What to Feed an Iguana

While there are commercially manufactured 'iguana chow' type products available, the most natural way to feed your pet is fresh vegetables and fruits. Most any produce department or green grocer should have a selection of very healthy, tasty things that an iguana can eat. By making fresh food for your iguana every day, you can use it as a reminder to yourself to eat a healthy snack too.

The most vital part of the iguana diet is leafy greens. These include collard, turnip, kale, mustard and other darker types of greens. Dandelion greens come highly recommended by our vet, as the nutritional balance is just right for a healthy iguana. Spinach is also suitable for occaisional use, though not amongst the healthiest of greens for iguanas. The greens should make up between eighty to ninety percent of the total diet. It's impossible to overfeed an iguana, so be generous. I've been amazed many times by the volume of chow that can be fit into a lizard. To prepare them for you iguana's supper, remove the center vein and stem and cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces. The size of pieces should be relative to the size of your iguana's size, younger ones will need smaller bites than full-grown ones would. The greens can be best stored in the refridgerator's crisper drawer loosely wrapped in paper towel, but they don't last long no matter what you do. Plan on going to get fresh greens twice a week if you decide to feed your iguana the natural way.

A green vegetable is also a good thing to include daily and make up about ten percent of the iguana's diet. Snow peas, pea pods or green beans go over well with my iguana. When feeding your pet pea pods or snow peas, try to remove the stringy bit that runs the length of the pod, as it may not digest readily. Cutting the peapods or beans into small bites makes them easier to eat, as they cling the greens. Storing the green veggie portion of the iguana chow in a plastic bag, not too tightly sealed, should keep them fresh about a week.

For some color and other nutrients, a splash of orange is quite tantalizing. Shredded yam or carrot is another daily part of the diet of a healthy iguana. If you are using vitamin or calicium supplement powders- which I do think is a good idea- they can be mixed into the meal quite readily if added to the shredded yam or carrot. A very small amount will suffice, roughly five percent of the total meal should be yam or carrot.

Lastly, a little bit of fruit for flavor and to keep your pet sweet. Perhaps five to ten percent of the total diet should be fruit, and some fruits are much better for the iguana than others. The most loved by my iguana is banana, which isn't the healtiest for her due to the high potassium levels. Things like apples, pears, mangoes and peaches are very well recieved and nutritionally better for iguanas. Strawberries, grapes, and cherries can be given occaisionally as well. Citrus fruits are a big no-no, as the acids can harm the digestive enzymes your pets needs to function. Should your iguana become constipated, fruit can help get them moving again. Giving them a plate of nothing but their favorite pears should do the trick most of the time.

When preparing the salad for your iguana, remember to wash all the produce well. 80% green leafy, 10% green veggies, 5% orange and shredded and 5% fruit adds up to a very happy and healthy lizard. With proper diet and environment, your pet iguana will be a loyal friend for many years. Without a proper diet, horrible health issues and other heartaches can result, so please research your choices and treat your lizard well.