What is the best thing to help iguanas grow?

Question

I've had an Iguana, "Snack", for about 1 1/2 - 2 years..He's not as large as he should be..What should I feed him to help him grow? He's picky..I've spent around 50 dollars on actual iguana food and he won't touch it..He spills it out..I give him lots of greens..but other than that any tips?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Listen to Lizard Girl and me.

Also she failed to mention that iguanas NEED a calcium carbonate added to their food. Their UV light helps them to absorb it which assists in growth. If they don't get calcium and light it can make them lose their appetite, stunt their growth and make them prone to osteomyletis. My vet will ship you calcium carbonate 330-948-2002. The directions are on the bottle and for $20.00 including shipping you can get a supply for over 6 months.

They need veggies (they LOVE grated yellow and zucchini squash) and fruits too, not just greens.

Check out my thorough answer currently posted for the guy with the little starving iguana.

Have owned 3 large iguanas for over 5 years.

Answer 2

They need lots of room, a good diet with the proper supplements (NO insects and little if any prepared foods!), proper temperatures (they need for digestion and absorption of the foods), and UVB lighting. It's also best to feed them early in the day - about 1-2 hrs after lights come on. This morning feeding is more like their natural behavior where they eat, then bask to keep themselves warm while they digest their meals.

This website is the BEST!!! The author of most of the articles has written a book on iguanas and she covers issues you'd never even think of! There's a very good page on what foods you should give them, and lots more on the things you shouldn't AND WHY! http://www.anapsid.org/

Answer 3

Eating prepared Iguana food takes training, most will not eat the stuff. Greens are good but have little sugar (which they use for energy and growth). Feed them fresh fruit, bananas, peaches, pears, apples, peeled grapes, and the like.. I have had some that liked the Butter Ring danish pastry and others that have like the sausage McMuffin with egg.... (go figure). DO NOT FEED THEM ICEBURG LETTUCE !!!, it is all water and has no food value.
Iguanas also seem to be able to see colors, red, green and yellow... so choose those color fruits or get food coloring as a cheat (it does work).

Answer 4

They should be feed:

45% leafy greens such as escarole, dandelions, endive, mustard, and collards, NO lettuces or spinach! They aren't good for him.
45% hard mixed veggies such as an orange flesh squash the harder the better(acorn,pumpkin,butternut... fresh green beans, fresh peas, parsnip, and green bell peppers, NO broccoli or cauliflower, or avocado!
10% fruit such as figs, papaya, mango, pear, and berries. NO bananas, only very rarely as a treat.
NO ANIMAL PROTEIN such as bugs, meat, eggs, or cheese!

Temperature:

They need a basking area of 95-100 and normal temps of 75-85. NO heat rocks!

Lights:

They need a 5.0 UV light.

Hydration:

They should also get baths everyday or so. And should have a water bowl in their cage.

Vet:

You should take Your Iguana for regular vet checkups to make sure it is in good health. Reptiles can have internal parasites that can harm them and cause them to not eat well, so you should make sure the vet checks that.

Here are some good sites, the first one was recomended by my vet.

http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html
www.greenigsociety.org
www.triciaswaterdragon.com/igcare.htm
http://www.baskingspot.com/iguanas/igbook/
http://www.reptilecare.com/IgCare.htm

If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me.

Answer 5

I honestly believe that its all in the temperature, lighting, food, and space. temp should never be below room temp, use UVa and UVb lighting it has all the chemicals that the sun produces. only 70 percent of the diet should be greens. the rest should be grated squash, carrots, green beans, and dandilions and dandi lion greens are great. fresh food is the best for even the pickiest iguana. dont give them frozen veggies, freeezing will deplenish the nutrients. and heres something that some people dont know. UV rays dont pass through glass.

Answer 6

Ya, just like with goldfish, it's the size of his environment that matters the most. But a good diet does help. Plenty of good fruit and veggies is always a must, and cut them up small as he can eat them better in smaller bites, since they don't chew their food. Iguanas really love fresh stuff far more then any 'commerical' diet (I mean, wouldn't you?) so make sure that he has plenty of fresh food as opposed to a ton of 'iguana food', he'll thank you.
A good iguana vitamen suppliment (ask the guys or gals at your nearest Petco for advice on that, as its really more of a choice based on your individual reptile) is something you could also check out. And make sure you give your iguana a calcium suppliment as well, as young ones are prone to deficiencies because their bones grow rapidly. Also, a little tofu is good, or any other vegetable with lots of protien in it like peas.

So, my advice to you is to get your iguana a bigger area to roam, and start giving fresh veggies, fruit and flowers every day (most love strawberries and rose petals as treats) in a variety, just like you would if you were eating a vegetarian diet. When you get the reptile vitamin and calcium suppliment, sprinkle it in with his fresh food once a week (something sticky like the fruit), and no more (unless it tells you on the package to do otherwise). Leave out a little bit of iguana chow, for variety, but know that he's probably going to thank you a lot more for the fresh stuff, and you won't have to spend near as much money on veggies as on chow (which is too expensive anyways).

Now, you should be on your way to a dragon-sized iguana in no time flat! (Ok, give or take a couple years).

Answer 7

My neighbor had the same question and believe it or not, its not what you feed them, its their habitat that helps them grow. The more hiding places you give them, the more secure they become, less aggressive they will be and the better they will eat, therefore you will have a healthier Iguana.
Hint: crickets work great.