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Choosing a Reptile |
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Reptiles are popular pets. Some people want to own them to be different (never a good reason for owning any pet), some enjoy the lower cost of veterinary care as compared to dogs and cats (this is often, but not always true), and many people who don't have the time to devote to a dog or cat enjoy the relatively "maintenance-free" appeal of a snake, iguana, or turtle. Before purchasing a reptile, it would be wise to ask yourself several questions:
• Do I want a pet just to look at or do I want to handle and socialize it?
While many reptiles, especially those purchased as captive-born infants, allow owners to handle them, others do not. Many of the more exotic species such as chameleons do not allow handling and react aggressively or become severely stressed. As a rule, if you want a pet to snuggle with, a reptile is not for you. If, on the other hand, you want an animal you can display, a reptile deserves your consideration.
• How much time can I devote to my pet?
All pets require AT LEAST 15 minutes of observation by the owner each day. The owner who fails to pay at least this much attention to his pet won't detect early signs of disease and is really neglecting his responsibility as a pet owner. Most reptiles need to be fed and watered daily, and often the cages needs to be cleaned daily as well. The owner who intends to put his reptile in a cage and observe it only once in awhile should seriously consider his decision to care for this type of pet.
• Can I afford proper medical care?
ALL reptiles need to be examined immediately after purchase (within 48 hours) and at least annually by a reptile veterinarian! Doing this allows early detection of disease. With very rare exception, exotic pets usually don't act sick (or show any indication of illness) until they are VERY SICK! As a rule, A Sick Reptile Is A Dying Reptile! Regular veterinary care and an informed pet owner greatly reduces illness and death in these pets (as well as the overall cost of medical care).
• Can I make or buy the correct habitat (home) for my reptile?
At a minimum, most reptiles require a 10-gallon glass aquarium, two pieces of astroturf to line the bottom of the aquarium, a source of heat, and a source of UV light. While not expensive or difficult to assemble, an improper environment is the second most common source of diseases and captivity problems encountered in reptiles (an improper diet is the most common problem).
Reptiles do get sick, and preventing illness is definitely preferred to treatment. As an introduction to reptile diseases, owners must understand that reptiles hide signs of illness quite well. This is called the "preservation response." In the wild, if an animal showed signs of illness every time it felt bad, it would easily be attacked by predators or even members of its own group. Therefore, these animals don't appear ill until the illness is actually quite advanced. Our pet reptiles still retain this "wild" characteristic. To repeat, "A Sick Reptile Is A Dying Reptile"! It's very important to take your pet to the veterinarian at the FIRST sign of illness. Waiting to see if things get better, or treatment with over-the-counter medications, especially those sold at pet stores, only delays proper treatment and often results in expensive veterinary bills and a dead reptile! Veterinarians can do many things for sick reptiles, but early intervention is critical!
While the principles of diagnosis and treatment of diseases is the same regardless of the species of pet, there are important differences between reptiles and dogs and cats. Only a veterinarian with the expertise in treating reptiles should be consulted for medical or surgical advice.
The First Veterinary
Visit Within 48 hours of your purchase, your reptile should be examined by a reptile veterinarian. The visit includes determining the animal's weight, as well as checking for lumps and bumps. The pet is examined for signs of dehydration and starvation. A fecal test is done to check for internal parasites. Unlike most pets, it's impossible to get a pet reptile to defecate on command (although many will give you an unwelcome sample if angered!). A reptile's feces is often a hard "ball" of fecal matter; analyzing this material gives little useful information. A colonic wash, similar to an enema, will allow your veterinarian to accurately check for internal parasites. The oral cavity is examined for signs of infectious stomatitis (mouth rot). No vaccines are required for reptiles. Most of the visit will probably be a question and answer session. If all turns out well, your pet will be given a clean bill of health. Just like dogs and cats, pet reptiles should be examined annually and have their stool tested for parasites annually as well.
Common Diseases of Pet Iguanas
What Are Some Of The Common Diseases of Pet Iguanas?
Common conditions of pet iguanas include metabolic bone disease, infectious stomatitis (mouth rot), parasites, abscesses, and hypervitaminosis D.
What Are The Signs Of These Diseases?
Metabolic bone disease, probably the most common condition of pet iguanas, is usually caused by feeding an improper diet that is low in calcium or Vitamin D and high in phosphorus. Common signs include swelling of the lower jaw and/or swelling of the hind-limbs. As the condition progresses muscle twitching, loss of appetite, and loss of energy (lethargy) are seen. (Please read the article on feeding your iguana.)
Infectious Stomatitis (Mouth Rot) is seen as pinpoint hemorrhages on the gums or an excess amount of thick mucus, often like cottage cheese, in the mouth.
