wont eat greens

[LGgecko]

my bts does not eat his greens he is still juvenile not close to full grown has meat insects fruit but no greens should i but them in a blender and mix them with the beef i offer them all the time he wont eat it also can baby spinach be feed i have never feed it ut wondered if they can eat it

[ShortStack]

I also use my food processor and chop things up really small so that mine can't pick out certain foods. The few times I didn't do this, he is hit or miss with certain veggies. He may eat them one day, but not the next. Using the food processor on a regular basis helps ensure that he is getting a well-balanced meal and I don't worry about if he's had enough of everything.

[ShortStack]

Also, as far as the spinich, I *think* I saw someone say that it's hard for them to digest. I can't remember where I read this, so don't quote me on that one. Maybe someone will say for sure either way.

[Susann]

Please look over the food chart carefully. Because it does clearly say that spinach, avocado, onion, and rhubarb should NEVER be fed.

EDIT: ...no it doesn't! How come the new food chart doesn't say anything about spinach??? What happened???

[ShortStack]

Hmmm, that's odd, Susann. I knew I had read or heard somewhere not to feed it.

[Katrina]

As far as I know, spinach is not a great green but it isn't toxic . It would be a "feed rarely" type of green - high in oxalates and high in goitrogens, but I know lots of people feed it to herbivorous or omnivorous reptiles. If anyone has different info, please let me know.

Here are two lists of toxic plants to reptiles. There are lots of other out there, I haven't seen one that lists spinach.
http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-h ... lants.aspx
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 3&aid=1612

Anapsid has some good info:
http://www.anapsid.org/resources/plants.html

From that page: "Examples of plants with nonlethal but nonetheless potentially harmful chemicals include bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and soy, which contain goitrogenic compounds. These chemicals bind iodine, preventing its uptake, thus leading to impairment of thyroid gland function, which in turn leads to a host of metabolic problems. Spinach, parsley, carrots, and chards contain calcium oxalate, which interferes with calcium uptake; when fed as a significant portion of the overall diet, they cause the mineralization (hardening, crystallization) of organs and muscle tissue and can bind enough calcium to cause a form of metabolic bone disease.

Some of the plants that appear on lists of foods recommended for your reptile are also on the Harmful and Toxic Plants listing. Does this mean you should stop feeding them? No. It does mean that you need to make sure to alternate these plants with others known to be safely edible to ensure that your reptile is not getting significant amounts of the problematic phytates. Some may be okay for occasional treats, such as bok choy or a little bit of soy. A couple of leaves of spinach now and then won't hurt, either. But feeding these foods on a regular basis (say, no more than a small amount a couple times a month or every other month) will be safe and provide some variety in the diet."