Feeding your pet iguana does not need to be a difficult or time consuming job. Iguana food is not expensive or fancy but there are several guidelines that should be followed to provide your pet with a healthy diet.

The first point to understand is that even though your pet iguana will eat insects or possibly even meat if you provide it, it is not good for them to do so. An iguana’s body is designed to digest simple plant proteins and will be healthier when only being fed vegetables. Nutritionally dense vegetables such as mustard greens or collards are a good choice while things like lettuce which have little to no nutritional value are best avoided.

If you do feed your pet iguana animal proteins either in the form of insects or meat cuts, your pet will find them hard to digest. The extra protein found in these foods can cause kidney problems as the kidneys struggle to remove it from the bloodstream. Chronic conditions such as gout can develop in your pet when this occurs.

Not often thought of as a food, but just as important is the water your pet iguana will need. Iguanas will seldom drink water, which is why a humid environment is essential for them. A simple way to encourage your iguana to drink water is to moisten the vegetables you feed it. Simply spraying them with water at feeding time can help prevent your pet from becoming dehydrated as it will obtain most of the water it requires while eating.

Another factor of proper iguana care to keep in mind when planning your iguana’s diet is the ambient temperature. This is not the temperature of the food, but of the environment they are in. Iguanas are cold blooded and rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature. To aid in the digestion of your iguana’s food, you should ensure that their cage is approximately 85 degrees Fahrenheit during and immediately after feeding time.

Some vitamins are obtained through food while others are made in your pet’s body. Vitamin D3 is essential for your pet iguana to help it absorb calcium and is made primarily through exposure to ultra violet light. Allowing your iguana to bask outdoors in the sunshine will help it in this regard. There are also artificial sources of UV light that are available but they should only complement and never completely replace your iguana’s time outside.