# Bad for tegus?



## jdpFL (Aug 14, 2011)

Hey....anyone know of any foods that are dangerous or harmful to tegus? Seems like they'll eat about anything....although Severus definitely turns his nose up at some foods and also has obvious favorites. Please share if you know of any foods that are bad for them, and the source of your info....whether personal experience, heard it from your third cousins stepbrothers wife who once knew someone who had a friend with a tegu, (lol), or if you read it somewhere, etc. Just curious...thanks!


----------



## Neeko (Aug 14, 2011)

This will have to be researched but some seeds are poisonious so the fruit isn't offered, aVacado comes to mind. Anything high in phosphrous can bind with calcium and expel through waste. Phoaporus binds with calcium and is excreted. You can Google this and it should come up roughly correct. This all I can think of at the time. Some due is high in mercury not sure if thats dangerous of not.


----------



## jtpowers (Aug 14, 2011)

I think what you are asking is whether there is any food which is actually dangerous for them, in the sense of being toxic...as opposed to not ideal in the sense of being poor nutrition or causing long term metabolic issues. (Like avocado or chocolate being dangerous for psittacines, while a high fat seed diet is just bad long term). So, in the interest of learning somthing myself, here's what I have read you should consider potentially harmful even in the short term: freshwater feeder fish can be loaded with parasites and chemicals, and have high thiaminase which interferes with vitamin B metabolism; snails are notorious intermediate hoasts for lots of parasites; any fruits that are overripe potentially could have aflatoxin molds or other spores that could be harmful, so you'd have to rinse well and inspect. Feeding your tegu in his cage can encourage accidental ingestion of substrate, leading to impaction, so a separate feeding area is helpful (and reduces food and cage aggression besides.) Adding supplemental D3 should be done in moderation to reduce the risk of overload on this fat soluble (read: not easily eliminated) nutrient. Some veggies have high oxalate content (same things that cause kidneystones in people, with similar effects in tegus) and so should be fed only in moderation (tomatoes come to mind, and I've read that SOME leafy greens (swiss chard comes to mind) have very high oxalate levels and should be avoided entirely.

The only other thing that comes to mind as dangerous (though not due to toxicity) is live rodent prey. Just as with snakes, they could harm your tegu physically .

So...I'm interested in your question, with any detail others might be able to provide.


----------



## Rhetoric (Aug 14, 2011)

http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=6452#axzz1SQPEnO9C
Some of the posts throughout the thread have some info on foods that should be more occasional. All the stuff below was copied from that thread.

Bananas- in moderation, peels can be fed if grown organic 
Apples- in moderation 
Tomatoes- high in oxalates** 
Strawberries- high in oxalates** and goitrogens* so in moderation 
Peaches- high in goitrogens**
Pears- high in oxalates*
Broccoli in moderation, high in oxalates** 
Beets and Beet greens in moderation, high in oxalates** 
Carrots and tops in moderation, high in oxalates** 
Bok choy - in moderation, high in goitrogens* 
Brussels sprouts- high in goitrogens*
Cabbage- in moderation, high in goitrogens* 
Cauliflower- in moderation, high in goitrogens* 
Coriander- in moderation, high in oxalates** 
Sweet potato- feed rarely
*Corn- feed rarely or never, low in Ca and high in Phosphorus 
Spinach- feed rarely or never, high in oxalates and goitrogens 
Swiss chard- feed rarely or never, high in oxalates** *


*Goitrogens are naturally-occurring substances that can interfere with function of the thyroid gland. Goitrogens get their name from the term "goiter," which means an enlargement of the thyroid gland. If the thyroid gland is having difficulty making thyroid hormone, it may enlarge as a way of trying to compensate for this inadequate hormone production. "Goitrogens," like circumstances that cause goiter, cause difficulty for the thyroid in making its hormone. 

**Oxalates are naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals, and in humans. In chemical terms, oxalates belong to a group of molecules called organic acids, and are routinely made by plants, animals, and humans. Our bodies always contain oxalates, and our cells routinely convert other substances into oxalates. For example, vitamin C is one of the substances that our cells routinely convert into oxalates. In addition to the oxalates that are made inside of our body, oxalates can arrive at our body from the outside, from certain foods that contain them.

While lettuce, cucumber and celery are very low in nutrition.


----------

