# Repashy Savory Stew?



## Teguzilla (Jul 13, 2012)

I was on Underground Reptiles' website and I saw that when you order a baby tegu, you get a sample of Repashy's Savory Stew which is a meal replacement gel for omnivorous reptiles. Says it's great for beardies, skinks, turtles, tegus, etc. Has anyone ever fed their gu this? I'm thinking about buying some as a backup for when I can't get mice and other meat.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Jul 13, 2012)

i haven't tried it but it sounds kinda awesome now all we need is reptile ice cream


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 13, 2012)

Teguzilla said:


> I was on Underground Reptiles' website and I saw that when you order a baby tegu, you get a sample of Repashy's Savory Stew which is a meal replacement gel for omnivorous reptiles. Says it's great for beardies, skinks, turtles, tegus, etc. Has anyone ever fed their gu this? I'm thinking about buying some as a backup for when I can't get mice and other meat.



That is not an appropriate food product for Tegus or any other animal.
If you feel their may be a time when you "cant get mice and other meat" then you need to rethink ownership of a Tegu. But Repashys stew, tegu bites, and dehydrated anything* is not an acceptable food product.
In fact its technically not food.


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## Teguzilla (Jul 13, 2012)

Thelegendofcharlie said:


> Teguzilla said:
> 
> 
> > I was on Underground Reptiles' website and I saw that when you order a baby tegu, you get a sample of Repashy's Savory Stew which is a meal replacement gel for omnivorous reptiles. Says it's great for beardies, skinks, turtles, tegus, etc. Has anyone ever fed their gu this? I'm thinking about buying some as a backup for when I can't get mice and other meat.
> ...



I wasn't going to use it as a general replacement. I was just going to use it for emergencies for when I really can't get access to mice. I'm just trying to make sure I'm prepared in the case of a problem. I do have a job and a life so I'm just going to buy some for days when I'm not able to come straight home from work.


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## Murkve (Jul 13, 2012)

Thelegendofcharlie said:


> That is not an appropriate food product for Tegus or any other animal.
> If you feel their may be a time when you "cant get mice and other meat" then you need to rethink ownership of a Tegu. But Repashys stew, tegu bites, and dehydrated anything* is not an acceptable food product.
> In fact its technically not food.



Care to explain? For captive members of the Rhacodactylus Geckos, Repashy's mixes are the staple for many keepers. These animals do very well on this diet, proved time and time again by the thousands of people who keep and breed these animals at the highest level.

I understand that Cresties and large carnivorous lizards are _very_ different creatures, but I'm wondering why a food item engineered - by a very respected member of the community, no less - to fulfill most (if not all) of their dietary needs is unsuitable?


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## Dubya (Jul 13, 2012)

What about "Kramden's Delicious Mystery Appetizer"? Look it up.



Teguzilla said:


> I was on Underground Reptiles' website and I saw that when you order a baby tegu, you get a sample of Repashy's Savory Stew which is a meal replacement gel for omnivorous reptiles. Says it's great for beardies, skinks, turtles, tegus, etc. Has anyone ever fed their gu this? I'm thinking about buying some as a backup for when I can't get mice and other meat.



What about a can of tuna packed in water? For emergency food, how bad can it be? At 3am with lemon juice it has helped me make it through till sunday morning. Seriously, tuna in water is not bad stuff. I give it to my cats when I forget to buy cat food. They worship me like a god when I do that.


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 13, 2012)

Murkve said:


> Thelegendofcharlie said:
> 
> 
> > That is not an appropriate food product for Tegus or any other animal.
> ...



