# Frozen raw dog foods?



## Coliosis (Jan 24, 2013)

Just wondering what people's thoughts were on feeding frozen raw dog food to tegus? I'm thinking of brands like Nature's Variety (www.naturesvariety.com) or Pets4Life (www.pets4life.net). Yay or nay?


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## TeguBuzz (Jan 24, 2013)

Definitely nay.


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## Coliosis (Jan 24, 2013)

Okay but why? Here's a list of ingredients in the duck version by Pets4Life:
Ingredients: Duck (Contains Duck Meat and Duck Bones), Duck Giblets (Contains Duck Heart and Duck Liver), Kale, Green Beans, Alfalfa Sprouts, Papaya, Cranberry, Sunflower Seeds, Ground Almonds and Walnuts, Grapefruit Seed Extract.

Guaranteed Analysis/Analyse Garanties:

Crude Protein/Proteines Brutes (Min): 14%
Crude Fat/Matieres Grasses Brutes (Min): 3%
Crude Fibre/Fibres Brutes (Max): 1%
Moisture/Humidite (Max): 79%


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## apocalypse910 (Jan 24, 2013)

I had actually asked about a similar food here a few months ago. The ingredients seem pretty solid. I think there is a bit of a knee jerk reaction to dog food as most canned foods / kibbles provide pretty horrible nutrition. I think the frozen raw diet foods are a good deal more nutritious. As with anything variety is key, I wouldn't really trust any one food as being sufficient for a healthy tegu.

All that being said my tegu did not like the expensive raw diet dog food I bought him. He licked it a few times, and then flipped it on the ground with his nose. I tried to offer it a few more times with about the same level of success.


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## Coliosis (Jan 24, 2013)

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I figured tegus would prefer something a little less processed probably. It would be great for days when you're in a hurry though! lol Although it would probably cost the same to basically make my own "raw tegu food" with ingredients aimed more at tegus....


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## laurarfl (Jan 24, 2013)

I try some premium foods here and there for various reasons. I avoid anything with grains or starchy ingredients for the first five. I also look for dicalcium phosphate.


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## Dubya (Jan 25, 2013)

At 14% the protein seems pretty low and I am not crazy about the nuts and seeds. Those dog foods also cost more than if you made something similar and used a cheapo Harbor Freight meat grinder to grind it yourself. Btw, Harbor Freight rules!


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## Little Wise Owl (Jan 25, 2013)

Dubya said:


> At 14% the protein seems pretty low and I am not crazy about the nuts and seeds. Those dog foods also cost more than if you made something similar and used a cheapo Harbor Freight meat grinder to grind it yourself. Btw, Harbor Freight rules!



Tegus consume seeds very often in the wild. Usually through fruit.


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## laurarfl (Jan 26, 2013)

Ground flax seeds are a great way to add fatty acids, that's why they are added. I also look at the whole picture of the products offered. For instance, when I looked at pets4life, they claim the raw feline diet can also be used for ferrets. However, the protein is half what ferrets require and the fiber content is double the max recommended for ferrets. That makes me wonder how much research the company has put into their products.

From the Merck Veterinary Manual:
"The protein content of the diet has traditionally been recommended to be ~18-20% for carnivores and 11-12% for herbivores. Amino acid requirements are identical to those of mammals, with the addition of histidine in reptiles. Inadequate protein levels result in weight loss, muscle wasting, increased susceptibility to secondary infections, failure to reproduce, and slower healing after injury. A nonresponsive infection can be the result of a primary nutritional deficiency. Many newer commercial diets offer protein levels up to 28-32%, which may prompt rapid growth but can have severe longterm consequences (eg, hyperuricemia, see below). Consequently, lower protein levels are currently recommended, particularly for uricotelic reptiles.
Excess protein is common in the diet of carnivorous lizards when excessive meat products are fed rather than whole animals. Feeding excessive amounts of high-protein cat foods has been implicated in cases of excess protein and vitamin D3. Many nutritionists recommend not feeding cat foods to reptiles. Dog food, especially low-fat varieties, can be used sparingly as part of a complete and balanced diet in both carnivores and omnivores."


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 26, 2013)

Flax seed oil and taurine nutritional suppliment is what I had to give the bats in addition to their gut loaded mealworms. 

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