Other Items

There are a number of other items that can be fed to iguanas on occasion. These items should be thought of as treats or supplements and not be given &equentIy. While most of them are not bad for your iguana, they are usually lacking in some nutrients or are too high in protein.

Various grain-based foods can be included in the diet once in a while. Some examples are pasta, whole-grain bread, and cooked grains, such as brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal, wheat bulgur, and millet. These items are low in calcium and high in protein, but they are rich in several vitamins and, in most cases, iron. My iguanas are crazy about bread and will leap up to grab some. 1 actually have to throw it in the cage to avoid being bitten in their ffenzy to eat the bread. These grain-based foods are helpful to offer if your iguana is suffering from diarrhea.

Legumes-meaning peas, beans, and lentils-and tofu (fermented soybean curd) make an occasional healthy snack for your iguana. These items are similar to the

grains in being high in protein and low in calcium. Beans and lentils should be cooked and cooled before offering them to your iguana. Beans and seeds can also be soaked and sprouted as a way of offering protein and other nutrients. To make sure your iguana is getting adequate protein, offer one of these items in one or two feedings per month. When feeding iguanas younger than two years of age, in dude sources of vegetable protein once or twice per week.

Frozen vegetables can be used ffom time to time, but it is best if the vast majority of your iguana' s diet is comprised of ffesh vegetables. Remember that the process of ffeezing foods does destroy some of the vitamins, so fresh is always better. Also, some iguanas find frozen veggies less palatable than ffesh. 1 find it handy to keep ffozen com and frozen peas on hand to add a little variety and provide the necessary protein. 1 also keep a box of frozen greens (usually tumip greens, but it varies) to use as an emergency food, such as when 1 can't get to the sto re, something went bad unexpectedly, or 1 overslept. 1 make sure fTozen veggies are not used more than once or twice a month.

When you feed your iguana ffozen vegetables, make sure they are fully thawed before you offer them. It is easiest to do this by using the microwave, which unfortunately might cause some further breakdown of vitamins. Usually, a small quantity of veggies is thawed in about one minute, but microwaves do vary. Do not give hot food to an iguana! Serious bums of the tongue, esophagus, and other parts of the digestive tract may result.