need a new diet!

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Posted by iZ's mom on July 18, 2001 at 16:35:30:

In Reply to: remeasured (please help)... posted by ErinW on July 18, 2001 at 15:07:45:

right now, it sounds like you have a very spoiled ig and perrsonally, i thoroughly disagree with your vet regarding supplements ~ supplements are NOT a replacement for a good, healthy diet ... supplements do NOT provide the calories, etc, etc, that an animal needs and in the wrong amounts, supplements CAN do more harm than good ...

lots of igs get spoiled ~ it's easy to do cuz we worry that they're not eating + so we give them more of their most favorite foods! well guess what? the ig has just managed to train *you*! it's going to take some time + effort on your part, but you HAVE to get it's diet straightened out ASAP to prevent *future* health issues ...

start slowly ~ *especially* decrease the amount of fruit! do it gradually, but decrease the foods that are low in nutrients and *increase* the greens ... maybe offer *only* greens for one meal ~ if it doesn't eat it, well, missing one meal won't hurt ... but then after that, start making small changes with *every* salad ...

no, your ig is NOT going to like this at all ... they don't like change to begin with ... but you have to harden your heart a bit + teach it to eat healthy foods ... same line of thinking as toddlers ~ you wouldn't let a child exist on just chips + cookies, even if that's all they'd eat at 1st ~ sooner or later, they're gonna get hungry enough to eat what you put in front of them and very likely will ALSO learn that it doesn't taste as horrible as they thought ...

ok, with THAT lecture over ~ *grin* ~
iZ is probably one of THE most spoiled-rotten igs to ever exist! he's got his favorite foods that *have* to be in his salad or he pouts + won't eat ... and that's fine! just as long as it's in healthy proportions ~ for example, he LOVES melon (used to be oranges!) but he only gets fruit on his supper salad ... and when he's being particularly picky one week, i'll cheat and put melon *juice* on his salad (like a light dressing :) ) ... i'm STILL waiting on him hand + foot, but it's a little bit more on *my* terms ... (i think ... )

another thing to try is to shred the greens VERY fine instead of just tearing them in small pieces ... could be that the pieces of greens are just too big for her ... could also maybe trick her into thinking it's something new cuz it looks different ...

The Basking Spot has EXCELLENT diet info and big tables of just how nutritious each vegie/green is ...

best wishes!
Bon. + iZ

Follow Ups:

Re: need a new diet! Tif 07/18/01 (8)
- totally agree.... xta 07/18/01 (7)
  - so... ErinW 07/18/01 (6)
    - Re: soooooooooooo ... iZ's mom 07/18/01 (4)
      - thanks... ErinW 07/19/01 (3)
        
        My fave Indiana ig places Alisha 07/19/01 (2)
        
        I should of thought of going to the dollar tree... ErinW 07/19/01 (1)
        
        and ... iZ's mom 07/19/01 (0)
    - Re: so... iguanas 07/18/01 (0)

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: right now, it sounds like you have a very spoiled ig and perrsonally, i thoroughly disagree with your vet regarding supplements ~ supplements are NOT a replacement for a good, healthy diet ... supplements do NOT provide the calories, etc, etc, that an animal needs and in the wrong amounts, supplements CAN do more harm than good ... : lots of igs get spoiled ~ it's easy to do cuz we worry that they're not eating + so we give them more of their most favorite foods! well guess what? the ig has just managed to train *you*! it's going to take some time + effort on your part, but you HAVE to get it's diet straightened out ASAP to prevent *future* health issues ... : start slowly ~ *especially* decrease the amount of fruit! do it gradually, but decrease the foods that are low in nutrients and *increase* the greens ... maybe offer *only* greens for one meal ~ if it doesn't eat it, well, missing one meal won't hurt ... but then after that, start making small changes with *every* salad ... : no, your ig is NOT going to like this at all ... they don't like change to begin with ... but you have to harden your heart a bit + teach it to eat healthy foods ... same line of thinking as toddlers ~ you wouldn't let a child exist on just chips + cookies, even if that's all they'd eat at 1st ~ sooner or later, they're gonna get hungry enough to eat what you put in front of them and very likely will ALSO learn that it doesn't taste as horrible as they thought ... : ok, with THAT lecture over ~ *grin* ~ : iZ is probably one of THE most spoiled-rotten igs to ever exist! he's got his favorite foods that *have* to be in his salad or he pouts + won't eat ... and that's fine! just as long as it's in healthy proportions ~ for example, he LOVES melon (used to be oranges!) but he only gets fruit on his supper salad ... and when he's being particularly picky one week, i'll cheat and put melon *juice* on his salad (like a light dressing :) ) ... i'm STILL waiting on him hand + foot, but it's a little bit more on *my* terms ... (i think ... ) : another thing to try is to shred the greens VERY fine instead of just tearing them in small pieces ... could be that the pieces of greens are just too big for her ... could also maybe trick her into thinking it's something new cuz it looks different ... : <a href="http://www.baskingspot.com/iguanas/">The Basking Spot</a> has EXCELLENT diet info and big tables of just how nutritious each vegie/green is ... : best wishes! : Bon. + iZ

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