Why won't My Iguana grow?

Question

I've had my iguana a couple of years and he hasn't grown much at all. We're feeding him lettuce and he's in a large screened cage. We even use a vitamin spray. Oh yeah, we thought he could use a little company so we bought a couple of small lizards and he ate them. That seemed to bulk him up a bit. Should we try crickets like we do with the chamelian?

Answer 1

I hope you are kidding. If you would have done any research at all you would know that lettuce has NO nutritional value whatsoever. And animal proteins cause RENAL FAILURE. Iguanas are STRICT vegetarians. They need collard greens, dandilion greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, watercress, parsley, butternut squash, carrots, and hibiscus leaves and flowers. Not just one thing but many things, in the wild they eat thousands of different plants.
Do not feed him spinach and kale because it is high in oxcalates wich bind calcium.
Bananas have an improper calcium to phosphorous ratio and shouldnt be fed either except maybe for a treat once in a blue moon. ONce a week calcium powder should be dusted on the salad.
Screen cages are BAD for iguanas. Iguanas can lose toes and toenails and they let the heat and humidity out.
Iguanas need 70 % humidity and they need a basking spot of 90-95 degrees. Never use hot rocks they cause thermal burns. They need a flourescent uvb bulb that emits 5% or higher uvb rays, many professional iguana rescuers use Zoo Med's Reptisun 5.0 and exo -terras Repti-glo 5.0. The bulb needs to be replaced every 6 months and glass and plastic filters out uvb rays so you have to make sure it is unfiltered.
Since you have no clue on how to care for the iguana i suggest you do some research to make sure you are properly caring for the chameleon wich are also high maitenance lizards.

Answer 2

Listen to Lady Crotalus! She knows her stuff and I do too. Everything you have mentioned is considered bad husbandry. No offense, but please do research. I would suggest www.anapsid.org. Don't feed lettuce, don't feed a vitamin spray, get his temps/humidity up, get him a better,bigger enclosure, and do NOT feed any crickets,dog food, or other animal matter or he will eventually go into kidney failure.

You need to get a vitamin/mineral supplement like Herptivite and a calcium supplement like Rep-cal. And DEFINITELY let him get out in the sun. There is no replacement for natural sunlight, no matter what any bulb says. You could at least get some use out of the screen cage for this.

Answer 3

dude your killing him slowly people these days dude STOP AND I MEAN STOP feeding him worm and SMALL LIZARDS AND FORGOT TO METTION LETTUCE they need a diet that has a lot of calcuim or they WILL get mbd which is metabolic bone disease i have a good website for u and dont plan on putting it with another sorry if i was rude but u might lose ur little buddy good luck

Answer 4

I must agree with Klee. The size of the cage is determining in whether he grows or not. Do keep in mind, that their natural diet includes fresh vegetables of leaf sprouts, so do include this in his diet, vary the vegetables and don’t stick to a “lettuce only diet”.

Ps. if you set him free, he wom't leave, he'll always come back for food.

Answer 5

Oh yes .. guy needs some more protein in his diet. Believe it or not they can be quite fond of boiled eggs and they will have him in Godzilla shape in no time!

Answer 6

Maybe he has a genetic disorder, which has stunted his growth. Or, perhaps, he has reached his maximum length/height.

Answer 7

well.......... i'm guessing you don't have a common green iguana!
they usually don't eat each other!LOL! sorry...uncalled for,huh?
if he's a meat-eater...feed him meat!! crickets,grubs, worms...
good luck!! sorry i couldn't help... could have maybe if he'd been just a common green...

Answer 8

try miracle grow