Re: New Pet Iguana Won't Eat!

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Posted by BabyHerp on June 15, 2000 at 13:16:06:

In Reply to: New Pet Iguana Won't Eat! posted by Bill on June 15, 2000 at 08:37:13:

Been there done that! Igs don't handle change very well....they stress easily and go off feed sometimes for up to 2 weeks!. Ya gotta find a way to up the heat in his tank...first off get one of those cheapie dome lights at any major hardware store (porcelin topped much better) and a regular ole household bulb about 75-100 watts or a red/blue heatlamp to take care of heating day & night and not disturb his sleep... do not have the lamp directly over him but offside. Get a few timers while your there...Will make your job alot easier.You will need temp gauges 2 of em.Even those little strip gauges ($2.00) better than nothin. One set at shoulder area of his basking spot the other on the cooler end of his tank....GGIs are hind gut fermenters...since their also diurnal ectotherms (meaning they gotta get their heat during the day from their enviroment) their hindgut needs to stay at a temp of 80 degrees to digest their food. Speaking of which...iglets need a higher protein diet than do adults...ya want to offer him foods not only high calcium but also have good protein...the foods you offer him should look something like this...
60-70% high calcium dark leafy greens (dandelion,collards,mustard,turnip greens)
20% veggies (spaghetti or butternut squash,green beans, low-fat tofu, alfalfa or timothy hay cut in small pieces)
10-20% nutritious fruits (papaya, prickly pear,rasberries,blackberries, figs,prunes)
Dice, cut up in small manageable pieces. Spray the food heavily with water.

Provide a hide box (even a little carboard box) and decorate his tank with some camouflage..like articifial plastic plants so he won't feel so vulnerable. At this point the only thing you are
to him is a scary monster who's gonna eat him! Give him a couplea weeks before you start handling him. Let him stress about one thing at a time. And welcome to the world of Iguanas! They are very high maintenance pets but once you get the basics down...its ALOT easier $$$ wise (So I thought ;-) Visit the sites provided by others here....lots of info on iguana care on the net. We'll help ya out however we can! Glad you found us!
Gina

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: Been there done that! Igs don't handle change very well....they stress easily and go off feed sometimes for up to 2 weeks!. Ya gotta find a way to up the heat in his tank...first off get one of those cheapie dome lights at any major hardware store (porcelin topped much better) and a regular ole household bulb about 75-100 watts or a red/blue heatlamp to take care of heating day & night and not disturb his sleep... do not have the lamp directly over him but offside. Get a few timers while your there...Will make your job alot easier.You will need temp gauges 2 of em.Even those little strip gauges ($2.00) better than nothin. One set at shoulder area of his basking spot the other on the cooler end of his tank....GGIs are hind gut fermenters...since their also diurnal ectotherms (meaning they gotta get their heat during the day from their enviroment) their hindgut needs to stay at a temp of 80 degrees to digest their food. Speaking of which...iglets need a higher protein diet than do adults...ya want to offer him foods not only high calcium but also have good protein...the foods you offer him should look something like this... : 60-70% high calcium dark leafy greens (dandelion,collards,mustard,turnip greens) : 20% veggies (spaghetti or butternut squash,green beans, low-fat tofu, alfalfa or timothy hay cut in small pieces) : 10-20% nutritious fruits (papaya, prickly pear,rasberries,blackberries, figs,prunes) : Dice, cut up in small manageable pieces. Spray the food heavily with water. : Provide a hide box (even a little carboard box) and decorate his tank with some camouflage..like articifial plastic plants so he won't feel so vulnerable. At this point the only thing you are : to him is a scary monster who's gonna eat him! Give him a couplea weeks before you start handling him. Let him stress about one thing at a time. And welcome to the world of Iguanas! They are very high maintenance pets but once you get the basics down...its ALOT easier $$$ wise (So I thought ;-) Visit the sites provided by others here....lots of info on iguana care on the net. We'll help ya out however we can! Glad you found us! : Gina

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