# Tegu Food..



## VaranusDragon74 (Jul 21, 2013)

I want to feed my tegu a non-prey item diet, that would consist of rotations of boneless/skinless chicken breasts or separated wing pieces, ground turkey, chicken livers n' hearts, defrosted bait shrimp (cheaper at bait shop frozen, unless you're buying for yourself, too!!), guppies or like sized fish, and of course the occasional fruit salad, and grubs/worms (not exactly prey) :^)

So far, I have planned to alternate days for dusting... Dust or mix with calcium a feeding , dust or mix with vitamin the next feeding, and then skip a feeding...

So, what do you guys think ?? Nothing is set in stone, I know I'm not an expert, so give me your opinion (minus the attitude)..


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## Tyler137 (Jul 21, 2013)

You would want to do a whole prey item once or twice a week at least though. Like a rat or mouse depending on the tegus size. I think ground rabbit with bones, and fur would also work as a whole prey which you could do once a week. Like this https://www.hare-today.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_35&products_id=34

What have you been feeding your hatchling so far? Or if you haven't fed her yet, what will you be feeding her.


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## VaranusDragon74 (Jul 21, 2013)

I've been feeding her dusted crickets. I would continue feeding her crickets, until she outgrows them (approximately @ the 18 inch mark)..
The idea is to eliminate any need to attack, or snatch its food..


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## Tyler137 (Jul 22, 2013)

VaranusDragon74 said:


> I've been feeding her dusted crickets. I would continue feeding her crickets, until she outgrows them (approximately @ the 18 inch mark)..
> The idea is to eliminate any need to attack, or snatch its food..


Yes but when she is bigger and getting the frozen rats/mice you would just put them on a plate or bowl or whatever you give her the turkey and other foods on.


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## SnakeCharmr728 (Jul 22, 2013)

Feeding non-prey items is not going to eliminate the "need to attack/snatch food items" and prey items is indeed very necessary. your tegu will not thrive on the diet you have posted.


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## KritterKeeper (Jul 22, 2013)

Your logic doesnt really work here. Feeding a f/t mouse isnt going to cause it to attack food more than a piece of chicken and the mouse is better for your tegu. Since you mentioned ground turkey why not try the whole ground foods from hare-today.com which would be better for him and have the bones/organs already in it? Generally its feeding live foods that they chase down that you want to avoid if youre worried about high prey drive. Whole foods are much better for them so i would try to stick to that as much as possible.


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## Tyler137 (Jul 22, 2013)

Hmm. I was just reading something that Johnny said, about how the whole prey isn't necessary for a healthy tegu, and if you want to feed whole prey it should be only once every two weeks because that calcium will last them two weeks. Kind of interesting.


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## Roadkill (Jul 22, 2013)

> Hmm. I was just reading something that Johnny said, about how the whole prey isn't necessary for a healthy tegu, and if you want to feed whole prey it should be only once every two weeks because that calcium will last them two weeks. Kind of interesting.


Sounds entirely conjectured and ill-thought out. Maybe for a fully grown adult, lousy advice for a growing tegu.


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## VaranusDragon74 (Jul 22, 2013)

Just so we're on the same page, as I wrote before, This was never set in stone.. I had an idea, and presented it to more experienced owners/herpers.. 
But truth be told, Whole Prey Items are NOT necessary, IF one mixes up their diet, and adds in the appropriate vitamins, minerals, and calcium... the items I mentioned are just as good, or better, for a tegu, than rodents..
The perks of rodents are calcium (bones), d3 (liver), protein (flesh/muscle), and iron (bone marrow)..
My proposed diet has protein (all meats/organs), d3 (chicken & beef livers), iron (ground beef/beef liver),, and the fruits/vegs add other nutrients, as well.. yet, even now, nothing is in stone.. I'm still listening/reading... thanks to all who responded, so far..


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## laurarfl (Jul 23, 2013)

I just wanted to add that I have some tegus that will snatch a banana out of your hand faster than you can say "thawed chicken". lol


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## laurarfl (Jul 23, 2013)

Another thought...the calcium is essential in a growing tegu. Don't forget that the iron in the liver will interfere with calcium absorption. plus the Calcium to phosphorous ratio in boneless meats is really off balance. So do be careful in making sure that you add enough calcium. The perk of feeding whole prey is that it is balanced in proper proportion.


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## Roadkill (Jul 23, 2013)

You are quite correct, whole prey is not _necessary_, however you do flirt with disaster with this method by (or so it seems with your posting) thinking the necessary components are going to be completely met with a possible mixture of parts and "planned to alternate days for dusting... Dust or mix with calcium a feeding , dust or mix with vitamin the next feeding, and then skip a feeding..."

I'd ask you, have you specifically looked into the required levels of the vitamins and minerals thought to be necessary for your tegu? After this, have you looked into the appropriate, actual content levels of the items you are suggesting? Finally, have you then calculated the supplemental make-up you need to do to meet these goals? Sorry if it sounds judgmental but what you suggest seems to be a lot of "well, this has got X, so that should cover it, and that's got Y, so that should cover that, and a dusting will make up for what I'm missing". This is a LOUSY way to approach nutrition, and most people fail when doing so. Plus, you use the term "dusting".....this, especially in regards to specifically avoiding whole prey, typically means "don't know, don't really care". If you're not using whole prey, "dusting" is entirely inadequate. Secondly, for appropriate nutrient uptake, many compounds need accompanying nutrients in order to be absorbed (for example, calcium and vitamin D3), therefore your plan to do calcium one day and vitamins the next is like saying "I'll allow it to breathe one day, and only drink on alternate days". Seriously, if you are going to go the "parts" method, you need to do the math and far, far more homework. What you are suggesting is likely far from healthy.