I perhaps should offered more of an explanation on my previous post, its just not really my desire to explain the fundamentals of nutrition on this site as it tends to spark denial and debate. Nonetheless, since you asked I will elaborate a bit.
As you stated it is an engineered food item.
Therein lies the problem. As with all prepackaged food, the nutrition value is kinetic, and not an accurate description of what can be expected to be transferred and/or metabolized by the consumer.
Take a look at the process(ing)
*All or most of the food products are more than likely irradiated.
Irradiation breaks down molecules, enzymes and vitamins. It can actually destroy up to 80% some vitamins. It also introduces free radicals and will actually convert certain components of said food into carcinogenic toxins such as benzene and formaldehyde of the top of my head. this process is called unique radiolytic products or URPs.
*so next we pasteurize our stew bits 
This of course kills nasty bacteria... and many healthy components.
Most water soluble vitamins are destroyed in temperatures exceeding 75F.
Other vitamins break down at temperatures that would undoubtedly surprise you. It varies case by case so I will not list every vitamin but pasteurization causes 30-100% nutrient loss (again depending on the particular nutrient) and destroys most enzymes.
*now we dehydrate our pathogen and (almost) nutrient free stew items
Im am not aware of any professional or academic studies on the subject of dehydration, so I wont comment much here - but research indicate there is some vitamin loss that occurs during this process as well, albeit not as extensive as these other processes.
So now we have stew! But somethings missing..
Water! so we throw some water in that stuff and do one of two things:
*Microwave - Im not even touching this one... Or
*Boil - The effects of boiling are similar to that of pasteurization with the exception of pasteurization being a timed and minimized process. Boiling food is bad enough, but increased as most people tend to exceed the necessary time when employing this cooking technique. Nutrient loss is again in the 30-100% range. (of whats left)
And at last we have repashy savory stew! 
Who wants some? hopefully not your Tegus and Crested Geckos!
Although they will happily eat this by the time this hits their scaley little gullets this stuff is practically devoid of nutrition. 
And at this point is debatable as whether it is actually considered food, since food by definition contains nutrients and sustains life.
I.e. many things can be eaten but that doesnt make it food, and not every "food" sustains life.
Being a respected member of the reptile community has nothing to to with anything. Kraft, Dole, DuPont, Nestle,JBS, and Sysco are all well known leaders in the food industry for HUMANS, and they bring most people closer or to their maker every day.
As I said earlier this subject begs for controversy and debate.
Its alot easier for people to argue or deny the food they eat (or feed their reptiles) has ceased to be food. (by definition)
If anyone disagrees with any of the above information;
1. I expect as much
2. I could care less
I will not be expanding or defending any of the content but I will say they all come from professional and academic sources and not from a blog or book by Kevin Tredeau 
Anyway sorry for a mega-post but it is a complex answer that couldnt said in a few sentences. 
So ends my discourse.
I think Im going to make some stew now.


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## Diablo (Jul 14, 2012)

Well put. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR


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## james.w (Jul 14, 2012)

LegendofCharlie, I'm not disputing what you are saying, but do you know why there is so much success with the Repashy Crested Gecko Diet if what you say is true?


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## Dana C (Jul 14, 2012)

Legend of Charlie,
Perhaps if you could post a bibliography of your sources and papers detailing what you have said, I and others would be more willing to accept what you say.


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## laurarfl (Jul 14, 2012)

Mazuri marketed a carnivorous diet gel years ago...wonder how this compares.

A lot of what legendofcharlie is saying is common knowledge taught in nutrition. Of course heating denatures proteins and breaks down precursors to vitamins and enzymes. But the body usually has resources to recreate those. Eventually, it wears on the body giving rise to certain ailments that we attribute to aging. Any upper level college biochemisrty text will attest to that information. I had to lol about Kevin Tredeau 

The Repashy gecko diet is so successful because he uses natural plant products as a substitute for flower nectar and pollen that would normally be consumed. As an alternative to baby food, it is awesome. It really is a good product for a captive animal that does not have a wild habitat set up.

As for the gel, it is mostly marine invert meal based. Other ingredients look to come from his Gecko diet. Is it good? Sure. Is it as good as a whole prey diet? How can you argue that point? It may be cheaper and may be convenient, but it is not as good as a natural whole food diet.


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## PocketFullOfTegus (Jul 14, 2012)

Im a biology major and I see no fault with what was said by legendofcharlie
sometimes the truth hurts.


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 14, 2012)

As stated before im not elaborating on the content.
Far be from me to scour the annals of my textbooks and the internet because anyone doubts the authenticity of what I wrote.
If youre that curious, Im sure everyone is google competent. 
As laurafl stated the majority of what I posted is nutrition and biochemistry 101.
As far as the success of the repashy diet in geckos - thats laughable. Many people in developing nations live off of rice, dirt, and rancid scraps. 
Does that make it succesful?
I didnt want to post the information originally because I didnt want to get sucked into a debate.
Feel free to disprove and negate my information amongst yourselves but I will not be joining in.
I dont have anything else to say on the subject.


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## Teguzilla (Jul 14, 2012)

I didn't make this topic to start a debate or controversy. I was just asking a question I didn't know the answer to. As I said before and I'm going to say again, I was not in no way going to use the gel as a replacement for protein. I was just asking was it ok to use when I run out of mice or in the event I am unable to obtain some. This is exactly why I stay away from all herp forums. Not trying to sound rude or angry though.


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## Murkve (Jul 14, 2012)

I'm conflicted, because on one hand I can see the science behind what Charlie is saying; but on the other hand I do not believe that this is reason to throw out all attempts at an engineered diet. 

Look at what it did for other aspects of the pet industry. Dogs, Cats, etc. are now much more accessible and affordable to everyone, mainly because of ease of access to a _decently_ nutritious food. Now, I fully recognize that some pet foods are absolute crap, wih detrimental long term health effects. This is why I feed my Cats a high protein, organic dry food with no grain fillers. Would feeding my cats raw whole prey be more beneficial and natural? Yes. Is it feasible and worth the gains made? No. Not for me.

So I'm a bit torn. If a suitable engineered diet were to make its way onto the scene for Tegus, it may make these amazing lizards more accessible, and more integrated and accepted into society. This might be a bad thing though, considering how much Cats and Dogs suffer.

