't matter but from what i've read and I think someone posted on here they should grow at least an inch a month when young and cared for properly.

[Dehlida]

Lettuce is garbage, ditch that and feed better greens. Also, if he's not growing at all, despite lots of food offered and the proper temps/humidity- have you ruled out the possibility of parasites? Most iguanas are wild caught and are loaded with parasites. A simple treatment may clear it up.

[marionsclan]

From what i've heard Mellissa Kaplan is a joke so I wont even waste my time with that site.

Based on what I've read across the forums, the word on MK varies. Some find her information very helpful and others totally oppose it, however, keeping that in mind I only linked the dietary breakdown, which is research based and consistent with other foods, that way you can check to see if your diet is balanced. I mean the diet of your Iguana. hahaha

[RandyRhoads]

Lettuce is garbage, ditch that and feed better greens. Also, if he's not growing at all, despite lots of food offered and the proper temps/humidity- have you ruled out the possibility of parasites? Most iguanas are wild caught and are loaded with parasites. A simple treatment may clear it up.


Once again, it's a selom last resort, and it's romaine not iceberg so it's not complete trash. I haven't thought of parasites i'm not familiar with iguanas and parasites. What kind could it be and what type of treatment can be given? Him being wild caught would explain his apprehensive behaviour despite holding and hand feeding.

[Dehlida]

Once again, it's a selom last resort, and it's romaine not iceberg so it's not complete trash. I haven't thought of parasites i'm not familiar with iguanas and parasites. What kind could it be and what type of treatment can be given? Him being wild caught would explain his apprehensive behaviour despite holding and hand feeding.
There is a commercially available parasite killer used for farm animals and the like that many will use in very small doses for reptiles to treat them. I forget what it's called though and will need to look it up.

[RandyRhoads]

There is a commercially available parasite killer used for farm animals and the like that many will use in very small doses for reptiles to treat them. I forget what it's called though and will need to look it up.


And this is safe to use on them? Anyone with experience with this know the dosage/location to buy?

[reptile65]

There is a commercially available parasite killer used for farm animals and the like that many will use in very small doses for reptiles to treat them. I forget what it's called though and will need to look it up.

Panacur???

[Dehlida]

Panacur???
Winner, I actually mentioned the name in a conversation earlier while talking to someone and didn't even realize. LOL

[RandyRhoads]

How would you dose a reptile?

[Dehlida]

How would you dose a reptile?
I've always just put a little tiny bit directly into the mouth, like, less than a drop.

[RandyRhoads]

Is it a one time deal, or daily for a while?

[SpOoKy]

Exclusive Dragons - Drug Calculations for Reptiles (http://www.exclusivedragons.com/DoseCalculation.html)

Hopefully this can help with dosage calculations. I personally have never had to use it (knock on wood) but I have it bookmarked in case I needed it.

Not sure if it is the same for iguana's and beardies though, you may want to read through it a little more.

[Snakefood]

when hubby and I had our girl, we fed her a mash mix that we chopped very fine in the food proccessor in big batches, mixed and froze it in daily portions. we based it in some kind of squash and added parsley and kale (really cheap) carrots, yams, and added a bag of frozen peas. This we would warm up in a bowl of hot water. Misty would ATTACK her bowl of this every day of her life!! We also provided another bowl of greens which contained the different lettuces and greens. If you go to a produce store, they will usually have boxes somewhere (just ask) of thier "throw aways" the outer leaves of lettuces, cauliflower, broccolli, cabbages,ect. We would go twice per week and grab a couple big bage of the best stuff, so on the most part her greens were free.

Using this method we kept misty at aprox 30 lbs and (6') for the whole 5 yrs we had her (we got her full grown froma friends mom and kept her till her death) and did it all very inexpensively too!! (considering ow much she ate)

PS- if we did not warm up the mash, she would hardly touch it. It definately smelled more when heated, so maybe that could be the trick??

[siz]

I have two green iguanas - hopefully I can be of some help. I'm no expert on Iguana iguana by any means though.

First I'd like to say you shouldn't dose your animal by yourself. I suggest take a fecal sample to a vet for a float, to see if there are any parasites in his stool. Your vet can then give appropriate medication, Panacur is one of them. I would definitely recommend doing this if you know he is wild caught.

The best foods for Iguana iguana include squashes such as Butternut, Acorn, and Kabocha, alfalfa, green beans, dandelion, collard, and turnip greens, papaya, banana, mango...I feed my iguanas these foods along with other fruits and veggies for a little variety. I do feed my iguana lettuce, it has lots of water in it if nothing else, which isn't a bad thing IF you have lots of other nutritious foods in it's diet. This is my favourite iguana-related website:
Food Information Chart (http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm) You've likely seen this if you've been on Green Iguana Society (good site) but I'll reference it because it is awesome, haha.

However, you adults look quite healthy from what I can see...and it sounds like you have your feeding down...is your iguana lethargic? You mentioned UV lighting but not heat lights, do you have one? What are the temps in your enclosure? Does he bask under his UV? How MUCH do you feed him daily? Did you have your other iguana that young?

Both of my iguanas are rescues, and the younger one had Metabolic Bone Disease. He is quite small as well - to say "size doesn't matter" applies more to adult igs than a juvi than should really have a healthy growth rate. To say it simply, he is sick, so he doesn't grow properly.

PS...Love the outdoor enclosure!