(123)456 7890 [email protected]

Owner’s Guide to Respiratory Infections in Iguanas

Respiratory infections in iguanas are also known as reptile colds. These colds can range from mild to severe. You may be wondering how your iggie could catch a cold.

Cause

Most iguanas that develop a cold are kept at too low a temperature. This weakens your immune system and exposes you to a bacterial infection. In addition to low temperatures, excessively high humidity levels can also lead to colds.

Symptoms

Your iguana will develop some of the same symptoms that you would have if it had a cold. You will have a runny nose and watery eyes. He will also sneeze a lot. Other common symptoms of respiratory infections in iguanas include loss of appetite, abnormal sleepiness, and shortness of breath.

All iguanas sneeze or snort from time to time. They do this to remove excess salt from their bodies. It is commonly called ‘snalting’. Make sure you don’t mistake this for a sign of a cold.

Treatment

If you catch your iguana’s cold early enough, you may be able to effectively treat it at home. Since it was probably caused by improper temperatures, you should try to increase the temperature in your enclosure. If he doesn’t seem better in a few days, you should take him to the vet. The vet will have to take a sample from your iggie and analyze it in the lab. This will help determine what type of bacteria is causing the problem so that the appropriate medication can be prescribed.

Prevention

You should always ensure that the temperature in your iguana’s enclosure is at a suitable level. Therefore, you must invest in a quality thermostat. You’ll also need to keep an eye on the humidity level, which is why a humidistat is helpful as well.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *