Sick iguana - not eating

Question
Hi Sara - My iguana is less than one year old.  For several days she has not eaten.  It looks like she is constipated.  She has been very lethargic.  When I pick her up, she throws her front legs totally back and becomes stiff and looks dead.  I think she is in pain to be picked up.  I am feeding her water with a dropper to keep her fluids up. It look like she had a seizure or something one time.  But then she was ok. I don't know what to do.

Answer
Dear Concerned Iguana Owner,

My first thought on this situation is that your iguana definitely needs to be physically examined by a veterinarian because she may need medication if she does have an physical condition. I cannot substitute for the proper medication, if it is needed at all, but I can bring up a few important facts about iguana care and what iguanas need to remain healthy and hopefully you can assess your iguana's current lifestyle and make changes where they are needed. First off, have there been any major changes in your iguana's life? Has she been moved to a new cage, a new room, have you changed your schedule, do you have a new pet, etc? If there are any significant changes that could be causing her stress, this could definitely be a cause for refusing to eat. It seems like from what you wrote that this may be more of a medical concern, so I will address some other common causes of illness in reptiles. Please understand that the what I am about to say is truly the most important thing you need to make sure your iguana is receiving: UVB radiation. Most reptile basking bulbs do not emit UVB, only UVA. If you have even the slightest doubt as to whether or not your iguana is receiving UVB radiation, you need to act fast and get a new UV bulb that you know for a fact has UVB radiation. Iguanas need UVA and UVB...UVA is used primarily for the heat output and also it has been noted to increase iguana's psychological well-being. UVB is the more important of the two because without it, an iguana cannot digest calcium. Your iguana is made to bask in the sun at very low latitudes in nature and their bodies are formed with a dependency on an outside source for UV rays. They need the UVB or else they become calcium deficient and this can cause an array of health related problems and symptoms including lethargy, paralysis, deformation and even death. Natural, unfiltered sunlight is even better, but if you are unable to get your iguana outdoors regularly, please pick up a combo bulb or a separate UVA and UVB bulb. Some good brands are Exo Terra "Solar Glo" Sun simulating lamps and also "Power Sun".
Now, secondly, please evaluate your iguana's diet. Make sure you are using collard greens, mustard greens or turnip greens and no lettuce. Lettuce has no nutritional value. Also, avoid spinach, cabbage, carrots and broccoli because their high phosphate content blocks calcium absorption and can contribute to the calcium deficiency I mentioned earlier called Metabolic Bone Disease.
If you think your iguana may be dehydrated, try diluting some gatorade or pedialyte with water (about 50% water, 50% electrolyte beverage). My iguana Poppy was constipated and I used this on him for about a week and when he finally went, he went a lot, almost like he became unplugged.
Remember, diet and lighting changes are vital, but their results will not be instantaneous. If your iguana is in pain or you think she may have a serious health problem, please take her to be seen by a medical professional because iguanas don't tend to show how sick they really are and it may be worse than she is letting on. If she is in pain, do not try to handle her, for it may aggravate the situation further. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask! Good luck to you and best wishes to your girl.

Sara