Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ive had my iguana for (gosh) 10 years. His mate died 3 years ago from a bad case of mouthrot. now hes not gaining weight. no matter how much he eats he wont gain. he doesnt have worms or anything internal and he eats like a horse. has anyone had this happen to them. if so please help--judith

Go to the vet.
People have to understand this is not an "Iguana Med-101" forum, the advice given is mostly on husbandry, not veterinary care.

How did ur other iguana get mouth-rot?
How much weight has the other one lost? Did it start losing weight after the death of the other iguana, or recently?
How big (long) is it? At 10 years old, it should be a 5 or even 6 footer.

U've got to give us more details, but in any case, go to a vet.

-IJ

sorry about the lack of info. he is 6 and a half feet long and only loosing weight in the belly. there is not a herp vet around for 100 miles. (for the last 8 years ive been acting vet for all of my reptiles, the only animal i lost was my female iggy) the mouth rot my female got was something i was told she had had for years (something like naturally occuring bacteria gone bad) but i dont buy it. he has only seemed "skinny" as of late, the last few weeks or so. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them, and what they did for there iguana. ie:increased suppliments, beta carrotine intake, filler foods, anything like that. thanks for the advice though--Judith

A regular vet might draw some blood and send it to a herp specialist.
6.5 is impressive!
The author James Hatfield lost his iguana to cancer.
It is a possibility.
Feed it something rich in anti-oxidants, like blueberries, and see if there is an improvement after a week.
How are the stools?
What about behavior? Is it more lethargic?
Like I said, last time I checked there are no herp-vet specialists here. Look around this website if u can find one in ur area, or at least give one a call and mention your problem.
The Melissa Kaplan and the Hatfield books may have a section regarding health that could help u.

-IJ

Thank you so much for the advice off to the vet we go.