Not all iguanas are in a perfect, healthy condition. The main reason why most captive iguanas are unhealthy is because of a lack of knowledge about their care. One of the most common mistakes people make is providing a nutritionally poor diet. Calcium deficiency is, by far, the most common problem among captive iguanas. Without the correct amount of calcium to balance the calcium/phosphorus levels in an iguana's body, the needed calcium is taken from the only other source available. This is the bones. Calcium is stripped away from the skeletal structure of the iguana, leaving it with weak and brittle bones. Paralysis in the limbs usually occurs, rendering the iguana inactive and helpless. This condition is know as MBD (Metabolic bone disease). The iguana will shake tremendously while trying to walk about, and will also have a soft jaw and head structure. A calcium deficient iguana is in desperate need for veterinary care.
There are also other ailments such as internal and external parasites. Internal parasites such as tapeworms, roundworms, and pinworms deprive your iguana of necessary nutrients for optimum survival. The only way to properly detect these are to visit your reptile veterinarian and arrange a fecal exam. They will examine your iguana's fecal matter for any parasites and prescribe the necessary medicine for curing the problem. External parasites, on the other hand, can be troublesome. Mites look almost like fleas only they are smaller and have a rounder appearance. If you encounter these pests, remove all that are on your iguana, then remove your iguana from its enclosure. Remove all enclosure furnishings and thoroughly wash them all in hot water. Be sure to use very mild detergents! Also, thoroughly wash out the enclosure with hot bleach water (assuming glass enclosure). Let your iguana soak in some luke warm water to drown any other mites you may have missed. Repeat if necessary in a week until all mites are gone. You also may want to look into pest strips for mites (not fly tape).
