Iguana Health

Your beautiful pet iguana is usually an easy pet to take care of compared to some other animals, but there are always things which you should look out for to keep him healthy and happy. Iguana health problems can rise quickly and can sometimes need urgent attention so it is important to be aware of the problems which can arise.

Serious burn injuries can be caused by exposed light sources which are too bright or which are too close to the iguana. This can happen if your iguana has out-grown his enclosure and has no choice but to be near the light source. If there is an exposed light bulb in the light source, then this can reach blistering temperatures itself while it is heating up the surrounding cage. To eliminate this problem, it is best to fit a protective device to ensure that no direct heat reaches your pet. These are easily available from many pet stores and so this horrible problem is easily avoided.

Another serious problem which can affect iguana health is that they can acquire injuries to their nose. This is caused by constant attempts to escape by rubbing their noses against their cages. This happens in glass cages and in wire mesh cages. The injuries can happen repeatedly and so may result in quite serious deformities over a long period of time. It is not easy to prevent this, but it is possible to help the iguana feel more at home in his enclosure. Adequate hiding places such as rocks and plants help with this. Also, painting a black area around the base of the tank can also help.

One common disease that iguanas often suffer from is malnutrition. Unfortunately many owners feed their pets on lettuce. Although this contains enough moisture, there is not enough nutrition to meet their needs. Iguanas become so used to lettuce that they will not eat anything else. Their legs become stiff and swollen and they become listless and inactive – which are the signs of a calm, happy and well-fed pet! So their condition often goes unnoticed. In order to treat these poor animals, other foods must be introduced into their diet. Spinach and other leafy greens which contain B vitamins and iron can be added to the lettuce. Also, fruits and vegetables can be cut up small and introduced alongside the lettuce.

Other conditions can also occur such as mouth rot and abscesses in other areas of the body. These need to be spotted and treated as soon as they occur. The only remedy is to take the iguana to a vet who will clean out the infected areas and prescribe medication.

Iguanas can be long and rewarding pets who provide lots of happiness to their owner but it is important to keep an eye of them and treat anything which may be wrong. Provide the proper iguana health care for your pet and both pet and owner will have a long and happy relationship.

The Iguana Habitat

An Iguana habitat can be very simple; however you can choose to make it more elaborate and fascinating, especially if you need to have something thrilling in your house. For your iguana, though, what is important is to take into account particular elements, such as heat, security, light and appropriate dimensions.

The right dimensions are a key element. In fact you need to consider that the right cage is at least twice as big and long as your iguana. If you have a 5 inches lizard, you need to buy or make a cage which will be at least 10-11 inches long. Keep in mind that your pet might grow more during his first year of life, so act accordingly. It is recommended to buy a large terrarium; otherwise you might need to change it often.

As you may know already, heat is very important for your iguana habitat. Iguanas like warm environments, because they don’t have any natural ability to control temperature. Consequently, they depend exclusively to the external conditions, which means that you have to provide them with a heat source that will help them maintain a steady body temperature and keep their digestive system working.

You should, though, avoid items such as hot rocks or other direct heating objects, because they are way too warm and they do not heat the entire cage up. You need to find something with less heat localization, such as radiant heaters and specific heating lamps. Keep a couple of thermometers in the cage so as to make sure that temperature is always between 75 and 85F.

Moreover, you need to have some device that radiates UVB light in the cage; this helps the iguanas digest better and metabolize their food. Direct light is preferable, so do not choose some lamp that radiates through the glass cover. Most cages and terrariums for iguanas are of wire mesh, so as to feature UVB lamps.

An iguana habitat has to communicate security; this practically means that your iguana should not be able to escape or hurt itself. The habitat should be friendly and practical for your iguana, without any dangerous spots. Avoid all sharp items, material such as sand or carpet, because your iguana might start showing digestive or circulation problems.

Iguanas are very sensitive creatures, thus, you need to ensure a safe and comfortable habitat to live in, if you want them to spend a happy and long life with you.