If a proven diet were on the market for Tegus though, would I use it over raw food and whole prey? No, I would not.


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## laurarfl (Jul 14, 2012)

I agree. I also feed my cat a high end grain free diet. My ferrets get a raw, whole food, cold processed diet. Many chronic illnesses in companion pets are the results of poor quality diet. But I wouldn't put Repashy in the same category as Friskies...he's done a lot of research himself.


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## laurarfl (Jul 15, 2012)

Do you know they have that as a product? lol!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9aa/


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 15, 2012)

Soylent Green slogan = "Made by people, for people"


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 15, 2012)

I just remembered (the movie) Soylent Green was (loosely) based of a novel by science fiction author Harry Harrison.
Harry Harrison wrote a really awesome trilogy called West of Eden (trilogy)
Has anyone read it? 
Its a must for all Sci-fi fans and doubly so for lizard lovers.
heres a no spoiler synopsis from wiki:

Overview
In the alternative history, Earth was not struck by an asteroid 65 million years before the present. Consequently, the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event which wiped out the dinosaurs and other reptiles never happened, leaving the way clear for an intelligent species to eventually evolve from the mosasaur, a species of reptile related to the modern monitor lizards. This relationship would mean that the intelligent species are not dinosaurs but lizard-people.

The lizard-people are known as the Yilané, and are the dominant life form on most of the planet. However, during the evolutionary process, the species became non-viable on the two American continents, leaving them free of Yilané for millions of years and opening an ecological niche for a top predator. A human-like species, the Tanu, evolved to fill the niche in North America, but are only found on that continent. By the time the novel begins, the humanoids have reached a late stone age level of technology and culture, with a number of societies having developed farming skills.

The Yilané, having had millions of years of civilization, have a very advanced society primarily based on a mastery of the biological sciences, especially genetic engineering, so much so that almost every tool and artifact they use is a modified lifeform. Their boats were originally squids, their submarines are enhanced ichthyosaurs (here called uruketos), and their guns are evolved monitor lizards which eject projectiles using pressurised gas.

The Yilané are a matriarchal society. The females control all political, military, and scientific aspects of the culture and keep the males segregated. Males are primarily poets and artisans, and enjoy dull, pampered lifestyles. Repeated matings will kill males, so they are generally very wary of the females. The Yilané language is incredibly complex, based on sounds, colour (The Yilané are able to alter the skin colour on parts of their body, notably the hands, akin to Chameleons) and body movements, and a key factor in social status among females is how well the language is mastered.
Plot

The story revolves around the eventual discovery of the American continents by the Yilané, who are searching for new resources and territories for colonization. Being reptiloid and cold-blooded, they target tropical and sub-tropical zones.

Eventually, of course, they encounter the humanoids, whom they regard as barely sentient animals. Humans, in their turn, are xenophobically terrified of the Yilané. It is not long before a state of conflict exists between the two species.


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## Dubya (Jul 15, 2012)

laurarfl said:


> Do you know they have that as a product? lol!
> 
> http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9aa/



Rofl! I am getting those to serve to my friends! HAHAHAHA!!!


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## Allen Repashy (Jul 16, 2012)

Thelegendofcharlie said:


> > *All or most of the food products are more than likely irradiated.
> > Irradiation breaks down molecules, enzymes and vitamins. It can actually destroy up to 80% some vitamins. It also introduces free radicals and will actually convert certain components of said food into carcinogenic toxins such as benzene and formaldehyde of the top of my head. this process is called unique radiolytic products or URPs.
> 
> 
> ...


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## laurarfl (Jul 16, 2012)

Allen, thank you for coming to the forum to explain your product further. Please do not consider any remarks slanderous, but an opportunity for open discussion. Many of us are aware of the reputation you have established and the research you have invested into geckos and other reptiles.


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 16, 2012)

It is not my intent to "bash" you or "bash" your company.
And you accuse me of slander? By definition that signifies I said something untrue and although you may find my opinions objectionable, nothing I presented as fact is anything else.
In fact you seem to support my statements, as in your defense all you have said is;
1. you dont irradiate your food. First of all I said this was probable and not definite. ANd frankly if you are not producing all of your own vegetation this could very well be the case even if it is unbeknownst to you but I will not speculate on this matter.
2. you state your end product is nutritious because you add vitamins/minerals after nutritional breakdown.
I regret to inform you there is already a popular product on the market that does just this.
Its called vitimins.
I take it by this statement:
'There will always be people who argue that dog kibble is not complete compared to a RAW diet..... Providing a completely balanced diet using raw ingredients is very difficult...... but can it be done.... of course..... is it better than kibble...... if done right, probably so....... does this make kibble a "non food" as you like to say..... absolutely not!. There is more than one way to provide proper nutrition and your narrow minded opinion may suit you just fine.... but it is not the answer for everyone."

