Food Question: Can I do better?

[Emz3]

I am feeding my blue tongued kids a mix of mustard greens, collard greens, spring mix, acorn squash and high quality cat food all mixed in together. I will occasionally smash a little banana or carrot in with the mix, but more as a treat. They also get the occasional superworm. They are not on any supplements.

I feed them every 2-3 days.

My Merauke (I think) Stubs, is a pig and will eat huge quantities if I let him. However, he is also very active! (It's funny because he was the sick and lethargic one when I got him.) My other BTS (an IJ I think) Ellouise is not as eager to eat, but she eats. She is also not as active and hides a lot.

So, my question is, can I do better? Is this a quality diet or is there something else/more I should be doing. I guess I'm just looking for validation that I am feeding them properly or constructive criticism of what I can do differently!

[Susann]

I might just skip the spring mix; there are lots of other greens that are more nutritious than the stuff they put in bagged mixes, but the other stuff you mentioned are all good! You might also switch from cat food to dog food; cat food contains taurine, and it is debatable whether that is good for a reptile to have on a consistent basis.
But there is nothing wrong with what you are describing; I am just making suggestions.

If you want to know what kinds your skinks are, post some pictures, and we might be able to narrow it down better for you.

[Emz3]

Thanks Susann! I was thinking of switching to dog food after I run out of the canned cat food. Maybe I'll do away with the spring mix too! It's nice because I eat it too! lol! Glad to know this is all a good start!

I will post pictures. I need to take some new ones! I didn't want to be the annoying new person that posted a lot!

[Richard.C]

maybe add supplementation to

[tylociraptor]

Make sure to dust your mix with a vitamin/calcium suppliment every time you feed- you can pre-prepare for the week but you definately need to have that supplimentation. Other good treats are snails, horn worms, dubia roaches, pinkies (rarely- high in fat and calcium, low in nutrients), and my Misha goes nuts for cherries and blueberries!

[Emz3]

Thank you all! Any recommendations on a supplement. Do I need to get it from the vet or is there a quality over the counter vit?

I will definitely be trying different treats! No more banana...ever! OMG! With snails, do they eat the shell? Can they digest the shell? I'm still nervous about impaction. Would the occasional pinky be good for them if they are high in calcium?

[Sarikazam]

I just gave my Bruce two snails yesterday and he ate them all with no issues They eat most or all of the shell, and as far I know it has never lead to impaction issues.
Pinkies also make good occasional treats, but they are also quite high in fat so keep that in mind.

[James Wilson]

I am feeding my blue tongued kids a mix of mustard greens, collard greens, spring mix, acorn squash and high quality cat food all mixed in together. I will occasionally smash a little banana or carrot in with the mix, but more as a treat. They also get the occasional superworm. They are not on any supplements.

I feed them every 2-3 days.

My Merauke (I think) Stubs, is a pig and will eat huge quantities if I let him. However, he is also very active! (It's funny because he was the sick and lethargic one when I got him.) My other BTS (an IJ I think) Ellouise is not as eager to eat, but she eats. She is also not as active and hides a lot.

So, my question is, can I do better? Is this a quality diet or is there something else/more I should be doing. I guess I'm just looking for validation that I am feeding them properly or constructive criticism of what I can do differently!

It looks like you are off to a good start. Like others have mentioned, you may want to switch over to a good quality dog food, and you may also want to incorperate a good calcium supplement with D3 into the diet plan. Here are a few things I use:

Animal Matter
Canned premium dog food moistened monkey chow, ground turkey, dry premium dog food (moistened), hard boiled eggs (sparingly), lean cuts of meat, boiled chicken, caned reptile diets, moistened turtle pellets

Plant Matter
Chopped mustard, collard, beet, and turnip greens, dandelion greens and flowers, hibiscus flowers (take care that no pesticides or herbicides are present), chopped kale (sparingly), fresh, canned, and thawed frozen fruits, canned or frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, and green beans), grated squash, carrots, apples, potatoes, and yams, moistened iguana diet, and cooked pasta

Supplemental Food Items
Most insects are taken readily by Blue-tongued skinks. If you are feeding insects, that you have collected, to your skink, it is important to make sure that there is no chance of them being contaminated with pesticides. You can purchase crickets at most pet stores, and they are available in bulk through a large number of mail order companies that advertise in reptile related magazines. Also available are mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), superworms (Zophobas atrauts), waxworms, and sometimes earthworms. Snails are relished with delight by most blue-tongues, but again, you should be certain that no pesticides are present. Rat-pups are great for skinks that are a bit thin and need to put on some weight, and young adult mice make an excellent weekly supplement for gravid females. I also like to offer my skinks an occasional fruit meal consisting of ripe strawberries, peaches, mangos, or canned fruit cocktail.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation
A quality calcium supplement with vitamin D3 is an important factor in maintaining most lizards, including Blue-tongued Skinks. Make sure it is phosphorous free, and do not over supplement. Sprinkle a small amount on the food every other feeding for babies and gravid females, and every third feeding for all other adults. If given a varied diet, blue-tongues will not need any other vitamin or mineral supplements.

[Spindown]

I've fed mine snails with the shell on, they had no issues. you think banana is bad, try feeding them eggs. That room will STINK like sulfur! I made the mistake of feeding all 4 of my guys egg at the same time, in my herp room, and I ran out of there! P-U!

I've printed off the food list from this site, and take it with me to the grocery store. I get all sorts of nifty things for them to eat, some of which even the cashiers are like...um we carry this? LOL! Then they ask me what it is/what its for and I tell them its for my lizards One particular item was endive. They couldnt even find the SKU thingy for it they sell it SO rarely, and I had to run back and look!

