Top 10 Common Pet Iguana Illnesses by Rob Stevenson

Iguanas are not immune to falling ill. Just like humans, they can become sick at any time and when it happens they will need the necessary treatment and care to recover from their illnesses. Here are some common iguana sicknesses that need veterinary attention immediately as well as sufficient medication. Take a close look at the following iguana care sheet, otherwise you could end up losing your favorite pet.

1) Fibrous Osteodystrophy or Metabolic Bone Disease: This results from extreme malnutrition and bad feeding. When you purchase your pet, you should take advice on nutrition from the pet shop. A common issue with iguana owners is that they often like to feed their pets lettuce and squash. However, lettuce contains no nutrient value and is therefore referred to as a water sponge. What happens here is that the situation will become worse because there is a lack of vitamin D3 and therefore insufficient calcium intake by your iguana. This can be dangerous and can even lead to death. Symptoms of this disease include a soft, rubbery face and lower jaw, a swollen lower jaw, listlessness, swollen limbs and difficulty in eating. The limbs and spine can be easily fractured as well.

2) Paralysis of the back legs: This is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1 and often the iguana's tail will also become badly affected. In order to cure this condition, your vet will inject the essential required vitamins and minerals into your pet and will also recommend an immediate change in diet.

3) Nose abrasions: When an iguana is unhappy or insecure in its new environment it will try to escape several times and this can cause scratches and abrasions on the nose and face. While they look for an escape route they usually scratch and rub their noses on the wire, glass or plastic tank enclosures. If the abrasions remain untreated by you, bacterial infection, ulceration of the rostrum and various other deformities are likely to occur.

4) Thermal injuries or burns: If you are not careful when installing the light bulbs or hot rocks in your pet's cage, then these areas can be easily exposed and therefore can cause burns through contact with them. Lights must be situated above the enclosures so that they cannot be reached by the iguana and hot rocks should be avoided altogether.

5) Bacterial infection: There are a couple of different types of bacterial infections that can harm your iguana. If your pet is continuously exposed to a damp and filthy environment, it may become infected with the blister disease. Lack of proper hygiene and adequate sanitation can lead to dry gangrene of the toes and nails. These areas then become dark gray or black and begin to break off. If your iguana has swelling, inflammation or pus in its mouth, then it has got the Mouth Rot infection. The pus will cause abscesses in the mouth as well.

6) Parasites: Parasites are a common cause of death in iguanas that are held in captivity. They will settle inside the blood contained in the gastrointestinal tract which is very dangerous. Parasites, like other diseases, should be treated immediately.

7) Viral Infection: There is still ongoing research with regard to the causes and cures of these infections in iguanas but regardless there are known to be very harmful to iguanas.

8) Organ failure: This usually occurs due to old age or as a result of an existing bacterial infection. Your pet will show signs of loss of appetite, bloating, weight loss, listlessness and it might even cause death.

9) Bladder stones: This can cause the abdomen to become enlarged and can cause a lot of discomfort and pain to your iguana.

10) Egg-binding: This occurs in females when they cannot pass their egg through their reproductive tract. A little assistance from you in this case can help.

These are some of the more common illnesses that can affect your iguana's health. Should you notice any symptoms of these conditions be sure to take immediate action and if required take your pet to the vet.

Learn more about iguanas by visiting PetIguanaCenter.com

About the Author

Rob Stevenson is an iguana enthusiast. To learn more about iguana illnesses and take a look at a proper iguana care sheet feel free to visit PetIguanaCenter.com.

Iguana Information For Pet Owners by Mark Williams

Iguana Information

Iguanas: The Different and the Similar

Green iguanas are the ones that people normally bring home and look after and pamper. It is not generally known but there a number of different types of Iguana. Oftentimes, you will see these other types not in pet stores but in the forests where they live.

There are actually six types of iguanas. These are the

1. Dipsosaurus, the desert iguana.
2. Ctenosaura, the spiny-tailed iguana.
3. Lemanctus, casque-headed iguana.
4. Corytophanes, the helmeted iguana.
5. Cyclura, the rhinoceros and rock iguana.
5. Chalarodon, the Madagascar iguana.
6. Green iguana.

The famous iguana that is quickly becoming a part of a large number households is the green iguana. These iguanas may be of different types and appearances but they all have similarities with regard to diet, habits and size.

1. Herbivores iguanas.

The description of herbivores is the type that eats only plant or plant matters. You should be aware that there are not many reptiles that are able to live on plant food alone. This is what makes iguanas unique within the reptile world. This could be the reason why people covet these reptiles for their pets. Feeding them is not as difficult as it can be with other animals.

