Iguanas’ diet can get very complex and confusing. There are many things iguanas need to live healthily, is calcium powder in the list? I’m sure if you have heard of people talking about calcium powder if you are at all involved in the iguana community.
When I heard about it, it got me thinking the same question. At that time, I only had my baby iguana for 2 months so I wasn’t very knowledgeable. Now, after many years of having my iggy combined with the extensive research I did, and here is what I’ve gathered.
Most iguanas do need calcium powder unless their meals are very well thought out. Iguanas that are sufficiently nourished with properly planned out meals, will have no need for calcium powder. Though, this is rare.
Calcium is one of the main minerals to include in an iguanas’ diet. However, for most people, planning the perfect meals for your iguana all the time can be very challenging. This is why most iguanas will require calcium powder to supplement their diets.
The amount of calcium to feed your iguana will depend on several factors. However, you can’t just feed your iguana any type of calcium powder. Some are not suitable for iguanas and can cause them health problems.
Iguanas’ Need for Calcium
Calcium is an important mineral for iguanas because it helps iguanas build strong bones and lay healthy eggs. Hence, it is especially important for female iguanas that are about to lay eggs to consume calcium powder.
You should always bring your iguana to the vet for dietary advice. The vet will let you know exactly how much calcium to feed your iguana.
Without consuming enough calcium, iguanas can get metabolic bone disease (MBD), also known as fibrous osteodystrophy. Not only is it a complex disease but it is also very common amongst iguanas.
When to Feed Calcium Powder?
You should start putting calcium powder on your iguana’s food when they are just hatchlings. It is important for iguanas to get enough calcium to build strong bones from a young age. By doing that, you will prevent many problems that could occur later on in your iguana’s life due to lack of calcium.
In terms of time, it is recommended that you put food with calcium powder in your iguana’s enclosure in the morning. This way, your iguana will have the whole day to eat.
Amount of Calcium
The amount of calcium needed will depend on the size of your iguana. Obviously, the bigger your iguana, the more calcium it needs. Here is how much calcium powder you should be feeding your particular iguana:
Hatchlings and Juvenile Iguanas – One pinch a day (very small pinch, barely visible dusting)
Adult Iguanas – 1 pinch per kg of bodyweight 2 to 3 times a week
Gravid (Pregnant) Iguana – 1 pinch every meal. Continue this until a few days after the eggs are laid. After that, you can go back to the normal dosage. Again, make sure to bring gravid iguanas to the vet to determine precisely how much calcium your iguana needs.
Lack of Calcium In Iguanas
As you know, if iguanas don’t consume enough calcium, they will develop metabolic bone disease. Here are some signs that iguanas could show if they don’t get enough calcium:
- Tiredness
- Have a difficult time lifting its own body up
- Muscle twitching
- Bad appetite
- Losing weight or have a hard time gaining weight
- Bone deforming
Some of these signs can be very obvious such as bone deforming. When juvenile iguanas are not properly nourished with calcium, they could develop jawbones that are distorted.
This will make it seem like the iguana is smiling all the time. Always pay attention to your iguana and solve any issues before it is too late for a cure.
Iguana Foods with High Calcium
As I said in the intro, if you feed your iguana very well, there is no need for supplements such as calcium powder. It can be tough to have your iguana properly nourished with calcium if you are not picking its food correctly.
Iguanas’ diets should consist of mostly dark green, leafy vegetables. The other small portion of food should come from fruits (about 5% to 10% of the diet).
Whatever you do, make sure you do not feed your iguana food that contains high protein even if they contain high calcium. Eating too much protein, especially animal protein can kill the iguana inside out.
Vegetables with high Calcium
Pick at least 2 of these when feeding your iguana. These vegetables contain some of the highest calcium per gram of any vegetables. There are some vegetables that are high in calcium but also high in oxalate.
Oxalate will hinder the absorption of calcium and other essential minerals in iguanas. These vegetables include spinach and parsley. Some sources recommend feeding your iguana spinach and parsley but in my opinion, it is best not to do so.
There are many great options, there is no need to risk your iguana’s health. Some great options are:
- Turnip Greens
- Kale
- Collards
- Bok Choy
- Mustard Greens
Fruits with High Calcium
Fruits should only contain about 5% to 10% of an iguana’s diet. They should be given as treats instead of staple foods. Here are some fruits to make sure your iguana gets enough calcium:
- Figs (one of the best!)
- Mangoes
- Grapes
- Apples
- Papaya
- Banana
- Strawberries
- Pears
- Cranberries
- Blueberries
The Ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus
Another thing that makes up a perfect diet for iguanas is the ratio of calcium to phosphorus. You can’t just feed your iguana lots of calcium while ignoring phosphorus as that could cause a lot of problems as well.
If you are going to supplement your iguana with calcium powder, don’t overdo it. The perfect ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 2:1. Every 2 mg of calcium your iguana gets, it should have at least 1 mg of phosphorus. The ratio isn’t too strict, the ratio can go as high as 2.5:1 or even 3:1.
Recommended Calcium Powder for Iguanas
Remember at the very beginning I told you that not all calcium powder is suitable for iguanas? Well, not all calcium powder is made the same. Some calcium powder contains vitamin D3.
Vitamin D is important for iguanas but they cannot be absorbed by iguanas in powder form. If iguanas ingest too much D3 orally, it can become toxic.
Even though this calcium powder (with D3 in it) is made for iguanas, you should never feed it to them. This is an exception if your vet somehow recommends it for whatever reason. Otherwise, get those that don’t contain D3, it will be better off for your iguana.
Iguanas should get all their vitamin D from the UVB light or natural sunlight, not from an edible form. If you are looking to get calcium powder for your iguana, here is my recommendation:
This is by far my favorite calcium powder for my iguana. It does not contain D3 which is exactly what we are looking for. You can check the prices of ZooMed ReptiCalcium (without D3) on Amazon with this link (#ad).
Conclusion
At the end of the day, most iguanas do require the help of calcium powder to reach their required daily intake of calcium. The only exception to this is if you are someone that plans everything out extremely well with every meal for your iguana being perfect.
In that case, calcium powder and other supplements are most likely not needed. However, you should always consult your vet to see what is the required diet for your iguana.
If you are looking to buy calcium powder for your iguana, make sure to get those without vitamin D3 in it.
