Starch and protein can also be good for iguanas!!

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Posted by Flavia Guimar�es on May 15, 2002 at 21:10:00:

In Reply to: starch and animal protein can be disastrous! posted by Lily on May 15, 2002 at 12:43:11:

Dear Lily

Thank you for your promptly answer!
My iguanas diet is not based on meat or starch.It's based on vegetables.Every day I give them lots of vegetables ( I avoid giving them too much broccoli because I read its bad for the kidneys); starch only three times a week.But I confessed they like rice and noodles very much!!Only two of them like bread.The others dont like very much.Only a few bites.But rice mixed with vegetables and a little egg is the best for them. And noodles.You must see their happy faces when they see the noodles!!
I dont force them to eat what they dont like.I think in the nature they dont have a mom or a dad or even a owner saying to them what they can or cannot eat.In the wild they choose what they want and they have been around for millions of years!!(Of course in the nature there is no noodles or rice but perhaps they just need some carbohydrates!)I offer them a large variety of food and they eat what they prefer.They dont like fruits, why should I insist?
I dont give them too much calcium because they have 12 hours of sun every day.
I dont know in the long term what is going to happen with them, but in the medium term (3 years) they are the healthiest iguanas I ve seen.
In three years they never had any desease, not even a running nose or a diarrhea!!

Flavia

this is a giv: A meat and starch based diet can lead to an ig that looks healthy and much larger than other iguanas of its age. However, size and plumpness do not necessarily indicate true health. While your ig may look more massive, feeding noodles, bread and chicken on a regular basis (or at all) can lead to kidney failure and other internal problems that will shorten your iguanas' lives.

: You may have created yourself a problem because, as I am sure you know, iguanas are hesitant to accept change. However, weaning them from their current diet and introducing a diet whose staple foods are calcium-rich greens like escarole and collards, as well as a variety of squashes and other vegetables and the occasional piece of fruit will be beneficial in the long run. I would be surprised if your iguanas became 'sickly' after switching to an all-vegetable diet. Good luck,
: -Lily

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: Dear Lily : Thank you for your promptly answer! : My iguanas diet is not based on meat or starch.It's based on vegetables.Every day I give them lots of vegetables ( I avoid giving them too much broccoli because I read its bad for the kidneys); starch only three times a week.But I confessed they like rice and noodles very much!!Only two of them like bread.The others dont like very much.Only a few bites.But rice mixed with vegetables and a little egg is the best for them. And noodles.You must see their happy faces when they see the noodles!! : I dont force them to eat what they dont like.I think in the nature they dont have a mom or a dad or even a owner saying to them what they can or cannot eat.In the wild they choose what they want and they have been around for millions of years!!(Of course in the nature there is no noodles or rice but perhaps they just need some carbohydrates!)I offer them a large variety of food and they eat what they prefer.They dont like fruits, why should I insist? : I dont give them too much calcium because they have 12 hours of sun every day. : I dont know in the long term what is going to happen with them, but in the medium term (3 years) they are the healthiest iguanas I ve seen. : In three years they never had any desease, not even a running nose or a diarrhea!! : Flavia : this is a giv: A meat and starch based diet can lead to an ig that looks healthy and much larger than other iguanas of its age. However, size and plumpness do not necessarily indicate true health. While your ig may look more massive, feeding noodles, bread and chicken on a regular basis (or at all) can lead to kidney failure and other internal problems that will shorten your iguanas' lives. : : You may have created yourself a problem because, as I am sure you know, iguanas are hesitant to accept change. However, weaning them from their current diet and introducing a diet whose staple foods are calcium-rich greens like escarole and collards, as well as a variety of squashes and other vegetables and the occasional piece of fruit will be beneficial in the long run. I would be surprised if your iguanas became 'sickly' after switching to an all-vegetable diet. Good luck, : : -Lily

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