You experience distaste I advocate a raw/natural diet?
So be it. You are entitled to that opinion
.
"is it better than kibble...... if done right, probably so."
I agree as well.

"does this make kibble a "non food" as you like to say..... absolutely not!"
Im afraid it does if we go by definition but lets not quibble over semantics.


"There is more than one way to provide proper nutrition and your narrow minded opinion may suit you just fine.... but it is not the answer for everyone."

I completely agree and said so myself. BUt this discussion was about proper nutrition and not minimal or adequate nutrition.

Finally, I am perplexed as to your reasonings and motivations to call me a "troll"- but I assure you I am a real person.
Thats just being absurd, and name calling is juvenile.


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## Allen Repashy (Jul 16, 2012)

Thanks for the welcome Laura, and thanks for the reply Charlie. 

As far as the Troll statement. I based it on this:


> If anyone disagrees with any of the above information;
> 1. I expect as much
> 2. I could care less



Being a troll has nothing to do with being a real person. I rarely reference Wikipedia, but their definition is pretty good. 

your quoted statement clearly projects an attitude that you think you know everything, and that the opinions of others do not make a difference, or could possibly have anything to contribute to the discussion.

On the point of you only telling "Truths" ..... I welcome you to open a discussion on this statement and back it up with pier reviewed publications.



> Most water soluble vitamins are destroyed in temperatures exceeding 75F.



On the subject of irradiation. We do not irradiate our products, nor are ANY of the ingredients we source irradiated. Every ingredient we source comes with a Certificate of Origin that must list any irradiated product. In fact, we have rejected several sources for our ingredients for this very reason. For example, imported turmeric from some sources is irradiated, so we have to be careful with sourcing on that particular herbal ingredient. We have also rejected ingredients such as dandelion from some sources because of slightly elevated heavy metals.

You misread me if you interpreted me saying that there was something wrong with RAW diets...... and I had no idea you even had posted a a position on this subject. It is an example...... and a good one, because there is much more to it than just feeding raw ingredients as I am sure you know. For those others reading this, what I mean, is that just raw meat and bones, is not a balanced diet...... you need a balance of whole ingredients.... internal organs. I actually feed my Mastiff's whole frozen rabbit!

Which brings up another topic..... because all those bad things you say about heat, can equally be caused by freezing.... Freezing something for days, weeks, months or more, can easily degrade some nutrients much more than a minute or two of boiling. Sourcing never frozen raw food, and feeding it without freezing it, is not what I call an easy task LOL. The risk of bacterial infections would be huge.



> I completely agree and said so myself. BUt this discussion was about proper nutrition and not minimal or adequate nutrition.



I am not talking about adequate nutrition either. I have no problems with a good debate, and actually enjoy it..... but your post was full of disrespect, which is something I have worked a long time for in this Hobby. You are a young man, and it would be nice if you did a little digging into someone and their products before you make comments like you did. You probably didn't even take the time to look at my list of ingredients before you jumped on my product. 

People like you, come and go....I have been doing this a long time..... in fact, long enough to have captive bred geckos (from 1986) that I produced and raised on my products...... that are still alive, and older than you. :shy: LOL

If we can get past this, and "agree to disagree" then maybe we can turn this into a productive conversation.....?

Cheers, Allen


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## Murkve (Jul 16, 2012)

Allen,

Right or wrong, all debate aside, I find it commendable the level to which you're willing to _personally_ defend your products. If more businesses had your sense of personal accountability, right down to the grassroots level, the world would be a better place. 

Thank you for providing your "primary source" input to this discussion.


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## Allen Repashy (Jul 16, 2012)

Murkve said:


> Allen,
> 
> Right or wrong, all debate aside, I find it commendable the level to which you're willing to _personally_ defend your products. If more businesses had your sense of personal accountability, right down to the grassroots level, the world would be a better place.
> 
> Thank you for providing your "primary source" input to this discussion.



Thanks Murkye,

Studying nutrition has become more of a passion for me in the last decade than actually working with animals. Sometimes emotions get the best of me, and I don't cool down enough before replying (kind of like this thread :dodgy. I tend to take everything personally, which I realize is not realistic...... but that's how important it is to me. 

Everyone has a right to their own opinion, and forum posters aren't used to being challenged by a manufacturer for commenting on a product because most of them just ignore this stuff..... I might be better off doing the same, but I just can't seem to help myself. 

Actually, forums like this are responsible for the development of many of my products. I often work with online communities to help develop a product.... I send out samples..... and use community feedback to help fine tune products. I have also developed completely new formulas based on the requests of community members. My whole line of fish gel formulas came about from a feedback thread on the Dendro Boards that crossed over to some fish people...... and to a development thread on the planted tank forums.... which evolved into half a dozen fish formulas.

