fresh sardines as tegu food

[Dubya]

I have read that sardines are a very nutritious fish for humans, anyway. At the local supermarket, whole frozen sardines are $2 for a 28oz bag. Would this be ok for my tegu? I read that sardines are close in nutrition to salmon.

 

[Little Wise Owl]

Yes. Sardines are a very good choice of food. Low in mercury, high in Omega 3s. Canned sardines in water (no salt) are also a good choice.

 

[Dubya]

Yes. Sardines are a very good choice of food. Low in mercury, high in Omega 3s. Canned sardines in water (no salt) are also a good choice.

Thank you, $2 for 28oz for a good food sounds like a good buy. I bought them and put them in my tegu freezer already. The freezer is not for freezing tegus, just his food.

 

[Deac77]

Yes. Sardines are a very good choice of food. Low in mercury, high in Omega 3s. Canned sardines in water (no salt) are also a good choice.

Thank you, $2 for 28oz for a good food sounds like a good buy. I bought them and put them in my tegu freezer already. The freezer is not for freezing tegus, just his food.

What if he gets hot??? You gotta have a tegu freezer on standby!!

 

[Dubya]

Yes. Sardines are a very good choice of food. Low in mercury, high in Omega 3s. Canned sardines in water (no salt) are also a good choice.

Thank you, $2 for 28oz for a good food sounds like a good buy. I bought them and put them in my tegu freezer already. The freezer is not for freezing tegus, just his food.

What if he gets hot??? You gotta have a tegu freezer on standby!!

It is too small. Only 2.1cuft. He will have to live in my regular refrigerator during July and August.

 

[elmo]

this is awesome info, im going to buy some sardines and a tegu freezer, what size do i need for a full grown tegu? lmao!!!! jk

 

[Roadkill]

Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.

 

[Dubya]

Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.

The same store has them fresh, too. Also very cheap.

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this is awesome info, im going to buy some sardines and a tegu freezer, what size do i need for a full grown tegu? lmao!!!! jk

Inside, it has to be as long as the full length of the tegu. If you keep your tegu frozen all week and only defrost him on the weekends, he can live upwards of 100 years. However, he will grow much more slowly. It is safe to freeze him while you go on an extended vacation as long as he is wrapped to prevent freezer burn. On your return, place him in a bathtub with cool water and epsom salts and gradually add warm water till a temp of 105deg is reached.

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Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.

I said fresh because most people think of sardines as canned.

 

[Little Wise Owl]

Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.

Unless he's using them daily with little or no other food, I highly doubt you'll ever see a thiamine deficiency. Offered with a varied diet, he should have no issues.

 

[Dubya]

Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.

Unless he's using them daily with little or no other food, I highly doubt you'll ever see a thiamine deficiency. Offered with a varied diet, he should have no issues.

They are just one of many things. I try to mix it up as much as possible. His usual mix is 70% coctail franks, 20% Hillshire Farms Lil Smokies, and 10% sauerkraut.

 

[BatGirl1]

Don't forget the lunchmeat and ahso sauce... ;p

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[Dubya]

Don't forget the lunchmeat and ahso sauce... ;p

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Turkey Spam is better than regular. Also, he will not eat his potstickers without ahso sauce. I have to add caraway seeds to his sauerkraut to reduce bloating.

 

[apocalypse910]

Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.

Unless he's using them daily with little or no other food, I highly doubt you'll ever see a thiamine deficiency. Offered with a varied diet, he should have no issues.

They are just one of many things. I try to mix it up as much as possible. His usual mix is 70% coctail franks, 20% Hillshire Farms Lil Smokies, and 10% sauerkraut.

That doesn't sound very balanced. You should try adding pop-rocks back into his diet as well. Just be sure to introduce them gradually.

 

[BatGirl1]

Don't forget the soda...the pop rocks don't offer the same nutritional balance without it. ( nor the fun fizzy experience on that long tegu tongue! )

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[chitodadon]

Give him alka seltzer with the soda hehehehe

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[Dubya]

I know this guy who had a friend that gave his nile monitor Pop Rocks and Whip-its and the monitor went nuts and bit him and then floated out the window, so I heard.

 

[TeguBlake]

If your looking to faten up his tail, take him to the all you can eat pan cakes at I hop, but sometimes mine is picky and will only eat an rat omelet.

 

[chitodadon]

Lol

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[BatGirl1]

What is wrong with us...? By the way I only believe the floating out the window part...the rest is obviously hogwash.

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[TeguBlake]

What is wrong with us...? By the way I only believe the floating out the window part...the rest is obviously hogwash.

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Haha idk it's just fun