my iguana won't eat what he needs too?

Question

ok elvis the iguana won't eat what he should. i know what he needs to eat but i can't get him to eat it. i know the leafy greens(no iceburg) orange veggie fruits only as treats. no animal protien. i have the t rex bulds in there too. but all elvis will eat is rasberrys and thing mixed up in jello. if it's pureed up in the jello he goes nuts i put the vitamins in there too. i keep getting mixed responses if the jello is harming him if he gets all the veggies in too. if not what can i do to get him to eat the veggies straight. i don't mind the money or time i got it. but how do i get him to eat it? he will eat rasberrys out of my hand and i tricked him into parsley once but he spit it out. i just don't know how to get him to eat it. i thought the jello was ok, couse he is still getting the nutrents of the veggies. i just don't know HOW! i know WHat but i need to know HOW. Help please!!

Answer 1

try mixing the raspberries in with some chopped up greens that way he will get some greens in his diet. Im sorry i cannot be more help thats the only thing I can think to do. I have four iggys, sometimes my male Jack wont eat, the three females can be pushy... so If I notice he hasnt eaten I will take him out and hold him let him relax and have a bowl of his favorite fresh veggies and when he calms down and realizes that its ok he will eat. Im not sure about the jello though. Good luck!

the answer above mine is completely wrong!!!!! iguanas do not eat anykind of animal protien, which you know. the protein bind to calcium and makes it difficult for them to digest. I wish people wouldnt answer questions they obviously know nothing about!=(

Answer 2

Be careful about meal worms and crickets. He'll get hooked on them and you'll end up in a worse situation. As a treat their ok, but they don't give him enough nutrition.

I know, my iguana Turk got something similiar to scurvy.

I assume you have a hot rock, if not you may want to get one.
The colder they are, the less hungery they are.

The vet I spoke to said to try monkey chow, yes they make monkey chow! Check with you vet about it. Where I was, I couldn't seem to get the stuff. Pre-internet days, living in WI.

"What you feed your iguana will be directly related to their overall health and well-being. Green Iguanas are herbivores, that is, they are plant eaters. Animal proteins, such as dog food, cat food, and various "people food" treats should be avoided completely if possible. Iguanas do tend to like junk food, like pizza, but it is not good for them, and feeding them alot of food like this can lead to kidney failure at a young age. If you do feed your iguana "treats", we'd recommend keeping it at a once per month MAXIMUM to be on the safe side. Kale, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and other cabbage-related vegetables should be fed only in small amounts. These vegetables can cause thyroid problems if they are fed to your lizard frequently. Spinach should not be fed at all to an iguana, because it binds calcium.

Iguanas require a diet that is high in calcium, low in phosporous, and contains Vitamin D3. Greens should be the staple of the diet. By greens we mean, Collard greens, Mustard greens, Dandelion greens(you can pick these right out of your yard as long as they are not treated with pesticides and washed before feeding), Turnip greens, etc. Mixed vegetables, squash, zucchini, yams, raspberries & blackberries(high in calcium), bananas, and other fruits and vegetables or commercial iguana food can also be added, but the large majority of the diet should be greens. If your iguana is getting a proper diet than no extra vitamins really need to be added to the food."

Try this site for general care http://www.reptilecare.com/IgCare.htm

Do not listen to the pet shop, they probably have no idea.

Good luck

Answer 3

Call a vet or call the pet store that you got him from. They may be able to tell you to if the jello is OK or not. And ask them for suggestion of other foods you can try for him, make sure he gets plenty of water and give him the raspberries until you can get him eating other things as well.

Answer 4

maybe he has not a sunny spot to bask in ,this is very importrant for reptiles like snakes ,iguanas and crocodiles ,it helps with their digestion.
and reptiles do not eat every day
some times they dont eat for a week and then eat a lot

all iguanas species are individual for their food
the big green iguana eats only fruits
we got some smaller ones in the garden that eat leaves and another kind ,that is black and white that is very vigurous and eats big insects
there are hundreds of kinds of iguanas

Answer 5

You need to stop giving him the jello and rasberries and give him the food that I listed on your other question. If you only give him the right food he will evenually get hungry and eat it, he won't eat it now because he's not use to it. If you have any other question feel free to e-mail me.

Answer 6

mhurst48... said "the answer above mine is completely wrong!!!!! iguanas do not eat anykind of animal protien, which you know. the protein bind to calcium and makes it difficult for them to digest. I wish people wouldnt answer questions they obviously know nothing about!=( " Bravo, well said :-)

Answer 7

Iguanas will also eat crickets, meal worms, wax worms...things in that nature! Try that, he might be wanting something new to eat.