I got my new iguana from Petco and I'm having trouble with him eating. I have spinach, carrots, squash, and broccoli all cut up into little pieces, and I've only seen him eat just a little piece in the 3 days I've had him, and that was hand fed. Any ideas or tricks you guys use? I have the right lights also.

First off the ig needs time to settle in and get used to the new home. No handling for a few days. It is stressed out right now. Please checkout our caresheet
http://reptileguides.herpcenter.com/...-t39.html?t=39
To start with you need to radically change the diet. What you are feeding him is pretty bad. Of the listed stuff only squash is good as a regular part of the diet. In the caresheet we have a list of thing that the ig should be eating.
How big is the ig and what sort of enclosure do you have it in?
What are the temps and other details of the cage?
What kind of lighting are you using (Brand, type, wattage?)

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Hi welcome. There are lots of ig owners on this site. Learn from them!

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

It is normal for an iguana to not eat while it is stressed. Take some time to read the iguana care sheets and get the right diet, like Merlin said what you have is not a great staple. Merlin, myself, and several other people on here are iguana keepers, so ask A LOT of questions, it is better to ask than to assume.

Make sure you leave the iguana alone for a long time to get settled, it is not like a dog or cat, it could take several days and maybe even up to a month before it establishes a routine that it is comfortable with.

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“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ (I found it!) but ‘That’s funny…'"
- Isaac Asimov



TKE:TT:118

at first i handled him,he was pretty calm just walked around on me but ive already looked into the lights I have the right ones and the cage is 6ft high 6 ft across and 3 ft deep I read in a book that they liked all of those veggies whats the main one that you feed yours.hes abbout 6 inches in his body and has a real long tail,and another thing is he has this black spot that stickes up kinda looks like mud about the size of a mole on his belly

Collard Greens
Mustard Greens
Dandelion Greens
Turnip Greens
Escarole
Chicory
Parsley

Veggies
Green Beans
Green Peppers
Squashes (most kinds)
Snap Peas
Zucchini

__________________
My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Not all lights are created equal. What are the brands and the types. There is a lot of misleading packaging on lighting. Many people think they have the right ones only to find out they were mistaken or mislead by the pet store.
Get another book. Those foods are fine as an occassional treat but have some major drawbacks as part of an everday diet.
There is no "main one" your daily staple should be mustard, collard and turnip greens. This should make up about 75-80% of the diet. You can add vegetables from the caresheet list and a touch of fruit.
Can you post a picture. That is not normal.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

im waitin for a friend to come take some pics ill post them then

Diet is one of the easiest things to get right - or wrong - and it majorly affects the health of your iguana. Why not buy collard and mustard greens and feed them to your iguana for the next week or two and see what happens? Chances are he'll be healthier and start becoming more active. Also, presentation is pretty important for you iguana. He's going to need the food cut up small, and harder vegetable like squash need to be grated so that he can swallow them. If the food is too large, there is a danger of him choking on the pieces. (I'm so paranoid of this, I cut the pieces up into teeny little bits. The iguana does fairly well on them, but the uromastix - who's food I prepare at the same time - hates it and refuses to eat. It's really funny. I have to remember to prepare the uro's food differently.)

That black mole thing does not sound good. I'd really suggest that you get him to a vet right away. It scares me to think about what kind of condition can produce a mud-like spot on his stomach. You don't have him on a heat rock do you?

Welcome, by the way. I know it may seem like we're jumping all over you, and the sheer amount of information on caring for an iguana sometimes seems immense, but it's definitely worth it to get it all right.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

I'd like to see this spot too... I'm wondering if it's the umbilical stub. Please get us photos as soon as you can.

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~~Steph

"This I believe: That the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world." John Steinbeck