I doubt "Charlie" will take my replies as personally as I did his original post, and I acknowledge that I probably took his post too personally.....but I hope he at least thinks twice in the future about what he says about a product, and remembers that you never know who might be listening. ( a fanatic like me lol)

Allen


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 16, 2012)

I dont think of myself as a know it all Mr. Repashy. I did not mean to represent myself as such.
I in fact learn every day of my life and am unfulfilled to do otherwise.
You in fact taught me something today. When you called me a troll I thought you meant the mythological creature. 
You can perhaps understand my confusion?
I read the wiki link and see that troll is a slang word someone that basically acts or posts inappropriately online. 
I do not feel I was acting as a troll because what I said was in context to the discussion, but Im still learning what it means to be a troll I guess.
My comment 
"If anyone disagrees with any of the above information;
1. I expect as much
2. I could care less"
only signified I dont feel the need to defend everything I say or write.
I do applaud you on not using irradiated products.
And I do see you take measures to lift the quality of your product beyond that of your competitors.
You can probably imagine from the scope of my text, I am of course aware of the degeneration that occurs from freezing, but did not felt it merited relevance for inclusion in my post (although I thought about it) I didnt think that would be impartial of me to mention as I was not sure if your company practiced this or not.
I do (in my opinion) have an appropriately balanced view on nutrition. I do not practice a raw diet and do not advocate it. Although care should be taken to minimize processed nonfood products we consume, I am aware of the dangers of a (wholly) raw diet and realize a balance must be struck. It is not so simple as everything should be eaten raw or everything need be cooked, and I do concede the point that heating outweighs the risk of pathogenic contamination. I am glad to hear you do this in a proper manner to your product.
You and someone else mentioned something to the affect of optimal diets not being appropriate or suitable for everyone or their pets.
(please forgive me if Im not expressing that as intended)
I understand that. I truly do.
All I meant to convey is that ANY processed product is pale in comparison to a proper and natural diet.
If you feel I was too harsh, I understand that.
But I stand by what I said.
For whatever its worth I DO feel your product is probably the best to choose from if you go that route.
All Im saying is lets not delude ourselves and pretend its optimal or healthy.
Thats just silly.
Lastly whatever you felt was disrespectful wasnt my intention. I do apologize if you feel disrespected on a personal level.
While I may disagree with you on matters of nutrition, I did not and do not mean to convey any disrespect to you personally.
That is all I have to say on this I think.
From here I think we must agree to disagree...


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## Diablo (Jul 16, 2012)

I wish there was just an internet handshake button so this would be a lot easier.


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## laurarfl (Jul 17, 2012)

I hear ya!

Ok, then...let's look at this as some market research for Repashy. 

I like nutrition and my college studies were physiology based. Pet food is more of a hobby and not a research event as it is for Allen. Hears my take:

There are multi-levels of pet food that cater to owner's preferences according to budget, needs, and knowledge.

The lowest levels of food I consider barely adequate. We can eat hot dogs and hamburgers all of our lives, but it will catch up to us eventually. In pet foods, this relates to the cheapest store brand cat/dog food. Sadly, I think it also includes that canned tegu/monitor diet...blech. I'm not sure if I would classify baby food for cresties at this level or a bit higher.

As people become more interested in nutrition for their pets and willing to spend more money, more products become available. Here you have the higher line brands such as Iams, Eukanuba, etc. Then you have the really high end brands found in stores like Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Natural Balance. These brands have invested a lot of money in their ingredients, and research the needs of animals.

Then there are the elite brands. Many of these aren't found in pet stores, but are ordered on-line, in select vet offices, pet pantries, etc. These are Wysong (cold processed raw kibble), Evagers 100% meat canned, Evo, etc. They are expensive, no fillers, lots of research, top quality ingredients. This is where Repashy diets live. I know my local PetSmart quit carry GCD and never had Calcium Plus. It is expensive and doesn't sell fast enough. So you have to order it on-line or go to a specialty pet shop. I even use the Calcium Plus on other reptiles. It has natural plant base vitamin supply and I like that.

So, is it a perfect dietary world? No. Is a natural, wild diet better? Yes, I think it is. But I do think Repashy is a good substitute for a captive animal. I think it is worlds better than ground turkey only. I didn't look at the price, so I'm not sure how tegu owners will feel about fronting that.


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## Allen Repashy (Jul 17, 2012)

I am glad that this thread has gone from a personal battle, to the sharing of some great information that can help everyone learn about foods. I respect Charlie for backing off a bit, and apologize if I came in guns blazing to defend myself. There is nothing wrong with agreeing to disagree.

When it comes down to it, anything short of eating something that is fresh killed, and still warm, or veggies pulled straight from the ground and eaten fresh, is a nutritional compromise. It is all about the price of "convenience", and the potential health risks of eating unprocessed foods. Modern humans are doing ok on our current diets, but it is obvious that there are a LOT of people out there who are unhealthy because of all the crap they eat. There are also people out there eating "right" and living a hundred years on cooked and "processed" diets. 

