Metabolic bone disease is a collective term. It refers to various conditions that cause iguanas to develop bone deformities. Iguanas in the wild never suffer from this condition. It almost always occurs because of improper care by the owner. This article will discuss everything you need to know about metabolic bone disease in iguanas.
Causes
MBD can be caused by various things. The most common is a lack of calcium in the diet. When your iguana doesn't get enough calcium, his body will start leeching it from the bones. This leads to dramatic softening leaving your iguana very susceptible to fractures.
Metabolic bone disease can also result when there is an improper calcium to phosphorus ratio in the diet. Inadequate exposure to UV light can also contribute. Without this light, they're unable to make their own vitamin D which enables them to metabolize calcium. Diseases that cause hormonel imbalances and improper habitat temperatures also increase the risk of MBD.
Symptoms
The primary symptom of MBD isn't visible. You will have to feel the lower jaw bone to see if it's spongy or soft. It may also start to swell and make it difficult for your iguana to eat. This usually leads to loss of appetite. Easily fractured bones may also become a problem.
If the disease is allowed to progress, your iguana may start having episodes of tremoring and twitching. Tremoring usually occurs in the leg and toe muscles. It's also common for iguanas to have a jerky gait as they walk.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the severity of the condition. The good news is that metabolic bone disease in iguanas can usually be treated when detected early. Any broken bones will also need to be given time to heal. . Other causes resulting from improper care will also need to be remedied to treat the disease.
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