Iguanas - hes turning yellow

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Woody Reptilesrock Woody Reptilesrock WhipperSnapper Xta Woody Sathane Reptilesrock Xta Woody Reptilesrock Woody Reptilesrock Sathane Woody Sathane Jordan14 Iggy56743 Iluviggy

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#355036

Woody
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Hes turning yellow

my iguana is turning yellow on his back. is this a problem?

05/27/05 12:13pm

#355320

Reptilesrock
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 355036

Hes turning yellow

How old is he?

It sounds as though he’s reached maturity and/or he’s in season. Male iguanas are known to change colors and become brighter with oranges and reds when they go into season. I can’t think of any medical problems that would cause yellow coloring. Usually color changes like getting pailer or darker can indicate a medical problem. But you should call your vet just in case. I’m not sure if liver problem symptoms are the same in iguanas as they are in humans. Humans with liver problems tend to have a yellowy skin tone.

05/27/05 06:19pm

#355346

Woody
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Message To: Reptilesrock In reference to Message Id: 355320

Hes turning yellow

its only on his back. i think hes a few months old. ive had him for 2 months he eats like a horse but never gains any weight. you can see where his tail bone meets with his body. i think he eats about 2 cups of food

05/27/05 07:27pm

#355585

Reptilesrock
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 355346

Hes turning yellow

Uh-oh.

What are you feeding him? Now that I think about it, the color change could be from malnutrition. Or maybe you’ve been feeding him foods high in calcium oxalates. Too much calcium oxalates will cause his body to bind calcium preventing his body from being able to use it. And it can cause the mineralization of soft tissues which causes pain and organ disfunction.

What about his ribs? can you see his ribs under his scales easily? Or feel them easily? This could be a serious problem, you need to call a reptile vet ASAP.

05/28/05 12:51am

#355701

WhipperSnapper
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Message To: Reptilesrock In reference to Message Id: 355585

Hes turning yellow

My IG was really yellow when I got him from a pet store. He was probably 5inches from nose to vent and had a previous owner. I brought him home and gave him the right food and UVB and he turned all green in about 2 weeks.

05/28/05 06:20am

#355756

Xta
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 355036

Hes turning yellow

Tell us about his diet, supplements, and lights.

05/28/05 09:51am

#356083

Woody
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Message To: Xta In reference to Message Id: 355756

Hes turning yellow

spinach, romain lettuce,carrots. no fruits lately tho. umm not sure about supplements and a heat lamp with a heat pad

05/28/05 04:58pm

#356284

Sathane
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 356083

Hes turning yellow

Romaine Lettuce has no nutritional value while carrots are high in oxalates and should be fed only occationally. For a proper list of foods to feed your Iguana, go here --> Link . Take a look at all of the other articles on that site for a lot of information you should know.
As for your lighting, you will need to invest in some UVB lighting equipment. Whether it is a mercury vapor basking bulb (best option) or some UVB Florescents, UVB exposure is essential for the health and survival of Iguanas. Without it your iguana will develop metabolic bone disease and die; it’s just a matter of time. Start reading as much as you can about green iguana care as you can find.
Below are a few sites that you will find very helpful aside from this one:
The Green Iguana Society Link
The Iguana Den Link
Melissa Kaplan’s Green Iguana Care Collection Link

I hope you find this information helpful.

05/28/05 10:19pm

#356396

Reptilesrock
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Message To: Sathane In reference to Message Id: 356284

Hes turning yellow

Sathane is right. You need to get him some UVB lighting. Or even better, some natural unfiltered sunlight. Just make sure he has some shade to go in if he gets uncomfortable. I really recommend you get this book called Iguanas for Dummies by: Melissa Kaplan(and no I’m not suggesting that you are dumb or anything lol). This book covers EVERYTHING, from taming and socialization, diet, enclosures, heat and lighting requirements, diet, cleaning and disinfecting, medical problems and other aspects about iguana and owning one. It costs about $22.

05/29/05 01:38am

#356403

Xta
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 356083

Hes turning yellow

Yep...he needs a diet change and a uv light immediately.

05/29/05 01:49am

#356915

Woody
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Message To: Xta In reference to Message Id: 356403

Hes turning yellow

ok. i changed his diet.

and i have a uv lamp on it now

this morning he had eye gunk on his bottom eyelid. is that bad?

05/29/05 06:39pm

#357032

Reptilesrock
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 356915

Hes turning yellow

According to my references, swelling of the eye and drooping lower eyelids are a sign of Kidney failure. Other signs include weight loss despite eating, followed by anorexia, lethargy, a swollen or distended abdomen, frequent drinking or voiding, a grossly swollen neck and/or dewlap. Some iguanas exhibit mineralization of the tissues due to the buildup of uric acid crystals which may be visible or felt as hard lumpy clusters around the joints of the legs and feet. Urates are thicker and yellowish and small crystals may be seen in them.

You need to take that iggy to the vet IMMEDIATLY. Today if possible.

05/29/05 09:25pm

#357094

Woody
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Message To: Reptilesrock In reference to Message Id: 357032

Hes turning yellow

it went away today around noon-ish. i guess it was sleep gunk? but his eye lids arent droopy or swelling. hes gotten fatter but where the tail meets his body is tiny. and i check to see if you could feel his ribs. very little you can feel them. but everything is ok. clear snout, clear eyes now. pooped on me today, and frisky like always.

05/29/05 10:35pm

#357248

Reptilesrock
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 357094

Hes turning yellow

That’s good. Perhaps it was just sleep gunk. Glad he’s doin good. Has the yellow started to disappear yet?

05/30/05 12:59am

#357249

Sathane
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 357094

Hes turning yellow

I would definately take Reptile’s advice and invest in ’Iguana’s for Dummies’. It’s one of the first books I’ve read on iguana care that covers pretty much every subject. The one Melissa Kaplan link I posted above has some of the basic information that her book expands on. On the left side of that site you’ll see links to the above mentioned book as well as a video called ’Captive Care of the Green Iguana’. As was mentioned in other posts, get your Ig to a herp vet for a quick checkup including a fecal. An exam shouldn’t cost much more than $40 plus about another $20 for the fecal test. The vet will be able to tell you if your Ig has any parasites that may give you big problems in the future so you can take care of them before they cost you big bucks or the life of your friend. He/she’ll also be able to tell you if what you saw with it’s eye was just ’eye gunk’ or the result of a more serious underlying problem. Just because the problem seems to have cleared itself up it doesn’t mean that it is gone; you just aren’t seeing the effects of it at this time. All in all, $60 is a very good bargain for peace of mind and a happy, heathy Ig...

05/30/05 01:00am

#357278

Woody
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Message To: Sathane In reference to Message Id: 357249

Hes turning yellow

only a little bit the yellow has gone away. im trying to get ahold of my vet. but its always busy. but what about his tail? i can see the bone where it meets his body and the rest of him is very round a full. i have a care book on them but not alot of help.

and im gonna get that iguanas for dummies.....even tho i kinda am a dummie =D

05/30/05 01:52am

#357304

Sathane
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Message To: Woody In reference to Message Id: 357278

Hes turning yellow

That’s good. Hopefully you’ll be able to schedule an appointment soon.
The hip bones should not be very visible in a healthy iguana as they will be surrounded by muscle. Hopefully, with the improvements you’ve made to his diet and lighting, you’ll see a change soon. Your vet trip may also give clues as to why your iguana is not gaining weight even though he eats a lot. Some parasites that can infect reptile will actually ’steal’ the nutrients from the food it eats. This obviously puts the reptile into a malnourished state even though it is eating well..

05/30/05 02:42am