How to maintain a healthy Iguana - Good diet

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The Green Iguana & Red Iguana

They are the same when it comes to caring for them, foods, etc.... The Red Iguana is nothing more than a color morph of the Green Iguana, however Red Iguana's are commonly known as Honduran Red Iguana's

So, there are a lot of people that want to have an Iguana as a pet, but make they tend to make the mistake of not researching it's dietary needs; so they go by what they have seen or heard in the past and give them just plain old lettuce and think that their Iguana will just grow up nice and healthy.

Now here I will help you with the best way to figure out the Iguanas dietary needs; first off you will need to get a calcium supplement powder called "Rep-Cal". Now this a supplement that you sprinkle onto the Iguana's food once a week, why do they need this supplement you ask?

What Is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)?

Metabolic Bone Disease does not occur in wild iguanas. The term MBD is used to describe any condition in which the reptile’s bones do not contain enough calcium. It is also called nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism or NSHP (even though some of the possible causes are not nutritional), fibrous osteodystrophy or hypocalcemia.

When MBD is detected early, it is quite treatable. However, the majority of cases are brought in to veterinarians much later in the disease when treatment is less successful. Treatment of MBD is aimed at supplying your pet with added calcium and the vitamin D-3 necessary for the iguana to utilize the calcium.

So now you realize why your Iguana needs the "Rep-Cal" supplement, to help avoid MBD.


Now lets discuss the actual dietary food that help to maintain a healthy Iguana; This website http://www.baskingspot.com/iguanas/igbook/ (can click on the url link) is helpful with everything you need to know about your Iguana, and if you click on "Nutritional Content of Fruits and Vegetables" at the bottom of the first page, it will take you to a nutritional guide of foods to feed you Iguana and food to stay away from because of "high phosphorus" levels that the food has. High phosphorus foods should be avoided because they are unhealthy for the iguana.

Now here is a description of what foods and how much should be given to your Iguana

30 - 70% should consist of nutritious solid vegetables

30 - 70% should consist of nutritious leafy greens

5 - 15% should consist of nutritious fruits

0 - 10% should consist of supplemental foods such as grains


Now a food you should never feed your Iguana is

- Spinach

- Broccoli (this one is up for debate, because I've heard it's ok to give them, it's not ok to give them because it causes gas build up in their stomach)(either way it's your choice, I feed my Iguana cut up broccoli pieces once a week and I don't see any issues with my iguana)

Always make sure to give your Iguana freshwater every day in a bowl or something that they can bathe in and drink from. It's long been said that Iguana's will only drink water from the sides of the habitat when you mist it down, but to me it's a load of garbage because I've caught my iguana on many occasions drinking right out the dish that's in her habitat.

Now here's a list of the foods that I feed my Iguana and what day I give her these foods

Monday - cut up mustard greens, cut up collard greens, cut up green/red bell pepper pieces, cut up cucumber pieces, and shredded carrots. (this day I give her the rep-cal calcium supplement)

Tuesday - cut up apple chunks (with the skin of the apple removed), cut up banana chunks, cut up mango chunks (no skin), and mixed in cut up mustard greens.

Wednesday - cut up mustard/collard greens, cut up broccoli pieces, cut up cauliflower pieces, cut up green beans, topped with shredded carrots.

Thursday - cut up turnip greens/mustard greens/kale greens, cut up cucumber pieces, cut up apple chunks, topped with shredded carrots.

Friday - cut up yellow/white squash pieces, cut up boiled yellow yam pieces, cut up collard greens, topped with shredded carrots.

Saturday - cut up pear chunks, cucumber chunks, cut up mustard greens, cut up bell pepper chunks, cut up grapes (no skin), alfalfa sprouts, and cut up pineapple chunks.

Sunday - cut up tomatoes, cut up strawberry chunks, and cut up kale leaves.

As you can see my Iguana loves shredded carrots lol, my Iguana is very healthy and colorful because of her diet.

You never want to give your Iguana live foods such as mice, because it could quite possibly kill them or make them very sick. Green Iguana's and Honduran Red Iguana's are herbivores and eat plant like matter in the wild.

this a great post full of info nd tips for anyone thinking of getting a iguana, well done.