A few questions regarding diet.

[mindtrix]

First off where I live most of the food my iggy needs is usually readily available, but for some reason it doesnt stay very fresh, I have to buy collards like 2-3 times a week because within days they start to wilt and discolor, I don't know if it still holds any nutritional value after it has started to turn or not which is why I am asking. If anyone has any suggestions on how to keep them fresh by all means let me know, I've tried dicing them and putting them in a ziplock bag but it doesnt last too long either, I've tried freezing them as well but fawker doesnt seem to like them after they have been thawed out.

His usual diet consists of Collards, Kale, and Danelion Greens, with shredded carrots (mostly for color), and finely chopped cabbage. 2-3 times a week he will get a diced apple (he really loves apples) as well as the occasional mango (when in season). Also when in season he gets strawberries, watermelon, and muskmelon.

Is it ok to feed the fruits seperately? I don't feed them on a regular basis but reserve them for treats or a bedtime snack.


The only thing that bothers me is that I buy all these ingredients and make enough to feed him for a month with the sheer volume of greens that I get, but only after a week or so it seems to go bad. I dont want to feed him rotting collards or veggies, god knows i wouldnt feed him anything i wouldnt eat myself. (not that i would actually eat that stuff ;D )

I also read earlier that it is far better to cut the leaves rather than leave them whole. I have attempted both these and although cutting the leaves seems more benificial to the igs, Fawker seems more content to tear the leaf apart himself. I think it must satisfy some wild instict in him.

-Edit
Also is there any way to actually know if the igs are actually getting a decent dose of calcium? Are there any signs to show they arent getting enough? I'm never really sure if he is getting enough calcium in his diet. 2 times a week i will sprinkle his food with a small amount of calcium supplement but I'm not sure if im going overboard by doing this or not. Can it really hurt them to have a little extra calcuim?
I'm just a little worried that he may either have too much or not enough.

[SurvivorSteph]

Unfortunately it sounds like you'll have to adjust to shopping more often. I don't know how much Fawker is eating, but it sounds like you're buying quite a bit more food than you need. Try cutting back on the amount you purchase each time, and just go more often (I know what a pain in the rear!).

Kale, cabbage, and carrots are occasional foods. If you can find Mustard Greens and Turnip Greens, those would be better everyday choices. If you're adding carrots mainly for the color, try butternut squash or pumpkin. Acorn squash is good too.

Mango and papaya are staple fruits and can be fed daily, but other fruits are generally occasional... so focus on the mango and papaya and give the others as special treats.

There's nothing wrong with letting Fawker satisfy his "wild side" with ripping apart his greens occasionally, but he'll get far more nutritional benefits by having them served in small pieces.

As far as calcium goes... making sure he gets a proper diet and plenty of sun light (or a good quality UVB bulb) should mean that a calcium supplement is only needed once a week. Giving too much calcium can lead to other health problems (calcification of internal organs).

Print out the IZ food chart:
webpages.charter.net/tesa64735/Revised2.htm

or use the one from GIS:
www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm

and take them shopping with you... they'll help you vary Fawker's diet a bit more.

[IguanaKing]

I agree with everything Steph said, I buy 4-6 pounds of greens alone per week (in multiple trips), but they never go bad before they're all gone as long as I get the freshest ones available (I've got two adult igs with HUGE appetites. ;D). When you buy the greens, try smelling them first, if they have that kind of pungent, sour cabbage smell to them, keep looking because that odor is only present in greens that have already started to turn, even though they may not look that way. Feeding Fawker greens that are starting to turn can often end up giving him diarrhea, just like how sometimes we eat things that we shouldn't have, but they tasted OK, and regret it later. If you buy whole leaves, one thing you might try if you have enough vertical space in your refrigerator, is to put them stem-down into a glass of water, but you have to be careful with how cold the water gets. At room temperature though, if you use this method, fresh, whole greens can literally last for months. In fact, if they get proper sunlight too, they'll even sprout roots so you can plant them (that's how I started my first home-grown crop of greens, with whole leaves purchased at the supermarket). Cutting them up before they're going to be used is generally a bad idea, it allows more of the water to escape from them and they go bad quicker.

Only a blood test will accurately show how much Calcium your iguana is getting. One of the first signs of hypocalcemia is twitching/weak toes, so just keep handling Fawker as you have been and try to remember how tight his grip normally is. Its also a good idea to regularly give a gentle squeeze to his lower jaw, if it starts to feel rubbery, then you have a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

[Merlin]

I agree, the diet needs a bit of an overhaul.

Part of the problem may be the way you are storing the greens. Are you storing the greens by themselves or are you mixing the other veggies in at the same time? You need to keep them seperate. At first I too was using Ziplock baggies and the greens seemed to "go south" very quickly. What I currently use for the collards mustard and turnip greens is a plastic 1 gallon ice cream bucket. If the greens are too wet when you put them up they will rot faster. I cut them up and store in the fridge. I have found that the curly mustard greens go bad faster than the flat type.

[mindtrix]

Thanks for the info guys, muchly appreciated.

As for the storage, when i did put them in ziplock bags I always keep them seperate until its time to make the "salad". I was already aware that chopping them would rid them of any water they once had so I tried to keep them whole.

As for the amount I buy well honestly I cant cut back on it because one bunch of each, collards kale, and a head of cabbage, should by rights with the way he eats last him atleast 2 weeks. I usually shop at Dominion or A&P (not sure if u usa folk know of them) but Dominion has a policy on fresh food "Fresh Obsesed" is their slogan, and although the greens I buy from there do last a great deal longer than anywhere else I buy they still dont last long enough for fawker to finish off the bunch. Maybe I should just buy another Ig to solve that problem! ;D Just kiddin Fawker right now is a handful.

I'll keep that list in mind, I didnt really have much to go on nutritional wise, I just went with what most ig sites and books recommend, unfortunately they dont all get into much detail about an actual regiment of the mixing of the greens and fruits and veggies.

But thats why I love this site, everyone is open and willing to offer any ideas that have helped them out as well.

[SurvivorSteph]

mindtrix said:

As for the amount I buy well honestly I cant cut back on it because ... and a head of lettuce...[\quote]

You didn't mention lettuce before. Lettuce is a huge no-no as a regular part of an ig diet. It should only be used as a VERY RARE treat because it has absolutely no nutritional value (even leaf lettuces should be avoided).

Keep the lettuce for your salads!

[mindtrix]

my bad.. i meant to say cabbage lol

[Merlin]

Neither cabbage nor kale should be an everyday food. Its use should be occassionally if at all.

[Adam]

If its no problem going once a week for greens, I suggest putting the turnip, collard, and mustards all in their own ziploc baggy, uncut, with a paper towel in with them. This gets rid of the water on the outside of it that would cause them to go bad faster, while keeping the water inside by not cutting them. My green usually do last a week or so, and I only buy one bunch each so I know I'm not throwing anything out, or at least only a little bit. Then I just make ther salad in the morning, and mist it really well for Camille to have nice wet greens.