what is wrong with my Iguana?

Question

I notice that he can't see with his left eye anymore, he is like blind. I try giving him food and he doesn't respond. Please help!

Answer 1

You need to take your iguana to a herp/reptile vet who knows iguanas. I can't say what is wrong w/ your iguana w/ the information you gave, I can only give advise on things that could have caused things.
What type of UVB are you giving him/her? There are some UVB that actually can cause eye damage to reptiles ... http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm
Did your iguana some how damage his/her eye some how?
What are your temps in your iguanas enclosure? If temps are too low he/she will not respond like you think they should.
You should be using 2 UVB tubes (surface under UVB needs to be flat not at an angle, at an angle your igs body is not getting the proper UVB threw out body):
ReptiSun 10.0 ( http://www.reptiledirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=944 )
Repti Glo 8.0 ( http://www.reptiledirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=348 )
ReptiSun 5.0 ( http://www.reptiledirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=39 ) ... links only for example ...
There is a distance that you need to also keep in mind:
5.0 and 8.0 should be 6-8 inches from your igs body ... 10.0 should be 8-10 inches from your igs body ... you will need to adjust as he/she grows
What type of food are you feeding?
daily food should have 5-7 good staple greens (2-3 cups a day if not more younger igs may not eat a full cup for a few months) ... (staple) collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, (other good greens to add w/ staple daily) dandelion greens (if you can find), endive, radicchio, arugula, mache (if you can find), watercress ... some greens to give occasionally/small amount kale, bok choy, escarole (kale, bok choy this is mainly the cruciferous ("cabbage family") these vegetables have GOITROGENS that keep iodine in the food from being absorbed ... this can lead to your iguana having goiters, which can at some type cause thyroid problems) ... you can add some basil into the mix only w/ good staple greens, sometimes this helps the little ones eat ... romaine has no nutrience just water you can add occassionally in small amounts w/ staple greens ... some things to add (small amounts) snap peas, bell peppers (every now and then), parsnip, sweet potato/yam, acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash ... fruits should only be given every now and then once or twice a week type of thing fruits are like junk food to iguanas ... some fruits to try papay, kiwi, mango, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, honeydew (great water source), canalope (great water source), 12 grain wheat bread (soaked) ... if anything has seeds make sure you remove seed before you give it to your iguana, for things like strawberries ones w/ small seeds, don't give for at least 3 days to pass threw system ... watermelon (seedless) can be frozen and then shaved onto your iguanas food helps w/ hydration everyday ... there are some foods that aren't good for your iguana: spinach has oxalate acids bind to the calcium, so even though spinach is high in calcium, almost none is actually available for the iguana to use, also the oxalate acids can form oxalate crystals which can and do build up in the kidneys causing kidney damage/failure ... some ig owners do give there ig spinach but in very small amounts and only once a month ... corn igs can not digest ... food should be cut/chopped/diced no bigger then the iguanas head, if they are small having a chopper chop them up, or slice them into very small pieces ... spray/mist food to help w/ water/hydration
Temps:
never let drop below 70F ...
basking 92-96F if temp is too low digestion is slowed too high food digests too fast and nutrition is lost
medium/middle 88-92F
cool 75-84F
at night 73-84F
... you will need to have a thermometer w/ a probe at the end, the stick on glass type that you buy at the pet stores are worthless they can read incorrectly ... using a temp gun is the best to know the true temp of your igs body
What type of enclosure is he/she in? Since I do not know how old your iguana is .. if your iguana is under 8-12 months of age he/she should not be in anything smaller then a 55 gallon tank. Dnclosure needs to be at least 1.5-2 times it's total length ... by the time your ig is an adult you will need a space of 6-7ft tall x 8-10ft long x 4ft wide.
Floor covering? If you are using bark, dirt, sand, moss, pellets, rocks, anything like this can actually cause damage to your iguana if he/she tries to taste w/ tongue and swallow and then can cause blockage which will need to be removed surgically or cause your iguana to die. Safe floor coverings; newspaper, paper towels, viynal floor covering, towels, indoor/outdoor carpeting are just a few safe ones. If the towels or carpeting has lose fibers, please remove and replace. If you use printed newspaper and your ig eats it, you should replace and use something else, some newspaper use soy in ink, soy is bad for iguanas.
Some links for you to read:
http://www.greenigsociety.org/
http://www.iguanaden.org/
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html
A great book to read and have on hand:
Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan
If you would like help w/ proper care for your iguana, there are some great Yahoo groups for new owners and old owners, here are just a couple that are very helpful, again only if you'd like to join:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/BabyIguana/
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/IguanaDen/

Answer 2

mal nutriented . It could take a couple of months to out grow this. Most reps grow slowly until about 2 years. At a year old he should be just about 9 inches anyway... (some shorter and some will be longer). thats body not tail. Be careful not to feed a lot of lettuce to it. They get addicted to it and sometimes refuse to eat the much better veggies.

Answer 3

I would check with a vet, in the mean time here is a great forum with lots of very experienced ig owners who may be able to help: http://tesa.proboards24.com/ Would be good to get a picture and and post it in a thread, ie if its weeping looks sore etc.

Hope hes ok :/

Answer 4

He could have had a problem shedding or he has injured his eye somehow. You really need to take him to a herp vet asap.

Answer 5

Maybe he is losing his eyesight in that eye.Happy New Year

Answer 6

hi there
has it some how injured it's eye ?
if so that could be the problem...that it can't see out of that eye..
i would seek a vets helps to make sure it's ok...
hope this helps