Foods for iggy

[gatormom]

Okay, I have searched and searched for any info, and probably should call the vet, but can anyone tell me if it is okay for an iggy to have gas? Sounds weird, but I have been noticing twice today, that Gator has made an unmistakable sound, and then preceded to do his business. I have recently started to push the fruit, because he is a picky eater, and wouldn't eat anything but greens. Normally in the form of baby food in a syringe, not forced just easier to do that because he can lick the end. But will this possibly cause him to have gas?
Also, I need tips on how to get him to eat the things that he is supposed to. I have tried to grate parsnips and other veggies and put them on top of his salad, but he knocks them out of the bowl, and just eats the greens. That is why I gave up on the fruit, he just wouldn't eat them. Any tips would be great!

[IguanaKing]

Yes, its perfectly ok for an iguana to have gas. Hercules practically rattles the walls when he poops. What's important to watch is the poop itself. If it comes out as just a gooey mess, and smells like a septic tank, then he is sick and needs probiotics. Actually, I recommend using probiotics on your iguana's food twice a week, it helps keep the presence of good bacteria up in his digestive tract. If the probiotics don't have an almost immediate effect on his diarrhea, its time for a vet, because he may have internal parasites. About getting him to eat all of his veggies, have you tried a food processor? You can grind all of his food up in it, and feed him the mixture. This way, he won't be able to pick out his favorite parts and ignore the rest. You can do this exclusively at first, and then slowly step him back up to larger pieces of greens with the usual grated veggies mixed in. Get a food processor though...it will save you TONS of time on cutting up those solid veggies. Buy an expensive one too, $200 dollars is a good price region to look in. I know it may seem like too much money, but the cheap, $40 ones will last you 2 years if you are lucky. I've had my $200 KitchenAid for over 10 years now, and it STILL doesn't have a single issue with being used on a daily basis. I have two adult iguanas, so I run almost 20 pounds of veggies through it every week.

[crazybaby]

I'm with the processing like IK said. Sancho used to have the same problem , he would only eat anything green, then I would offer him no choice and he would eat everything (at first with hesitation but got better over a couple days) Now, he eats like a monster and I can't seem to keep food on his plate or in my fridge! Another option to get him to eat the veggies is to purree them like you are doing with the fruit , fruit in high quantities can be a bad thing. They should generally be a treat. Anywho, good luck gettin the veggies into your green and keep us posted on how you manage to get him to eat them.