I personally try to follow the "Paleolithic Diet" and think that grains and carbs are evil things. 

Cheers, Allen


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## Murkve (Jul 17, 2012)

Allen Repashy said:


> I personally try to follow the "Paleolithic Diet" and think that grains and carbs are evil things.



Ha! Myself as well! That's why I feel such a connection with Tegus, they eat the same things I eat - meat, veggies, and fruits!


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 17, 2012)

What do you know? Me too!


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## Dana C (Jul 17, 2012)

The following is a discussion on Face Book that I thought I would post in this thread as well as one other. For those of you who aren't familiar with Ty Park, he is a highly respected herper that successfully breeds some of the rarest lizards in the world.

Ron St Pierre Iirc the bulk of the vegetable matter was palm seeds. Back when we bred tegus our most successful diet was 33% mice, 33% Superworms and 33% soft fruit. I dabbled over the years in other combos (including SDZ diet, Cat Foods, 100% rodents, etc) and the only other diet that did have good results was the 100% rodent diet. Our 33% diet was loosely based off this paper.
4 hours ago · Edited · Like · 1
Ty Park I am currently feeding 40% Mazuri Croc. Diet, 40% Mazuri Omnivore Diet with 20% Other "left over food"...such as food left over from feeding other animals such as mice (from feeding snakes), fruits (from feeding iguanas) and Chinese and other left over restaurant food (from feeding me). I had great success with breeding this year using this diet mix. With Omnivore diet being both carnivorous and herbivorous, I would guess the mix of meat to vegetable would be about 60/40. With so many mouth to feed, this has been the best formulated diet that I have come up with so far. I will stay with this diet if verified by long term result but I am always willing to add or subtract items if I see the need. I have also found that the best time to switch from diet to diet is after the hibernation, when they are hungry and their memory of their favorite diet is at the weakest.
45 minutes ago · Like
Ron St Pierre Yeah I firmly believe that tegus can be successfully raised on quite an array of combos and have it work just fine. They are not true predators and instead generalist/scavengers and are adapted quite well for that niche. I'm quite sure they exploit whatever is available at a given moment. So if palm seeds are ripe and falling they gorge themselves on those at the exclusion of all other food sources. Of course I have no doubt that they will readily consume any other animal that comes along to consume the seeds as well that they can fit in their mouths. With that in mind Im also fairly certain that with the limited availability of most fruits that at other times they are also equally exploiting times of abundant insects as well as vertebrates. The tegu is basically a mobile trash can . If I had to do it over again I believe I would use the Repashy Stew as my primary food source. His products are all I use these days and Ive been very happy with them all.
28 minutes ago · Like


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## laurarfl (Jul 18, 2012)

OK, so I was thinking about more about Savory Stew. I looked at Mazuri again and they just have way too much filler in their foods. And why is there aspen in the insectivore gel? maybe I'm misunderstanding the use of aspen. How is SS as a cost effective diet for multiple adult tegus?


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## james.w (Jul 18, 2012)

$40 for 32 oz. Doesn't seem very cost effective for the SS.


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## frost (Jul 18, 2012)

i think i might have seen this stuff at the taylor MI expo that i go to every once in a while unless im confusing it with something else.what does the food actually look like? i remember seeing something that resembled squished gel cubes.


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## Allen Repashy (Jul 18, 2012)

There is no doubt that the stuff is expensive. I use all high quality ingredients and no fillers only, and on top of that, the gelling agents are uber expensive. We all know Tegus eat a LOT, especially big ones. Wholesale pricing is available to anyone who can reach the $250 minimum, and that cuts the price in half.. so if you are feeding a group of adults, this might be a real option. 

You need to also take note, that if you are comparing this to whole meat, and fresh vegetables, that when you mix this stuff up, it makes a LOT of food. One pound of Savory Stew turns into approx EIGHT POUNDS of finished gel... (meat and veggies are typically 80%-85% water). Meaning it is approximately equivalent to an eight pound raw steak. 

There is of course the convenience of not having to take the time it takes to go source and buy the fifty individual ingredients I use and mix them together LOL. 

Wholesale pricing in four pound bags comes to about $8.00 per pound.... so that is about a Dollar a pound for finished gel. Retail street price would come to approx $1.75 per pound for the finished gel...

That aside, It could make a great once, or twice a week meal as part of a varied diet (a good idea imho). It also would be awesome for those times you have someone taking care of your tegus while you are gone.

Cheers, Allen


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## james.w (Jul 18, 2012)

I was under the impression it was ready to feed, so $40 would give you 32oz of food. If it as you say, that is a pretty good deal for what seems to be a quality product. 

Does it require calcium to be added or is it complete?


