Diseases Of The Iguana: What They Are And How To Cure Them

Reptiles are becoming the new pets of the 21st century. Among these, the iguanas certainly stand out, due to the extravagance of their skin. Despite their appearance that makes them seem almost invincible, these living beings also have their weaknesses. They are often prone to infections, burns, can suffer from stress and other often irreparable ailments.

Keeping this pet indoors requires preparation, care and maintenance of a miniature ecosystem that rests on a fragile balance, which must always be controlled. The state of health and well-being of your iguana, in fact, will depend on external factors of the environment. Like the level of cleanliness, the temperature, the food …

For all these reasons, you need to know which are the most frequent diseases in the iguana and the symptoms that can help you identify them.

Infectious diseases can be very dangerous

First, viruses, parasites, and bacteria can cause serious harm to your pet. The combination of light, water, minerals, food and waste are the breeding ground for the propagation of these harmful protozoa.

In addition, amoebas and worms can also affect this reptile. Lethal infections such as salmonella would cause severe damage to the iguana and could even endanger your own health.

Therefore, the difference will be the animal’s immune system and its stress level. In the case of gastrointestinal infections, which are the most common, the warning symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. If you notice these factors in your iguana, it is best to go to the vet right away.

Lack of calcium can harm iguanas

One of the characteristic problems of the species has to do with the difficulties in absorbing calcium from food. All of this originates in the metabolism and the consequences may be known.

Another cause of this condition has to do with the lack of type B ultraviolet light . Basically, the symptom of this clinical picture appears on the hind legs of the animal. Be careful if they swell and if they look a little leaner than normal.

As a solution, there are a couple of alternatives: supplement the specimen’s diet with calcium supplements and provide fluorescence and sunlight to the habitat in which it lives. This will help prevent fractures and bone weakness.

Burns

As we have seen, artificial and solar light are essential for the correct development of this type of reptile. But beware: when you install the lighting and heat sources in the terrarium, there is a  risk of burns for your iguana.

Therefore, the ideal is that sources of light and heat are kept out of the reach of these animals. The skin of iguanas can burn and turn black, gray or red in the affected areas.

Minor burns heal on their own. On the contrary, those of greater severity require specific medical attention, especially if they produce ulcers on the animal’s skin.

Prolapse in reptiles

Prolapse is, in medical terms, the decay or fall of some internal organ. This clinical picture affects iguanas in the colon, fallopian tubes, bladder and even in their reproductive organ, the hemipenis.

The problem is known because the organs that must be inside your body suddenly pop out and become visible  from the outside. In this case, the correct thing is to keep the bump clean and go to the vet right away.

You have to keep in mind that the complications resulting from this condition are infectious. Generally, the exit of the organ is produced by parasites or pathogens, but the clinical picture can also worsen. This emergency in iguanas and lizards needs to be treated quickly.

Broken fingers – a common problem

In other cases, your iguana may break fingers and nails. In general, the reason for this type of injury is terrarium accidents . The animal falls from above or puts its foot between two rocks, for example.

The fear that the animal will end up losing the use of a paw plays a crucial role in such situations. The main thing is to assess the depth and severity of the wound. In fact, there are wounds that, even if pressed, do not cause pain to your pet.

But if by any chance there is an open wound to the naked eye, you need to go to the vet. As we understand, almost all the diseases of the iguana are curable if they are diagnosed in time, but only if the intervention of the specialist is facilitated.

Stress is the worst disease of the iguana

This reptile is a perfect example of how important the psychological factor can be in an animal . If an iguana is not kept properly and has problems adapting to the ecosystem, the chances of falling into a stressful situation are very high.

This situation of malaise has a significant biological effect. Therefore, it is essential that you do everything possible to create a proper ecosystem and pay attention to any strange behavior. If you want to prevent your iguana from getting sick, remember to always offer him the best living conditions possible.