Metabolic Bone Disease in Iguanas

Metabolic bone disease is a term used to describeOne of the first signs of metabolic bone disease isn't
various conditions that cause bone deformities invisible. If you feel the lower jaw bone, it will feel
iguanas. Iguanas in the wild never suffer from thisspongy or soft. It may also start to swell and make
condition. It almost always occurs because ofit difficult for your iguana to eat. This usually leads to
improper care by the owner.loss of appetite. Your iguana's thinning bones will also
Causescause him to suffer easily broken bones.
This disease can be caused by one or more factors.As the disease progresses, he may start
The most common is a lack of calcium in the diet.experiencing episodes of twitching and tremoring.
When your iguana doesn't get enough calcium, hisThis usually occurs in the muscles of the toes and
body will start leeching it from the bones. This leadslegs. He will also likely develop a jerky gait that you
to dramatic softening leaving your iguana verycan easily notice when he walks.
susceptible to fractures.Treatment
Metabolic bone disease can also result when there isTreatment depends on the severity of the condition.
an improper calcium to phosphorus ratio in the diet.The good news is that metabolic bone disease in
Another common cause is not enough exposure toiguanas can usually be treated when detected early.
UVA and UVB. Iguanas need this light to manufactureIf your iguana has suffered any broken bones, they
their own vitamin D, which is essential for calciumwill need to be allowed to heal. If calcium deficiency is
metabolism. Other common causes include improperthe underlying cause, then a strong calcium
temperatures in the enclosure and diseases whichsupplement may be prescribed. Other causes resulting
cause a hormonal imbalance.from improper care will also need to be remedied to
Symptomstreat the disease.