What You Should Feed a Pet Iguana

Before considering buying an iguana as a pet, think about how much they have grown. They will need a large area for housing, but feeding the iguana is not as scary as other exotic pets; they are 100% herbivores. That said many of the health problems associated with catchable iguanas can be due to poor diet.

The mouth of the iguanas is not designed to chew, they tear or tear their food so attention should be given to considering what to eat.

There are some commercial foods available for iguanas but these should not be eaten as a major part of the diet. The daily diet should consist of fresh salads, vegetables and fruits with some added benefits.

The iguana diet should consist of about 80% of vegetables, you can provide a variety of foods but the following should be basic as it has the best nutritional value, collard greens, green beans, okra, sugar snap peas, squash and water

Fruits should form about 20%, the best are raspberries, mangoes, apples, blackberries, bananas and papaya.

Other foods that can be given more include; asparagus, bell pepper, bok choy, alfalfa, celery, cucumber, dandelion vegetables, okra, mustard greens, parsley, turnip vegetables, grapes, melons, peaches, pears, strawberries and watermelons.

Do not eat salads as they have no nutritional value and ice cream in particular should be avoided; Iguana love it and can start to turn their noses on other nutritious foods on offer.

Iguana have a slow metabolism and they need heat, bacteria and UV light to digest food. I recommend feeding in the morning because your pet will be able to digest the warm daytime temperatures that need to be maintained. Proper heat and lighting are also important for the health of the iguana but will be discussed in another article.

MBD (metabolic bone disease) is the Iguana that captures the major diseases. It is usually caused by the wrong nutrition in the diet. Swelling of body parts, loss of appetite and general fatigue are common symptoms. MBD is basically a calcium deficiency and is usually the result of poor diet, lack of UV rays and incorrect temperatures. Being treated early enough in most cases of MBD will cause no long term health problems but researching your pet's needs is the best way to avoid health problems. The right UV light and temperature combined with the right diet and vitamin / calcium supplements will ensure your pet has the best chance of a long and happy life.

Visit iguana's food and supplements to learn more about what feeds these great creatures.

------------------