IMPORTANT: These pages on health are meant to be general guides, not hard and fast rules. They were not written by vets and are NO SUBSTITUTE for veterinary care. If you suspect something is wrong with your iguana, PLEASE see a qualified veterinarian!

MBD

MBD, or metabolic bone disease, is an all too common problem seen by iguana rescuers. MBD occurs when an iguana is not able to process the calcium in their diet, or if they do not receive enough calcium in their diet. MBD can cause severe deformities and eventual death if left untreated.

Iguanas need a diet rich in calcium in order to stay healthy. They also need large amounts of UVB producing light to be able to process the calcium they get from their diet. The UVB helps their bodies produce D3, which in turn helps synthesize the calcium in their bodies. Research suggests that iguanas cannot process dietary D3, but need that UVB to produce it themselves. Supplements containing D3 can cause overdoses of the vitamin, and cause more harm than good.

If an iguana goes too long without proper diet and/or UVB, metabolic bone disease begins to rear its ugly head as their body begins to leach the calcium it needs out of the bones. Some of the more obvious signs include softening and distortion of the jaw bones, curving of the spine, bony lumps on legs, spine, and tail, twitching and shaking, difficulty walking and climbing, frequent falls, fractured bones. Advanced MBD causes severe deformities and death.

MBD can be easily prevented by prodiving your iguana with the proper diet and plenty of UVB light. Remember that UVB producing fluorescent tubes need to be replaced every 6 months. Natural sunlight is a great source of UVB, so take your ig out in warm weather for some sunshine. Remember that UVB does not pass well through glass and plastic!

If an iguana is diagnosed with MBD, your vet can prescribe the proper followup care. Depending on the severity of the case, simply diet and care changes may be enough to reverse the disease. In more advanced cases, a calcium supplement may be prescribed, as well as phosphorus binders. It is extremely important to follow your vet's instructions on supplementing with extra calcium carefully! Too much calcium can cause a condition called hypercalcemia, which can be just as harmful as MBD.

The following pictures show a rescue baby that came into Scales & Tails with severe MBD:

MBD Baby	Note Left Arm	Swollen Jaw
Face View	Face View	Left Side
Left Side
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More MBD Pictures:

Rescue ig with MBD - Did not survive	MBD	Severe MBD
MBD X-Ray	Healthy Bone Density X-Ray	Recessed Jaw from MBD
Click on thumbnail for larger picture.