I brought home my Iguana on Sunday from my job. He is about 3-4 feet long. From the day I brought him home, he hasn't eaten. All he wants to do is lay around and sleep. He is not very active. He was when he got home, and the other morning, but that's it. When he's out of the tank, he likes to sleep on the top of my couch. He seems really lethargic. Before I brought him home, he was checked out by a vet and he said that he was healthy. I didn't really expect him to eat maybe the first or second day. But it's the 5th day, and not a bite. I talked to someone at my job who has owned lots of Iguanas and she said to try bananas because they love them and maybe something sweet would stimulate him to eat. Well, I cut up a banana and put it on a plate & into his tank and I showed it to him. But all he did was turn around and go on the other side of his tank. I am really worried about him and worried that he's going to starve himself or something. I don't know what to do. I've only had Yoshi (that's what I named him) for 5 days, and I already love him to death, he's such a good boy. Please help!
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my new iguana won't eat!
Replies (4)
I've only had my ig for a month and its my first one, i know how quick you can get attached to them. I don't know much but try to get him to drink some water and i don't know if hes that big if you should try, but try and hand feed him. maybe that will work. also you should call your vet and ask him how you can get him to eat. And make sure he is warm enough and has the UVB light on him during the day, that was something i was told would make them active. Its a new enviroment too and they don't seem to like change. i really hope he starts to eat soon... good luck...keep us informed about him.
He needs to be checked for internal parasites by a GOOD herp vet. UVB is a must have. Most of us use Reptisun 5.0 and I believe a couple are expierementing with the new Merc Vapors...
What are you trying to feed him? I have linked to the Green Ig Societys food chart. Its the best I have foudn and the people on their message board are great 
GREEN IG SOC FOOD CHART
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1.0.1 Green Iguana Andy and Vernie
0.2.0 Cats April and Sugar
1.0.0 German Shepard Dog Router
0.0.50 Fish
Kudos to you for adopting a grown ig!!!
You didn't mention the tests the vet made to proclaim him healthy. His gut flora could have been fine then. But when iguanas go threough severe stress(and they take it like that when they get moved to another residence; new sounds, lights, smells, being an animal that gets preyed upon), IMO he's in Relocation Stress. That can overturn the gut flora of the sturdiest ig, leaving him/her in need of medical help.
I hope he's been pooping a little, so you can scrape up a sample to give to the reptile vet. (s)he can use that to figure out what gut bug is going haywire and which anti-microbial works best agaist it.
The other possibility is a lot tougher. Your ig needs climate parameters that fall within narrow ranges to survive. He is totally dependant on you to provide that. it's a big topic;
http://www.greenigsociety.org/home.html
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html
(Free roaming puts igs in our climate, leaving them cold and dry. But they don't look stressed until about two days before they are to die. They're like birds in that regard.)
Look for the topic "temperature" or temperatures". If they are off by even 10 degrees F. the ig will lose it's ability to digest food and won't eat any more food. The temperature on the back of your sofa for an ig would require down jackets and thermal gloves. If you cranked the temp and humidity up to an ig's comfort level, you'd be pouring sweat down your arms and face. Igs are created to be tropical. Our climate is cold and dry to them.
If his gut organism population is out of balance (not surprising with an orphaned ig in transition), you can ask your vet if you can add "bene-bac" (brand name, look up on Google) to the treatment he decides on. He'll probabley say ok, and it's worth it.
Your ig is in a nose-dive and needs a vet, probably one visit,
All my best, keep us in touch,
Roger
you said you keep him in a tank? how big is it? an iguana that size should have a very large inclosure. they love to clime and be up high. i think that may be part of your problem. i would take him back to the vet for a fecal and work on building a larger home for him so he will be happy. good luck i hope he feels better.
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brandy
