Posted by Jamie/JBug on July 17, 2000 at 20:08:30:
In Reply to: sneezing posted by skinlab420 on July 17, 2000 at 16:00:00:
Hi, Jeremy
Welcome! There are a couple of things you should look for if you suspect that the sneezing might be a sign of something more serious. Let me give you a list of "normals" and "not normals" and you can decide if this sounds more normal or less, ok? Here goes:
Normal:
occasional sneezing
white "crust" around rims of nostrils or around habitat
clear, non-weepy eyes
good appetite
easy breathing
active
Not normal:
frequent sneezing accompanied by non-salty discharge
wheezing, gasping, labored breathing
lack of energy, apathetic, lethargic
poor appetite
discharge in eyes, filmy eyes, excessive moisture in eyes
coughing
The things in the "not normal" catagory are symptoms of resperatory distress (like a cold) and will need to be treated by a herp vet and probably medicated with anti-biotics (Baytril). If you notice any of the "not normal" symptoms in your iguana, get him to a vet! But if you must wait a couple days to get to the vet, keep your iguana's temperatures 3 or 4 degrees higher than norm, both at night and during the day. Don't handle your iguana excessively. Don't allow iguana to sit in a draft. Offer *LOTS* of water or Pedialyte frequently. But don't be tempted to let home care be a replacement for the service of a good relaibel herp vet.
Best,
Jamie/JBug
: a couple weeks ago, my iguanas started sneezing relatively often...i hadn't heard it all before this..i read someplace that it was salt in the food that was causing this...have any of you had any problems feeding zucchini, sweet potato, or acorn squash?? those are the only 3 new foods we have tried in the last couple weeks..could this be a sign of something more serious? i've scheduled a vet visit, but couldn't afford to pay for it until this friday, so i was wondering if i could find out more information in the meantime...
: thanks,
: jeremy