Iguana may have mouth rot
Question
I am an iguana owner and I am not able finacially to take him to the vet and I think he has mouth rot what I need to know is there any home remadies for that? I called Zamzows and they said to use oyster shell calcium in his food but I want a second opinion before I try it.
PLEASE HELP
Thank
you
Leslie
Answer
I'm not much of an Iguana expert. If your iguana does have mouth rot, you
can tell by pus-like material in the mouth of the iguana. Early signs can
also include thickening saliva, change in appetite, and/or change in color
of the inside of the mouth.
Mouth rot is usually a sign of an underlying infection as it is a secondary
infection.
I doubt that the oyster shell will work on it's own. You can try Betadine
or Nolvasan to clean the mouth and clean the infected area but it is likely
the iguana will need antibiotics if the desease has progressed too far.
You
would need to dilute the Betadine or Nolvasan and then wash the mouth or
even flush it out, taking care not to let any of the material be ingested
or swallowed. You can try this while alterng the diet and making sure the
environment is suitable for your iguana.
It may also mean you having to force feed him/her pureed food if it has
progressed too far and the mouth is causing them a lot of pain.
I'm not sure what you feed your iguana but mouth rot is often accompanied
by inadequate nutritional needs. Below is a very good basic salad. You should
add other items to it when they are in season.
BASIC SALAD RECIPE
While the proportions of food types remains the same, the actual amount of the food you make will increase as your iguana grows bigger and consumes a greater quantity of food.
The following recipe makes approximately 3.5 cups of Basic Salad:
- 1/2 cup shredded green beans
- 1/2 cup shredded squash
- 1 medium parsnip, shredded*
- 1/4 cup minced fruit
- Alfalfa**
- multivitamin and calcium supplements
* If parsnips are a seasonal vegetable where you live, you can use 1/2 cup shredded asparagus, trading off with 1/2 cup drained, rinsed, and chopped canned cooked lima beans, plus additional calcium to make up for the lousy calcium:phosphorus ratio in beans. Cooked beans are acceptable for short term use only due to their phosphorous content and other chemicals that can impede the uptake of minerals and trace elements. Asparagus is comparable in protein to parsnip, but does contain oxalates, so should not be a long-term staple.
** The quantity of alfalfa you use will depend upon the alfalfa product you are using. You want to add about 15 grams of protein. That is about 1/2 cup of alfalfa rabbit pellets, or about 1/4 cup or less of alfalfa powder or leaf tea.
Be sure to prepare the foods in very small pieces, finely chopped, minced or shredded, as appropriate for the type of food. The smaller the pieces, the more they can fit into their stomachs, and the more efficiently it can be digested. The salad, however, does not need to be pureed to a mush. While individual iguanas may eventually develop a preference as to the size of shred/mince they prefer, most do fine when the shreds or mince are about the size of cooked white rice grains.*
I would also check the temperature of the cage and keep it at the upper end of what your iguana needs. In general, your Iguana should have a habitat with the ambient temperature around 77-80°F, and a basking area around 95°F. Nighttime temps should be no lower than the mid 70's F. If you put your iguana on antibiotics, then having it on the upper temperature levels will help the antibiotics work more effectively.
Another thing that comes to mind is the use of UVB light. Do you have a UVB light or do you take it out into the sun regularly?
As I don't know how far the disease has progressed, I cannot help a lot but taking care of nutrition, heat and correct light will certainly help in the longer term. If it has progressed too far, I'm afraid there is not choice but a vet.
Let me know how things work out.
Mark Chapple is the Author of "How to build enclosures
for reptiles"
Find out how to build these terrestrial and arboreal cages for snakes and lizards.
Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions.
http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com
*Basic Salad Recipe courtesy of Melissa Kaplan of Anapsid.org
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