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## VaranusDragon74 (Jul 23, 2013)

Wow, alotta words to respond to a simple question.... 
Did I do the math, NO !!! Kinda rather do the inquiry, before the chemistry... You know, ASK people if the idea is worthy/feasible, BEFORE wasting time on the particulars...

Did I do my research ?? I thought, that was what this thread was about ??


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## Roadkill (Jul 23, 2013)

Let me get this straight...you didn't think this through, you wanted us to think this through for you, and because we have thought it through a little bit more than you did, you're upset. I'm sorry, you didn't seem to appreciate the abbreviated version so I expanded. Let me try a different approach then. Few people realise that calcium is more important to your body than oxygen is. Calcium is used in every physiological process the body undergoes to "live" and function. Oxygen is only used in part of the energy production pathway. We just think that oxygen is more important because if you deprive us of it, we die pretty quick (primarily the brain, the rest of the body dies very slowly, relatively speaking). However, calcium is so important that we have evolved calcium stores in our bodies. So if you deprive us of it, we still have a supply to utilize. If you could take away all the calcium in the body, death would be pretty instantaneous in all tissues, at all levels. Now, when you don't get enough calcium, you then deplete those calcium stores, you cause various reactions in the body as it tries to maintain homeostasis and regular body functioning. Then, often when a surplus is presented afterwards, the body tends to over-react, doing what it can to sequester all this extra calcium. This sometimes results in diseases such as soft tissue calcification. Long story short, it is safer and better to maintain a decent, steady calcium supply in the diet than to go through surplus/deficit fluctuations. And that's just calcium, calcium is quite simple and can travel the body in a free ion state. Vitamin D3 is important for calcium absorption and metabolism, but many hobbyists fail to realise that with vitamin D3 being a lipid soluble molecule, it cannot travel freely in the body, it has to be "carried" by other specific molecules. In other words, vitamin D3 needs to be presented with the appropriate other nutrients in order to facilitate its transport. Imagine what happens when you provide one on one day, and the other later on its own - they aren't likely going to pass through the absorptive region of the intestine at the same time to be optimally effective. It goes on and on, some nutrients are more complex than others, some can cause problems with overdosing just as badly as being deficient. Proper nutrition isn't something to be taken lightly.


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## VaranusDragon74 (Jul 24, 2013)

Didn't ask you to think it through, for me, i asked what keepers thought about an idea, not an actual ready to go plan.
I am well prepared to handle any sort of diet needed, was just throwing out a harmless question. I tend to ask those who obviously have more experience, to get different view points, and options.
I would never take my animals nutrition lightly, I've been in the field for 13 years. I have contact with veterinarians in 2 counties, in south florida. And, have relationships with two GREAT reptile shops ( Ben Siegel's Reptiles and Underground Reptiles ) in Deerfield Beach, Fl..
I'm just new to tegus.. Always wanted one, only just getting around to it.. But, with that said, No harm No Foul, and I'm actually glad to come across passionate keepers, that actually keep them as house pets.. 
Normally, I would have just talked with the breeder, but Rian (Underground's Owner/Tegu Whisperer) doesn't keep them as pets, or inside, his are some wild lil' gu's, with different needs... So, everyone keep giving your thoughts, and wisdom. I seek the best ways to keep her safe, happy, and healthy. 
Can someone write a freakin' Tegu specific book, for god sakes ??? Why is the BEST of the Big lizards, a side note in monitor manuals (and i'm a monitor keeper)??


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## Beastly (Dec 15, 2013)

Roadkill said:


> Let me get this straight...you didn't think this through, you wanted us to think this through for you, and because we have thought it through a little bit more than you did, you're upset. I'm sorry, you didn't seem to appreciate the abbreviated version so I expanded. Let me try a different approach then. Few people realise that calcium is more important to your body than oxygen is. Calcium is used in every physiological process the body undergoes to "live" and function. Oxygen is only used in part of the energy production pathway. We just think that oxygen is more important because if you deprive us of it, we die pretty quick (primarily the brain, the rest of the body dies very slowly, relatively speaking). However, calcium is so important that we have evolved calcium stores in our bodies. So if you deprive us of it, we still have a supply to utilize. If you could take away all the calcium in the body, death would be pretty instantaneous in all tissues, at all levels. Now, when you don't get enough calcium, you then deplete those calcium stores, you cause various reactions in the body as it tries to maintain homeostasis and regular body functioning. Then, often when a surplus is presented afterwards, the body tends to over-react, doing what it can to sequester all this extra calcium. This sometimes results in diseases such as soft tissue calcification. Long story short, it is safer and better to maintain a decent, steady calcium supply in the diet than to go through surplus/deficit fluctuations. And that's just calcium, calcium is quite simple and can travel the body in a free ion state. Vitamin D3 is important for calcium absorption and metabolism, but many hobbyists fail to realise that with vitamin D3 being a lipid soluble molecule, it cannot travel freely in the body, it has to be "carried" by other specific molecules. In other words, vitamin D3 needs to be presented with the appropriate other nutrients in order to facilitate its transport. Imagine what happens when you provide one on one day, and the other later on its own - they aren't likely going to pass through the absorptive region of the intestine at the same time to be optimally effective. It goes on and on, some nutrients are more complex than others, some can cause problems with overdosing just as badly as being deficient. Proper nutrition isn't something to be taken lightly.


Where could you find the specifics on what amounts of different nutrients tegus need as they grow?


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## Roadkill (Dec 16, 2013)

They don't exist at this time.


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