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I recently received a rescue iguana who appears quite young (approx 16" stl) who had several problems. When it presented, it appeared to be unable to move its hind legs. However, the spine feels to be intact and there are no palpable obstructions of the bowel. It also showed some shaking of its limbs and (I can't give a better description than this) appeared to be high on Meth. Its pupils were pinned and it behaved very erratically, more so than any stressed iguana I have ever seen. Physically, the iguana appears fine with no broken bones, no puffy or swolen limbs or swollen or misaligned jaw. It has great color and does not even pale or darken to indicate stress.

I began syringe feeding baby food with vitamins and calcium mixed in and set it up directly under (few inches away from) a reptisun 10.0. The initial assumption was perhaps lack of calcium causing paralysis. Within a day it could move all limbs, but continues to shake or jitter as if it has a palsy whenever it moves. This seems most pronounced in the limbs, particularly the front limbs. Another hypothesis was lack of B vitamins and electrolytes causing faulty nervous functioning, however adding these has not produced much change. I have very little information about this iguana's previous care other than it ate nothing but mealworms and some lettuce. I do not know how long this has been a problem. Unfortunately, there are no exceptionally knowledgeable reptile vets in my area to ask.

So, my question is: has anyone seen this? Do you have suggestions as to causation and/or treatment?

Thanks,
nate.

Hello,
I may not be a vet but I have recently had that experience with my own ig. The main cause for this is MBD. I cant say that i know the treatment of the ig before it was in your care. But just assuming i would say that it either didnt have a good Cal ratio. From what you said on your post you are on the right track!
P.S A vet visit may be necessary.
Keep up the good work!
Hunter

Thank you, I was assuming that this was the likely case, but it's really good to hear support.

nate.

No Problem!
that is what kingsnake is for!
If you run into anymore problems just post and someone is bound to help!

Hunter

It is definitely showing signs of calcium deficiency. The shaking in the limbs is called tetany, and calcium is required for proper muscle use as well as strong bones. At this advanced state, a vet visit may be in order to provide a suitable source of calcium. Simply giving powder supplements may not be enough. Also, giving too much calcium without adequate Vit D or hydration can stress the kidneys.

I would soak the guy in a lukewarm bath twice a day for 15-20 min for hydration. You can mix a little green bean baby food with water to make a slurry and feed with a dropper to get liquids in, too. Check out the Iguana Den diet for a good list of veggie to feed. The 10.0 is good, but needs to be 6" away. The best thing will be natural sunlight, as unfiltered as possible. My lizards bask outside in a 1/2" mesh cage that allows more UV to get through than a fine mesh screen.

Good luck!

Causation is poor husbandry...

Lettuce is useless except as a water source. Mealworms have no business in an iguana's diet, although some people still believe young iguanas are insectivores. Insects have a negative Ca ratio which would contribute to the calcium problem, and the insect protein strains the kidneys. If he had no UV exposure to top it all off, then there exists the perfect scenario for MBD.

By the way, green beans are a good source of calcium, peas are not, yellow vegetables are low in Ca, but high in Vit A, carrots work against calcium. When choosing a baby food for a MBD rescue, green beans are best, then add in some yellow veggies as recovery progresses.

Thank you. All good suggestions. However, I am in rainy Oregon and right now it's about 50 degrees and overcast outside, so unfortunately natural sunshine is out of the question for at least a month or so. I appreciate the information about tetany, as I did not have a name for it. I will follow up with a vet to get this corrected.

thanks,
nate.

Try a good 10.0 bulb or a Mercury vapor instead.