Kidney diseases in captive lizards

Lots of people keeps lizards as pets--they can be quite entertaining to watch and have around your home. However, lack of knowledge of the proper husbandry of lizards often leads to kidney disease--one of the major causes of illness and death in captive lizards. When a lizard metabolizes its food, the by-products of metabolism are removed through the excretion of uric acid through the kidneys, so it becomes easier to see why kidney disease is so dangerous.

What causes these diseases?
Chronic, or long-term renal failure is often due to improper diet and enclosure conditions.
Acute, or sudden renal disease is often caused my infection or toxins. Proper keeping of lizards is imperative if they are to enjoy continuing good health.

Symptoms of acute renal disease usually starts with depression, lethargy, decreasing urine output and weakness, and there is usually something in the animal's history that indicates exposure to toxins or poisons, or even a medication that could have been toxic to the kidneys.

Symptoms of chronic renal disease are lack of appetite, poor weight gain or even weight loss, and sometimes increase drinking. They may be obviously dehydrated. In these cases, the culprit is usually a husbandry issue, such as low humidity, water deprivation, or inadequate nutrition, such as a high-protein diet.

Treatment of these diseases can take many forms, from medication to diet changes to the use of full spectrum lighting. Left untreated, gout may occur. Gout can be treated symptomatically (as symptoms appear), but by the time gout has appeared, the lizard is most likely in end-stage kidney disease, which carries a grave prognosis.

In general, the utmost care should be taken when deciding whether or not a reptile would be a good pet for you. They may appear to be low-maintenance animals, but in reality, they have very specific requirements to keep them safe and healthy.

Do your research for the species of lizard you are interested in keeping. What temperature is optimal? What humidity level is needed? Does this lizard need insect or animal protein, or is it herbivorous? Does it need any type of vitamin supplementation? What are its water requirements? How big of an enclosure should it live in? Does it respond well to humans? What should you look out for in terms of kidney or other types of diseases--what is "normal" for this animal?


A lizard needs more than an aquarium filled with sand and some iceberg lettuce with a cricket or two for dinner. As animal owners, we are responsible for the animals we share our homes with, and part of that responsibility is educating yourself about how to best provide that care.