Parasites, especially pinworms, are common in pet iguanas. They often cause no clinical signs and are detected on an annual fecal examination. They may, however, cause diarrhea or weight loss.
Abscesses, commonly seen in pet iguanas, appear as hard tumor-like swellings anywhere on the pet's body.
Hypervitaminosis D is a condition that develops as owners either over-supplement the iguana's diet with vitamins and minerals or feeds the pet dog or cat food. Clinical signs are vague and include lack of appetite and lethargy.
How Can I Tell If My Iguana Is Sick?
Signs of disease in iguanas may be specific for a certain disease, such as jaw or hind-limb
swelling as seen in iguanas with metabolic bone disease, or non-specific, such as an iguana with
anorexia (lack of appetite) and lethargy, which can be seen with many diseases. ANY deviation
from normal should be a cause for concern and requires immediate evaluation by your
veterinarian.
How Are Iguana Diseases Treated?
Metabolic bone disease usually requires injectable or oral calcium, a multi-vitamin or mineral supplement, or calcitonin, a new drug which puts calcium into your iguana's bones.
Infectious stomatitis (mouth rot), usually requires injectable antibiotics, as well as rinsing the mouth with antibiotic solutions. Atropine (to reduce the thickness of the oral secretions) and Vitamin C may also be needed.
Several deworming medications are available either as an oral or injectable drug. The type of parasite identified on the microscopic fecal examination will determine which drug is needed.
Abscesses are treated surgically; the abscess is opened and flushed with a medicated solution. A culture of the abscess may be needed to determine the type of infection that caused the abscess. Topical medication and injectable antibiotics may also be used.
Hypervitaminosis D is a serious problem that requires hospitalization and intensive therapy with fluids, force feeding, and drugs such as diuretics and corticosteroids to help lower the iguana's calcium level.
Any of these diseases can be severe enough to cause a loss of appetite and lethargy. When seen, these signs indicate a guarded prognosis and the need for hospitalization and intensive care, which can include fluid therapy and force feeding.
Feeding Your Iguana
Diet is the area where most people fail their iguanas. Without proper nutrition, iguanas can suffer a variety of health problems. Because of the type, number and arrangement of their teeth, iguanas perforate but do not chew food. In the wild, iguanas chomp at leaves, tearing off tiny pieces and eating them. Therefore, pet owners should chop food according to the size of the iguana. A cheese grater or food processor is ideal for preparing food for small iguanas.
Food should be offered daily in a shallow dish, so the iguana can reach it easily while standing on the cage floor. The total diet should have a ratio of 2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus.
A large amount of the green iguana's diet should consist of leafy green vegetables, such as collards, beet tops (and beets), radish, tops, dandelions (flowers, leaves and roots), turnip greens, Swiss chard, bok choy, broccoli, mustard greens, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, mulberry leaves, hibiscus leaves (and blossoms), clover, escarole and endive.
A smaller portion of the diet should consist of other vegetables, such as various squash, zucchini, sprouts, carrots, green beans, okra, pea pods, sweet potatoes and bell peppers. The remaining 10 percent to 20 percent should consist of fruits high in calcium, like mango, papaya, raspberries, figs and prickly pear cactus fruit.
In lesser amounts-or as treats-iguanas can eat apples, melons, grapes, peaches, blueberries, pears, tomatoes, cranberries, kiwis, guavas strawberries and bananas.
Since iguanas can detect certain colors (red, orange, yellow and green), they should be offered many colorful flowers and fruits. Never feed an iguana iceberg lettuce, as it has no nutritional value.
Animal protein (monkey biscuits, dry dog food, insects and so on) should be a very small percentage (1 percent to 5 percent) of a young iguana's diet. However, adult diets should be strictly vegetarian. Hatchlings may have crickets, mealworms and other insects, occasionally.
Wash all food thoroughly to avoid poisoning from pesticides or other chemicals that can be ingested.
Vitamin, mineral and calcium powder with D3 should be sprinkled on the food every other day for added nutrition.
Here's a quick cheat sheet for proper iguana diets.
Feed Daily: Chopped Vegetables
• Green Beans
• Avocado
• Carrots
• Squash
• Thawed Mixed Vegetables
• Okra
Feed Daily: Leafy Greens
• Turnip Greens
• Collard Greens
• Escarole
• Boston Lettuce
• Bok Choy
• Kale
• Leaf Lettuce (not iceberg!)
• Mulberry Leaves
• Green Cabbage Leaves
• Dandelion Greens (be careful of pesticides if picking from outdoors)
• Nasturtium Leaves
• Sweet Potato Leaves
• Hibiscus Leaves and Blossoms
Feed Twice a Week: Chopped Fruits and Starches
• Orange or Grapefruit Peel
• Papaya
• Berries
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Mangos
• Bread (whole grain)
• Cooked Rice with chopped foods stirred in
