is highly specialized to allow fiber digestion, similar to the stomach compartments of cattle.
The feeding regimen varies with age this is one that has worked well for many iguana owners. Be sure to discuss a specific regimen for your pet with your veterinarian.

For juvenile iguanas (less than 2 years of age):
80% of the diet can be plant-based protein and 20% animal -based protein.

For adult iguanas (over 2 years of age):
90%-100% of the diet should be plant-based protein and 0-10% animal-based protein.

How often to feed

Most young iguanas eat daily; older iguanas can be fed daily or every other day, depending upon each pet's individual appetite.

Plant material types

Most (80-90%) of the plant material should be flowers and vegetables, and only 10-20% should be fruits.
As a rule, anything green and leafy should make up a large part of the diet. Yellow and orange vegetables should also be included. Avoid fiber-rich, vitamin-deficient vegetables including lettuce and celery; their composition is mainly fiber and water with little vitamins or minerals.

Acceptable vegetables include collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, alfalfa hay or chow, bok choy, kale, parsley, spinach (in small amounts), bell peppers, green beans, green peas, corn, okra, cactus, various squash, sweet potatoes, cabbage or broccoli (also in small amounts), and flowers such as
carnations, hibiscus, and roses (avoid azaleas as they are toxic).

Fruit can include apples, pears, bananas, grapes, peaches, kiwis, and melons. Fruits that are particularly healthy include figs (which contain calcium), papaya, raspberries and strawberries.

Protein foods

If you and your doctor decide that animal-based protein sources are acceptable, some appropriate foods include crickets, sardines (drained), tofu, hard-boiled eggs, moths, and mealworms. Dog and cat food, contain too much Vitamin D and fat and should not be fed. Reptile pellets, bird pellets, trout chow, and other fish chows are excellent protein sources.

Live prey, such as crickets and worms, should either be raised by the owner, retrieved from a nearby field, or purchased from a pet store or reptile breeder. Care must be exercised when collecting insects, especially from the home garden as fertilizers and insecticides can be toxic to iguanas.

What vitamins

It is recommended by many veterinarians to LIGHTLY sprinkle all the food offered to the iguana with a calcium powder (calcium gluconate, lactate, or carbonate). A LIGHT weekly sprinkling of a good reptile vitamin on the food is also recommended.

A common problem seen in pet iguanas is over-supplementation with vitamins and minerals. Check with your veterinarian for specific recommendations about the need to supplement your pet's diet.

Water

Fresh water in a crock that won't easily tip over should be available at all times. Iguanas will not only drink from the water bowl but will often bathe in it as well (although it is perfectly acceptable to mist the iguana with water a few times a week too). Make sure the water stays clean; many iguanas love to eliminate
in their water bowl as well as drink from it.

Common diseases of pet iguanas

Common conditions of pet iguanas include metabolic bone disease, infectious stomatitis (mouth rot), parasites, abscesses, and hypervitaminosis D.

Feeding an improper diet that is low in calcium or Vitamin D and high in phosphorus most often causes metabolic bone disease, probably the most common condition of pet iguanas. Common signs include swelling of the lower jaw and/or swelling of the hind limbs. As the condition progresses, muscle twitching, loss of appetite, and loss of energy (lethargy) are seen.

Infectious Stomatitis (Mouth Rot) is seen as pinpoint hemorrhages on the gums or an excess amount of thick mucus, often like cottage cheese, in the mouth.

Parasites, especially pinworms, are common in pet iguanas. They often cause no clinical signs and are detected on an annual fecal examination. They may, however, cause diarrhea or weight loss.

Abscesses, commonly seen in pet iguanas, appear as hard tumor-like swellings anywhere on the pet's body.

Hypervitaminosis D is a condition that develops as owners either over-supplement the iguana's diet with vitamins and minerals or feed it dog or cat food. Clinical signs are vague and include lack of appetite and lethargy.

Signs of disease

Signs of disease in iguanas may be specific for a certain disease, such as jaw or hind-limb swelling as seen in iguanas with metabolic bone disease, or non-specific, such as an iguana with anorexia (lack of appetite) and lethargy, which can be seen with many diseases. ANY deviation from normal should be a cause for concern and requires immediate evaluation by your veterinarian.

Any of these diseases can be severe enough to cause a loss of appetite and lethargy. When seen, these signs indicate a guarded prognosis and the need for hospitalization and intensive care, which can include
fluid therapy and force-feeding.

Special Problems of Pet Iguanas

Iguanas have several unique problems; understanding these problems will allow you to better care for your pet and minimize future health care problems.

Cystic Calculi

Commonly called bladder stones, these occur when minerals from the diet form crystals, which then form stones. Usually these are composed of uric acid, which usually results from a diet that contains too much protein (such as a diet high in dog food or cat food).

Often, you will detect blood in your iguana's droppings. An examination and radiographs (X-rays) allow your veterinarian to correctly diagnosis the problem. Surgical removal of the stones is needed, as is fluid therapy to prevent kidney damage. Your veterinarian will discuss dietary correction in an attempt to prevent future stones from forming.

Salmonella

While turtles are most commonly incriminated for causing Salmonella bacterial infections in children, iguanas have lately been determined to be a source of this infection as well. This bacterium can cause severe gastrointestinal disease or septicemia (blood poisoning). Many animals and people carry the bacteria without showing any clinical signs (remember Typhoid Mary?), yet shed the bacteria in their feces which can infect others.

Prevention, through proper hygiene, is the best way to control the disease. Since most iguanas which carry Salmonella are not ill, they usually require no treatment (treatment often fails to kill the bacterium anyway).

Avascular Necrosis

Iguanas are often afflicted with a condition called avascular necrosis. In this condition, blood flow to the affected body part, usually the tip of the tail or one of the digits (toes), is blocked. The blocked blood flow means that the affected body part doesn't receive blood, and starts to become necrotic, or dies. Within a short period of time, the toe or tip of the tail becomes discolored and possibly infected. The necrosis or infection can spread up the tail or to other toes. Several things can cause the blood vessels to become blocked, such as infection spreading to the tail or toe, a blood clot in another part of the body (embolus) spreading to the tail or toe, trauma causing damage to the blood vessels, or a tumor cutting off the blood supply to the tail or toe. Usually, the cause is not determined. Treatment involves amputating the affected tail or toe in an effort to stop the spread of the necrosis. Most pets recover well and lead normal lives after the surgery.