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## typherp (Jul 18, 2012)

it seems to me by bashing "prepared food", we are bashing our society as a whole. We live in a society where division of work is at the center of what we do. We crave time and convenience. If i had to build (cars) or grow (vegetables) everything I own or eat, I would need 100 life time. I say this to say "be real." Those of us who give our tegus prepared food care as much about our pets as those of you who think they are better than us because they give them "real food." Do you really think what you feed your tegus are what they eat in nature? Do you really want to give them rotten meat and dirt caked fruits. That what some tegus encounter in the wild and they gladly eat them. Do you really think they have better life in the wild than what we can provide? Obviously the last point can be debated till the end of the world and right answer won't be obvious. I rather rely on other experts such as Allen to make food for my animals. Sure, I can come up with my own diet (mice, fruit, crickets...etc.) but do I really know if I am giving them the optimal diet? Do you really want to feed your dog from what you find in the grocery store other that prepared dog food? How many of us feed our dogs and cats anything other than prepared food? Our tegus pets and are no longer wild animals and hopefully, never be wild again. There are plenty of wild tegus and they will more likely stay that way if the demand for pet tegus can be met by the tegu breeders. It's nice to be idealistic but we live in a real world....so let be real.


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 18, 2012)

typherp said:


> it seems to me by bashing "prepared food", we are bashing our society as a whole. We live in a society where division of work is at the center of what we do. We crave time and convenience. If i had to build (cars) or grow (vegetables) everything I own or eat, I would need 100 life time. I say this to say "be real." Those of us who give our tegus prepared food care as much about our pets as those of you who think they are better than us because they give them "real food." Do you really think what you feed your tegus are what they eat in nature? Do you really want to give them rotten meat and dirt caked fruits. That what some tegus encounter in the wild and they gladly eat them. Do you really think they have better life in the wild than what we can provide? Obviously the last point can be debated till the end of the world and right answer won't be obvious. I rather rely on other experts such as Allen to make food for my animals. Sure, I can come up with my own diet (mice, fruit, crickets...etc.) but do I really know if I am giving them the optimal diet? Do you really want to feed your dog from what you find in the grocery store other that prepared dog food? How many of us feed our dogs and cats anything other than prepared food? Our tegus pets and are no longer wild animals and hopefully, never be wild again. There are plenty of wild tegus and they will more likely stay that way if the demand for pet tegus can be met by the tegu breeders. It's nice to be idealistic but we live in a real world....so let be real.



Convenience is certainly held in high esteem noone is arguing that, but there is a cost.
That shouldnt be denied, whilst we justify our bad habits and diets.
As far as bashing society as a whole... That an interesting opinion you derived.


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## typherp (Jul 18, 2012)

Can you explain to me what the cost of convenience is, as I have produced/will produce (some eggs have not hatched yet) more than 200 tegu babies this year on mostly prepared diet and I haven't seen any negative cost.

So you are equating convenience to bad habit? How do you KNOW that what you feeding your tegu is better than Allen's Diet?


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## frost (Jul 18, 2012)

i wonder if tegus have been around long enough and have been studied long enough for someone to pinpoint a certain diet that is the best or at least a guideline for a good one.haha for all we know they could be best fed on all fruit diet or mostly fruit with a meat filler.this post shouldn't be taken seriously btw.


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 18, 2012)

First of all all I have nothing else to say on the subject of Mr. Repashys diet blend. 
Im inclined to agree I focused to much unwarrented attention on his particular product while trying to make a point regarding the practice as a whole.
Secondly, "can I explain the cost of convenience?"
Yes and no.
I cannot and will not begin to explain this in its entirety, but will give an example:
Some times it convenient to eat Mc Donalds.
Giving into the convenience of this often enough will eventually lead do your death.
And no not equating convenience with bad habit, i mean this in the sense of sacrifices of healthier dietary options. This should be obvious from the posts.im not trying to be agrumentatve with you.
Frankly Im sick of this thread and regret contributing to it.
But dont accuse me of bashing society because I advocate healthy eating.
Thats alittle far fetched dont you think?


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## typherp (Jul 18, 2012)

Good point... We all have our own diet that we follow and if it works and the tegu is healthy, long term, it's a good diet...in my opinion. My diet might not work for everyone and Allen's diet might not work for everyone as well, but attacking everyone who feeds prepared diet without any concrete proof should not go unchallenged.


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## laurarfl (Jul 18, 2012)

I don't see it as bashing society at all. Of course we all want convenience, but as pet owners we also want to be assured that we are feeding quality food to our pets. Earlier in this conversation it was mentioned that no one is duplicating a wild diet in captivity and we are all looking for a good substitute. Dirt packed fruit...all those natural vitamins, unoxidized phytonutrients, minerals and probiotics from the soil? Heck yeah I would feed that to my tegus if I had a natural source of it in my backyard! But since I can't, I do rely on Repashy products, some Mazuri, some others to supplement along the way.

When it comes to choosing, I am particular. No, I am not going to build my own car. But I have a brand of car that I prefer and for very concrete reasons. Then there are brands that I won't buy for very valid reasons. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. 

