Re: Erin, I agree with iZ's mom... more and pic.

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Posted by marisa on July 25, 2001 at 01:30:29:

In Reply to: Re: Erin, I agree with iZ's mom... more and pic. posted by ErinW on July 25, 2001 at 00:02:10:

I think taking an x-ray would benefit everyone involved. You, because then you would know how severe calcium lose is, and the iguana because it will get the special care it needs.

I have included some links for you, MBD can be confusing! But this link should help you out hopefully!

http://www.sonic.net/melissk/mbd.html

Also text taken from Jen Swoffords page on MBD: The most common nutritional ailment among iguanas in captivity is metabolic bone disease (MBD), or fibrous osteodystrophy. If you follow the diet and temperature guidelines in this booklet, your iguana should not suffer from this sickness. However, I would like to give you a rundown of what the symptoms of MBD are, so that you can spot them quickly.

When an iguana has MBD, it does not have enough calcium in the blood due to a calcium poor diet. When the iguana's blood cannot get enough calcium from the food it eats, it starts to take calcium from the bones. This results in the bones becoming soft. If your iguana starts breaking its bones easily, it could be indicative of MBD. However, there are other signs that usually develop before broken bones. One sign is a "crooked" back. If your iguana's spine seems to be bent, no matter what position it is in, it might be curving due to MBD. Another symptom is lack of toe use. If your iguana's toes twitch frequently (this is called tetany) or don't seem to be very strong, it could also be indicative of MBD. Perhaps the two most common symptoms are the swelling of the limbs and the jaw. If your iguana is appearing "muscle-bound"; in its limbs but it hasn't changed its exercise routine, it could be due to the body's attempt to strengthen the weak bones by surrounding them with a fibrous tissue. Iguanas' lower jaws can also become swollen or appear to be "caved in" when they get very weak. If the mouth does not close all the way, it could be indicative of MBD. Also, sometimes the jaw will appear to be normal, but be soft. A very gentle squeezing of the jaw can be done to tell if the jaw does not seem to be well calcified.

MBD is a reversible disease, especially when caught early. Your veterinarian will easily be able to tell if your iguana is suffering from MBD, and can help you nurse it back to health. The most common "cure" is simply a change to a better diet, more exposure to unfiltered sunlight, and calcium injections are sometimes administered. ---Jen Swofford,
link to text and page: http://www.baskingspot.com/iguanas/index.html (hope no one minds, but its a very easy to understand article)

Marisa

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: I think taking an x-ray would benefit everyone involved. You, because then you would know how severe calcium lose is, and the iguana because it will get the special care it needs. : I have included some links for you, MBD can be confusing! But this link should help you out hopefully! : http://www.sonic.net/melissk/mbd.html : Also text taken from Jen Swoffords page on MBD: The most common nutritional ailment among iguanas in captivity is metabolic bone disease (MBD), or fibrous osteodystrophy. If you follow the diet and temperature guidelines in this booklet, your iguana should not suffer from this sickness. However, I would like to give you a rundown of what the symptoms of MBD are, so that you can spot them quickly. : When an iguana has MBD, it does not have enough calcium in the blood due to a calcium poor diet. When the iguana's blood cannot get enough calcium from the food it eats, it starts to take calcium from the bones. This results in the bones becoming soft. If your iguana starts breaking its bones easily, it could be indicative of MBD. However, there are other signs that usually develop before broken bones. One sign is a "crooked" back. If your iguana's spine seems to be bent, no matter what position it is in, it might be curving due to MBD. Another symptom is lack of toe use. If your iguana's toes twitch frequently (this is called tetany) or don't seem to be very strong, it could also be indicative of MBD. Perhaps the two most common symptoms are the swelling of the limbs and the jaw. If your iguana is appearing "muscle-bound"; in its limbs but it hasn't changed its exercise routine, it could be due to the body's attempt to strengthen the weak bones by surrounding them with a fibrous tissue. Iguanas' lower jaws can also become swollen or appear to be "caved in" when they get very weak. If the mouth does not close all the way, it could be indicative of MBD. Also, sometimes the jaw will appear to be normal, but be soft. A very gentle squeezing of the jaw can be done to tell if the jaw does not seem to be well calcified. : MBD is a reversible disease, especially when caught early. Your veterinarian will easily be able to tell if your iguana is suffering from MBD, and can help you nurse it back to health. The most common "cure" is simply a change to a better diet, more exposure to unfiltered sunlight, and calcium injections are sometimes administered. ---Jen Swofford, : link to text and page: http://www.baskingspot.com/iguanas/index.html (hope no one minds, but its a very easy to understand article) : Marisa

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