Just like any other lizard, an improper diet can lead to several health problems for iguanas. While Iguanas are slowly becoming domesticated, it’s essential to know what they can feed and what to avoid feeding them. This way, you can rest assured that your pet will always remain safe and healthy.
So, can Iguanas Eat Avocado? Naturally, Iguanas are omnivores that can eat anything from meat to vegetables and fruits. In their natural habitats, iguanas can eat avocados. However, this always leads to many health complications since avocados are toxic and are full of fat.
As a pet owner, it’s a bad idea to feed your Iguana avocado unless you want it to become overweight. Additionally, avocado contains oxalates, which act by preventing the absorption of calcium into the body.
Although Iguanas are omnivores and can eat pretty much anything in the wild, it’s essential to watch what you always feed your pet iguana. This post will cover the basics of the foods you should provide to your iguana and avoid. Read on to find out.
As a pet owner, one of the essential things is distinguishing between good and bad food. Right foods are those that are not toxic and can be fed to your iguana daily. On the other hand, bad foods are poisonous and should not be provided to your iguana.
Although iguanas can eat pretty much everything, you should avoid feeding your pet iguana live insects, rodents, bugs, meat, dog or cat food, or any other food that is high in protein. Although iguanas are omnivores, they are predominantly herbivores and, including many proteins in their diet will cause liver and kidney disorders. Of course, a handful of insect proteins won’t kill your iguana.
Also, you should avoid feeding your iguana any soybeans. Ideally, soybeans contain phytoestrogens and are high in protein, which can interfere with the pet’s growth and production. Finally, you should avoid giving your iguana plants or flowers that have been sprayed with any pesticides.
To do this effectively, ensure carefully washing all the plant foods before giving them to your iguana. While at it, provide extra caution with flowers such as hibiscus and roses. Before feeding them to your iguana, ensure to clean them thoroughly, and they keep them outside for two weeks.
Another group of toxic foods that you should avoid giving your iguana is high in oxalic acid. Foods such as avocado are filled with calcium nutrients and prevent them from being absorbed by the iguana. Apart from avocado, various other vegetables contain oxalic acid, with some having more acidic than others.
While vegetables that are low in oxalic acid won’t harm your iguana when given in small amounts, it’s essential to keep in mind that vegetables high in oxalic acid will cause damage to your iguana’s health.
Long term consumption of foods with oxalic acid will often lead to the accumulation of oxalates in your iguana’s kidneys in crystalized mass forms. Even worse, such food will lead to calcium deficiency. Some of the vegetables to avoid include spinach, rhubarb, beetroot, celery, fried potato, chard, parsley, and leeks.
You should avoid fruits such as figs, kiwi, and small berries when it comes to fruits. All these fruits contain oxalates and should not be given to your iguana in large quantities. Another food to avoid is tofu.
Finally, avoid giving your iguana much broccoli, kale, and brussels sprouts. Unlike the others, these foods can hinder the production of thyroid hormones in your iguana. What’s more, Brussel sprouts are known to carry bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella!
What Fruits Can Iguanas Eat?
Fruits are an essential component of your iguana’s diet. Even so, it’s of utmost importance to consider the type of fruit that is not only toxic but healthy to your iguana as well.
While fruits are essential for iguanas, they should only make up for about 20% of their diet. Fruits that are safe to be offered to your iguana include pears, apples, bananas, grapes, mangoes, tomatoes, guavas, star fruit, melons, dates, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
Keep in mind that iguanas love tasty fruits and such fruits are generally water-rich and nutrient-poor. Due to this, ensure to feed these fruits sparingly as a top dressing on vegetables.
As mentioned, moderation is essential when it comes to feeding your iguanas with fruits. While fruits should generally take up to 20% of your iguana’s diet, it’s worth noting that filling that up with just one fruit is not a good idea. For instance, you should feed your iguana on bananas alone. While they are fibrous, they don’t contain a lot of naturally occurring sugar that is essential.
Keep in mind that sugar is perfectly safe for iguanas. However, this should only be given in small quantities since it can lead to fat and weight gain when given in excess. Finally, ensure that you strictly monitor your iguana and make sure that it’s reacting well to all be noted.
Can Iguanas Eat Pineapple?
You probably know that pineapple is a nutritious fruit known for its high content in Vitamin C and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and manganese. As if that’s not enough, a pineapple is a healthy balance between phosphorus and calcium; two essential minerals in the body.
In their natural setting, iguanas can eat pineapples. However, like a pet animal, you should consider giving pineapples to your iguana sparingly. This is not to mean that pineapples are toxic to iguanas. Pineapples will benefit your iguana in a couple of ways, including calcium, water, vitamin C, fiber, manganese, among others.
One of the pineapples’ primary functions in iguanas is to make sure that it has a healthy bone formation during its periods. Since it contains calcium, pineapple will ensure that your iguana maintains a formidable skeletal structure in its entire life.
Moreover, pineapple has a meager protein percentage, making it a very suitable fruit for iguanas. As mentioned before, iguanas are pet omnivores and don’t require high protein content since they can lead to severe health problems such as liver and kidney disorders with time.
You know that you cannot feed iguanas fruits every day since they are not their staple food. While it’s equally important to feed your iguana with fruits such as pineapple, it’s essential to determine the frequency of feeding your iguana pineapple.
Although pineapples are highly nutritious and offer a wide array of benefits to your iguana, one thing about them that calls for the need to limit their consumption is that they are acidic. In other words, pineapple is high in oxalates, and just like any other food that contains oxalic acid, ensure to give pineapples sparingly to your iguana, at least once a week.
Finally
Therefore, to properly feed your iguana, avoid foods rich in citric acid; these include pineapples, oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines, among others. Also, avoid greens such as lettuce, since they have very low nutritional value to your pet.
Fruits are an integral part of your iguana’s diet. While this might be the case, it equally comes with several downsides, with oxalic acid being the main downside. Before feeding your iguana any food, it’s essential first to consider any possible implications. This way, you will be sure that your iguana will be feeding healthy.