Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently adopted an iguana from an animal shelter that came from an abusive home where she was burnt with cigarettes all over her body the burns on her sides are healed but they burnt both her eyes and now she has eye problems I know her eyes will never be normal but they seem to cause her some discomfort and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to make them not as sore and to keep them clean. also she was fed a bad diet and now she's a picky eater the shelter said the only thing they could get her to eat was bananas and fruit should only be 10% of an iguanas whole diet does anyone have any ideas on how to get her to eat other things if I put thing like carrots in her mouth she just spits them back out

Bananas are nutritious but extremely bad when a large part of the diet. You must have come across the need for iguanas to take in at least twice as much calcium as phosphorus (2:1) while bananas are somewhat reversed to a severe degree. I think they are a 1:9 calcium phosphorus ratio.

If that is all the iguana will eat, and it is of good weight, then I suggust stopping it altogether. Only offer dark green leafy vegetables. A calcium powder supplement is a good idea, but skip it until the animal has switched diets. You don't want an extra deterent to eating in the food dish. When the iguana gets hungry enough, after a few days, it will eat it's veggies (provided temps and other husbandry is correct).
IF the iguana is already of poor weight, then not feeding it for this time may be more detrimental. You can feed banana I'd add a good amount of calcium supplementation. Get the animal to the vet (for it's overall poor condition) and tube feeding or other nutritional supplementation.

For the eyes, if not taken to the vet, perhaps try a moisturizing lube. Unmedicated eye lube for dry eyes in humans is fine to use. If your iggie can't see, it might cause problems with it's appetite as these guys rely heavily on visual stimuli.

Good luck!

Ian