[tylociraptor]

Just as a quick note, you can get vitamins wherever you get reptile supplies. Flukers, Zoo-Med, Repashy, Rep-Cal... lots of options. I think it comes down to personal preference, but I have Rep-Cal Vitamins right now!

[James Wilson]

Make sure to dust your mix with a vitamin/calcium suppliment every time you feed- you can pre-prepare for the week but you definately need to have that supplimentation. Other good treats are snails, horn worms, dubia roaches, pinkies (rarely- high in fat and calcium, low in nutrients), and my Misha goes nuts for cherries and blueberries!

A calcium suplement with added D3 should be suplemented to the diet every 2nd or 3rd meal depending on the skink's situation (adult, baby, gravid female, and so on). If it has phosphorus than do not use it. Any other vitamin suplements are not necesary as long as the skink gets a some variation with his diet every now and then. The possibility of vitamin toxicity from over suplementation (everyday use) is very real. There is no real gain with Vitamin sumpements for BTS, and the risks are high with much to loose.

[tylociraptor]

Make sure to dust your mix with a vitamin/calcium suppliment every time you feed- you can pre-prepare for the week but you definately need to have that supplimentation. Other good treats are snails, horn worms, dubia roaches, pinkies (rarely- high in fat and calcium, low in nutrients), and my Misha goes nuts for cherries and blueberries!

A calcium suplement with added D3 should be suplemented to the diet every 2nd or 3rd meal depending on the skink's situation (adult, baby, gravid female, and so on). If it has phosphorus than do not use it. Any other vitamin suplements are not necesary as long as the skink gets a some variation with his diet every now and then. The possibility of vitamin toxicity from over suplementation (everyday use) is very real. There is no real gain with Vitamin sumpements for BTS, and the risks are high with much to loose.

Huh, I wasg oing by the carsheet. Guess it's wrong on that then?

[James Wilson]

Make sure to dust your mix with a vitamin/calcium suppliment every time you feed- you can pre-prepare for the week but you definately need to have that supplimentation. Other good treats are snails, horn worms, dubia roaches, pinkies (rarely- high in fat and calcium, low in nutrients), and my Misha goes nuts for cherries and blueberries!

A calcium suplement with added D3 should be suplemented to the diet every 2nd or 3rd meal depending on the skink's situation (adult, baby, gravid female, and so on). If it has phosphorus than do not use it. Any other vitamin suplements are not necesary as long as the skink gets a some variation with his diet every now and then. The possibility of vitamin toxicity from over suplementation (everyday use) is very real. There is no real gain with Vitamin sumpements for BTS, and the risks are high with much to loose.

Huh, I wasg oing by the carsheet. Guess it's wrong on that then?

I do not know what care sheet you were reading, but once again, suplementation with a multivitamin is not necessary if the skink is getting a good varied diet (which it should be getting if you are doing things right). Vitamin toxicity is a real issue.

The one thing that is consistantly lacking in the typical BTS diet is Calcium. Calcium is very important (especially for babies and gravid females). As a result I suplement babies and gravid females with Calcium every other (1 out of 2) feeding. Non-gravid adults I suplement every 3rd or 4th feeding depending on the freequency of meals.

[Fatal_S]

Like James, I give more calcium + D3 to breeding females and to the babies. About 1/2 the meals for them, 1/3-1/4 for regular meals. About 1/4 of all my meals have vitamin powder added. I have 2 types of vitamin powder: a reptile one as mentioned here, and a tortoise one. I usually use the first, but I mix it up once in a while.

Too much vitamin powder can be dangerous, but it's not bad to use it once in a while.

[tylociraptor]

James, I was reading this caresheet. It says that you should offer vitamins if your diet is not varied enough. Misha eats the same thing all week, and it switches up every week, but for one whole week she will eat the same meal daily. Should i not use vitamins in this case? I am looking to get the recomended 'best' foods, so that i will not need to suppliment at all, but for the time being she is eating mostly 'often' foods.

[James Wilson]

James, I was reading this caresheet. It says that you should offer vitamins if your diet is not varied enough. Misha eats the same thing all week, and it switches up every week, but for one whole week she will eat the same meal daily. Should i not use vitamins in this case? I am looking to get the recomended 'best' foods, so that i will not need to suppliment at all, but for the time being she is eating mostly 'often' foods.

Time wise, a week is a drop in the bucket. So the same thing all week is no big deal as long as the diet is varied in the big picture. Vitamin deficiency does not happen in a week. It happens over a long period of time. So as long as the diet is regularly varied over time, it should be fine and a vitamin supplementation would not be necessary. That being said, a light sprinkle of multi-vitamin supplement once every week or two is not a bad thing. It is just that people tend to go overboard with it thinking it is critical and needed, and in the process they often end up over-supplementing which can lead to serious irreversible damage.

Once again let me stress that when referring to multi-vitamins, I am not referring to Calcium (with added D3) supplementation. Calcium supplementation is generally needed on a regular basis. Just make sure it has no phosphorus in it.

[Fatal_S]

Weekly variety is more than enough. Vitamin issues would occur only if they didn't get a certain vitamin for months at a time. And keep in mind that if you use something like dogfood as a regular base you already have pretty much everything covered, as it's a pre-balanced dog-diet.

Fine James, beat me to it. What he said

[James Wilson]

And keep in mind that if you use something like dogfood as a regular base you already have pretty much everything covered, as it's a pre-balanced dog-diet.

Good point.

[Sarikazam]

I found this thread quite informative as I had been having some questions about vitamins and supplements, and everything I was wondering was just went over here

[AnnaMonroe]

I found this thread quite informative as I had been having some questions about vitamins and supplements, and everything I was wondering was just went over here

^ Agreed !