Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Please help. My iguana was diagnosed last week with Metabolic Bone Disease. He is 3 years old. He was at the vet where x-rays were taken, he received an injection (calcium), has a fractured femur which was splinted, had blood work taken (which I don't have the results yet)stayed overnight and he was sent home with me with calcium drops to give him twice a day and the instructions to make sure he is under the UV light 12 hours a day. I am getting no satisfaction from the vet. I have gone on numerous websites for information, but I need to talk to someone who has gone through this to let me know what to expect, how long it may take, etc. Because of my ignorance, Lily is sick. Someone please help me.

I took in na ig who had such advanced MBD that she ultimately succumbed to it (though I suspect the vet's injections of vit.D had a negative effect on her.)

From your post I don't understand why you are not happy with your vet's diagnosis and treatment plan. He has no control over how you comply with his instructions, and he can't know whether some other problem will crop up as a side effect of malnutrition and MBD.

If your ig has no gross deformities of his jaws and backbone, then you have every reason to expect a good recovrey if you follow your vet's instructions. But I say this based on the information in your post.

Roger

Hey, sounds like you're getting everything straightened out. Your vet's diagnosis and treatment are right on, as Roger said in the other post. One of my iguanas had severe MBD presenting with several broken bones when I got him, and thanks to treatment similar to what your vet has prescribed he happily runs around and can do most everything a normal iguana can.

The only things I would add are: restrict your iguana's access to things he can climb. Sunlight is magic for iguanas; if you live somewhere reasonably warm this time of year, even a few minutes a day will work wonders. I feel my iguana benefited from recieving an emergency calcium shot from the vet, you might inquire about that. Your iguana must be only about 8 inches away from the UV light to benefit him, and this light must be replaced about every six months.

The first sign my iguana was getting better was that he attempted to use his broken back legs, instead of dragging them. It is only recently (1.5 years after finding him) that he has started to raise his tail up high when going to the bathroom, as healthy iguanas do. He still can't get it as high as he should be. And he still stutter-steps sometimes, but I'm not sure if that's an effect of the old MBD, or just him being goofy.

The most important thing is being vigilant about following the vet's directions. You can give your iguana a long, healthy life by following through on your good intentions. Like Roger V., I see no reason why your iguana should not recover fully.

Two questions: Are you changing your iguana's diet? That is to say, do you know what caused the MBD? Also, why aren't you happy with your vet?

Let us know what happens- best of luck.

Erin

NP

Hi Erin.
I have moved Lily into a smaller cage since she (he) is weak and I have been force feeding him. I keep saying him and her because I thought Lily was a female and found out she is a male. He knows his name as Lily. Yesterday and today, he seems to be a little bit eager about eating from the syringe I am using. His front legs look like popeye arms. Now, I am worried about him not defecating. He has the splint on so I can't get that wet. I have an appointment with the vet on Saturday if he doesn't defecate by then so he will get an edema. Could you please tell me approximately how long it was before you saw a significant change in your iguana with MBD? Thanks. Anne

I would say about three or four, but every iguana is different. Is there any way you can safeguard the cast with some kind of plastic when you put him in the tub? I don't know how big he is, but maybe elastic band a plastic baggie around the leg with the cast, and make the water really shallow? Try gentle tummy massages, too (see the first link included below).

Bud had an enema at the vet the first time I took him, and it did work to loosen the blockages in his bowel and get things moving again. But you can't keep giving them enemas, so it would be better if he gets back to pooping on his own sooner than later.

Here are a few helpful links. Browse the whole site for help about MBD, diet, and everything else. The author of the site also wrote "Iguanas for Dummies", an excellent book, especially if you find the website hard to navigate. The other iguana bible is James Hatfield's "The Ultimate Green Iguana Owner's Manual".

http://www.anapsid.org/constipation.html
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/iguanaconstipation.html
http://www.anapsid.org/laxative.html

Thanks for your help. I'll let you know what happens.