Being herbivores does not mean that you can just pick any plant out there to feed your iguana. If you want to maintain its health, consider giving them nutritious green and leafy vegetables. Try lettuce. You can give it to them regularly. If you do not have an abundance of vegetables to supply, consider other alternative sources of leafy plants.

2. Tropical temperature.

Iguanas are used to having tropical climates all year round. That is why you will not be able to find an iguana habitat in places where there are shifts of hot and cold climates.

This is one thing that you should consider once you have decided to have a pet iguana. You are required to monitor the temperature around your house or in shelter that you have provided for them.

Iguanas need constant heat to maintain their body temperature. A lot of iguana owners have realized that there is an increase in the usage of their electric heaters or gas once they have an iguana in their household.

So if you are located in locations where there is a winter season, you need to make certain that your heater works. If you do not have one reliable source of heat, then it is a good idea not to consider getting an iguana.

3. Tamed iguana.

Your pet iguana will not get tamed on its own. As the owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that you tame your iguana well so that they will be able to socialize well with you and with others.

A tamed iguana will be able to roam around your house without moving or consuming anything that arouses its curiosity. You can also take them outdoors or to events outside of your home. You will also be able to caress, hold and cuddle your iguana once you are guaranteed that it will not harm you when you do so.

4. Iguanas grow large.

You might be misled into thinking that your iguana will remain small and tiny all throughout its life cycle. This is a misconception.

All types of iguanas will grow to their full size if they are taken proper care of. In 3 to 4 years time, you can expect your iguana to be five to six feet long.

About the Author

The author is Mark Williams who is an Iguana enthusiast. For more information and facts about Iguanas visit http://www.iguanacarebook.com

The Essential Components of a Proper Iguana Cage by Mark Williams

Iguana Cages

When people think about the purchase of an iguana, a variety of questions spring to their minds. Usually one of their main questions they will ask themselves is Where do I keep it? People then try to find out the components of an iguana cage. If you are trying to find the best iguana cage for your pet, the following will act as a gude for you:

1) Size � The first thing you need to know about is how big the iguana cage has to be. Some people quite wrongly believe that the cage will limit the size of the iguana. This is not true. An iguana under ideal conditions will grow up to 6 feet long. This means that you will need to have a huge iguana cage in order to accommodate your pet. In fact, some people provide a whole room instead of an iguana cage for their pets!

Naturally, you do not have this necessarily as a consideration straightaway as you could choose to delay implementiing this until your iguana grows to its full size. However, the iguana cage that you obtain does need to be large enough for the the iguana to indulge itself in it's normal daily activities. It should not cramp the animal in any way. If you choose to wait until your iguana has grown to full size, you should at least prepare and make plans for the time when you are going to need a bigger iguana cage.

2) Temperature � an iguana is cold blooded. This means that they need to regulate their body temperatures by making use of the environment. What are the implications of this? This means that you need to provide a variety of temperatures in the iguana cage. This is so that the iguana can move from different spots to properly control its body temperature. You should also try to include a source of heat without light which will be used during the night time.

3) Humidity � iguanas require high levels of humidity to live comfortably. They are easily dehydrated because of the fact that their lack of their daily intake of fluids is naturally low. This is because in their natural environment their is high humidity and this keeps them from being dehydrated. Dehydration can actually cause kidney failure. This means that not having enough humidity can shorten the life of your iguana. Another reason to keep your iguana cage humid is the fact that humidity helps loosen skin. This means that an iguana will have an easier time shedding skin if it is kept in a humid environment. If you want to keep your iguana healthy, you need to provide an iguana cage that has a humidity of 65 to 75 percent of the air.

4) Lighting � iguanas need a source of UVA and UVB light. Naturally, the optimum source that you can make use of is the sun. This does not mean that you should place your iguana cage in a sunlit area. The glass or plastic of iguana cages filter out the UV light much needed by iguanas for production of vitamin D3. This vitamin aids in calcium consumption. This means that you need to let your iguana bask in direct sunlight as much as possible. This helps in developing strong bones and preventing Metabolic Bone disease which is a very common cause of death among iguanas in captivity.

Other than the sun, your iguana cage should also include an artificial source of UVA and UVB light. This is in order to make up for days when the sunlight is not enough for your iguana.

About the Author

The author is Mark Williams who is an Iguana enthusiast. For more information and facts about cages for Iguanas visit http://www.iguanacarebook.com