Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Have a 1-2 year old male that has been eating Normally and has all the proper lighting . It has just today started to loose the use of his back legs . He can move one more than the other and grip lightly with his tows . His pelvic girdle feels fine and cant see any lose of muscle tone . Could it be presser on his spine from constipation ? I also don’t think it is MBD . Any help would be appreciated . Thanks David of DS Reptile Rescue , Removal & Rehabilitation

These are the reasons that I can think of for rear leg/tail paralysis in lizards: tumor, fracture, Vitamin B1 deficiency, calcium deficiency (MBD). Given that tumors are rare and there is no history of a fracture, I'd lean toward dietary issues.

Is he a rescue? How long have you had him? Is his basking area 95 degrees and is the lighting spaced appropriately so that his UV absorption is high enough (ie not through screen/mesh and not too far away)? Does he get supplementation and a variety of foods that are not high in oxalates?

As for treatment, I'd get him in as much natural sunlight as possible. I'd also get him to a vet, because if paralysis is setting in, then anything going on is pretty significant. In other words, the amount of vitamins and minerals required would be larger than could be absorbed from the gut. If you think he's constipated, try a warm bath. It would take a large amount of fecal matter to apply that much pressure on the spinal cord and outlying nerves.

No he is not a rescue and his basking spot is perfect . He is my daughters and she has had him for about 6-8 months . His diet could be better , he eats mostly fresh spinach and some bananas and oranges and will not eat any thing else ,we have tried all sorts of things and he just turns up his nose at them , we do give a supplement that is sprinkled on his food by ESU could NUTRI GROW , I cant feel any fracture and there is no pain reflex when doing a physical exam . I will be taking him to a Vet ,we don’t have a reptile Vet and only one that will see them and he is only correct ¾ of the time as pertains to herps. Thanks David

Spinach is not so hot for Ca ratio. If you could get him to eat some collard or green beans, that would be so much better. You might to go the tough love route and offer nothing else or blend it into a slurry and hand fed him.

hi i am sorry to say the reason your ig is sick and it is mbd.it is do to that diet which needs to change immediately.if you want to keep your ig. first no spinach it my be good for you not iguanas. and fruits should be in small amounts no more than 2x a week. it needs greens like collard,arugula,dandelion,mustard and turnip. and mix the greens with vegs. please for the iguana follow a good diet i will give you this link for the diet www.iguanaden.org this site has alot of good info i have used this diet for 3yrs and have a very healty ig. and you will need to find a reptile vet. taking a reptile to a vet thats not always right could mean death to a ig. as far as lighting requriements they need uva/uvb full spectrum light. sorry to be so hard hear this story so much hope this helps igirl1

Thanks for the info on the link , It is a really good site . We have started a new diet tonight and will let you know how it all works out . Thanks again David

MBD will cause paralysis and if this the diet he's on, I
am willing to bet this has something to do with it. Spinach
is horrible in their diet as it actually binds calcium somehow
Do not give him any more spinach but dark greens like
mustard, turnip, collard and endive. Add some grated butternut
squash, parsnip and other veggies. Make absolutely sure that
you have a good UVB source like the Reptisun 5.0.
Also, a trip to vet needs to be made IMMEDIATELY!

Please do your research on ig requirements. Young children
really should not be the sole caretaker as iguanas care
is not easy and things should not be overlooked as they are the ones that pay the price.

Linda

Sorry but I think you miss understood me .yes it is mi little girls and she feeds it but I was telling her what to feed it as was told to me and he was getting greens as well I just failed to state it . As for the lighting 5.0 is not enough as I was told we have 10.0 and 8.0 as a minimum . Thanks David

You didn't mention you were feeding him other greens. This
would be important when MBD is trying to be evaluated.

As far as the lighting, actually the Actice UVB bulbs
are probably the best. The Reptisun 5.0 is what many
people have used before the others came out. I raised
my male with two of these and have used them for my female
rescue with great success.

I think the most important thing is to get this ig to
an experienced vet for evalution. You wouldn't want
to guess at what's going on and take the chance of him
becoming paralized.

Linda

I appreciate your concern but after eliminating the spinach and adding kale and backhoe to his diet he is already showing signs of improvement as for as the Vet the closes Reptile Vet is 4.5 hours away but I called him and he said we are on the right track and if things did not improve to call him back and set up a appointment .but like I said he is already getting better but still has a long way to go. Thanks David