To demand quality is not idealistic, it is practical. I saw a reptile pet food ingredient list today. Here it is: POULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEAL, GROUND SOYBEAN HULLS, GROUND WHEAT, DRIED BEET PULP, GROUND BROWN RICE, DEHULLED SOYBEAN MEAL, DRIED EGG PRODUCT, GROUND ASPEN. Sure it is convenient, but yuck! Is this better than trying to put together our own diets or a wild diet? This does not instill confidence in me as a reptile owner. Obviously Allen puts more into his ingredients than that list. Would I put together my own dog food from the grocery store over some commercial dog foods? You bet! There is some real crap out there. I wouldn't feed my kids hot dogs all day because they are cheap and microwaveable either.

Thanks for answering about cost effectiveness. A large wholesale order may be the way for me to go.

Laura


On the thought of breeding and diet...some have bred tegus on diets of leftovers, some on ground turkey and liver.

Personally, I think the measure of success in a diet is longevity of a species and absence of chronic disease. Using people as an example...we have reached a point where overly processed foods have caught up to Americans and shortened our life span. We have more osteoporosis (likely from the consumption of phosphoric acid in sodas throwing off our calcium balance), extreme diabetes from simple carbs, high rates of cancer. Some really unhealthy people can reproduce, but not all can live long, productive lives.

I wish you would't feel that your participation in this thread was regrettable, Charlie. I have found it to be thought-provoking. Good discussion does much to further our hobby and tegu husbandry. I'm glad that you brought up the points you did.


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 18, 2012)

typherp said:


> Good point... We all have our own diet that we follow and if it works and the tegu is healthy, long term, it's a good diet...in my opinion. My diet might not work for everyone and Allen's diet might not work for everyone as well, but attacking everyone who feeds prepared diet without any concrete proof should not go unchallenged.




I would like to make it clear a review of my post will show I never attacked anyone, and nor did I say anything that has not been substantiated by the scientific community.
It is not my nature to attack people or spread uncorroborated rumor.
With that being said, I agree that there is not any one and only way to feed a Tegu. I think most diets and practices can be healthy as long as they are varied. Variety is the key. Tegus are very opportunistic feeders this much is clear. This does not mean they can sustain themselves and flourish on anything as some people are want to think. But this does mean that they intrinsically designed to maximize nutritional metabolization from their intake. So again a varied diet is instrumental. I would say there is no right way (though there is certainly a few wrong ways - this much is sure)
Overall I think more care should be taken by owners to provide a more natural (and I mean natural in the sense as that which has been shown by scientific interrogation) diet, and not feed a Tegu like they are a Monitor. Like so many seem to do.
Sorry for those that feel offense to anything Ive said, but I encourage everyone to do a little more investigation into nutrition for themselves and for their scaly friends.
Reptile nutrition is often poorly understood and this is not fair to our captive friends.
If you make the decision to "keep" any animal then you owe that animal the best care you can reasonably provide or you are doing that animal an injustice.
This is something I feel strongly about and I AM sorry if anyone feels my words were too harsh.
But this is an important issue in the hobby and I do implore everyone to devote some more time and research into these matters for the benefit of your animals. (and yourself)



laurarfl said:


> I don't see it as bashing society at all. Of course we all want convenience, but as pet owners we also want to be assured that we are feeding quality food to our pets. Earlier in this conversation it was mentioned that no one is duplicating a wild diet in captivity and we are all looking for a good substitute. Dirt packed fruit...all those natural vitamins, unoxidized phytonutrients, minerals and probiotics from the soil? Heck yeah I would feed that to my tegus if I had a natural source of it in my backyard! But since I can't, I do rely on Repashy products, some Mazuri, some others to supplement along the way.
> 
> When it comes to choosing, I am particular. No, I am not going to build my own car. But I have a brand of car that I prefer and for very concrete reasons. Then there are brands that I won't buy for very valid reasons. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.
> 
> ...





Thank you Laura,
I think you brought some good points (and proofs) to the table as well.


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## Dubya (Jul 20, 2012)

laurarfl said:


> Do you know they have that as a product? lol!
> 
> http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9aa/



Do you think that it's better than Rapasy's Savory Stew? At least we know what it's made from. If he develops a taste for this, will he become cage aggressive and bite my hands? See pic.


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## laurarfl (Jul 20, 2012)

Now, Dubya, you know that you aren't supposed to feed "people food" to pets.  Did you order it from thinkgeek? They have some of the strangest and coolest products!


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## Dubya (Jul 20, 2012)

laurarfl said:


> Now, Dubya, you know that you aren't supposed to feed "people food" to pets.  Did you order it from thinkgeek? They have some of the strangest and coolest products!



Well...yes. But when the tegu grows up, will the dog be mad when I give the occasional hot dog end to the tegu? Sorry, you are right, no human food. (except from the legendary "Forest Pork Store").


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