Question about feeding my new tegu.

[Sophi]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post here and I'm a brand new tegu owner. I have experience with many reptiles and snakes and have been doing a lot of research before getting my tegu.

This may sound like a silly question but bear with me. I know what Tegus can eat, and mine has been fed cat food by the person I got her from. So far I've gotten her to eat various incescts and some fish. But when it comes to offering her meat should it be raw or cooked?

I'm a vegan and havn't prepared any sort of meat in the last 20 years. I have no idea HOW to do it. I hear people saying they feed turkey and chicken but no one ever specifes how the foods is prepared. My same question applies to eggs as well. What's better? Raw or cooked?

Should I keep feeding her high quality cat food?

She really likes insects. Crickets, roaches, horn worms and super worms and she loves berries.

Some people have recommended I feed her mice and rats but then others have told me not too many rodents because too much h fur is hard on thier digestion.

She's a young tegu

 

[Walter1]

Is it an Argentine black and white?

 

[Jessicak]

assuming it is and argentine B&W, I believe the meat sure be raw. I read somewhere that they have a hard time digesting cooked meats, because in the wild the meat would all be raw animals. I have also heard about them having a hard time with the fur, but mine doesnt eat rodents very often anyways. I believe that goes for most species though. correct me if im wrong

 

[Walter1]

If Argie, raw, except for eggs. Can be either. crush shells for calcium.

 

[Jessicak]

Yep. Mine has only eaten raw eggs so far. she doesnt have a very broad palette so far

 

[Sophi]

Yes she is a black and white argentine tegu. She's less than a year old, I'd guess her at about 5-6 months.

So far all she wants to eat is cat food (I'm guessing because this is what she was fed before I got her) and insects. Horn and super worms especially.

 

[Walter1]

You might try adding a small piece of something different to the cat food, like a thawed hopper mouse. See how it goes. Does sound like she had a restricted type of diet before she made it to you.

 

[Sophi]

You might try adding a small piece of something different to the cat food, like a thawed hopper mouse. See how it goes. Does sound like she had a restricted type of diet before she made it to you.

I think she did. I don't know if she was properly cared for. The person I got her from warned me she was very aggressive but she's been doing fine. She's scared a lot. Very skiddish. She's a little cage defensive but we are working on it. She's already starting to calm down and will let me put my hand in the tank and pet her if I'm slow. Once she's out of her enclosure though she is very friendly. I don't think they knew how to handle her.

I'm hoping the picky diet can be broken. Shes still really young so I have hope. But I have a rescue bearded dragon who exclusively eats superworms and refuses everything else.

 

[Sophi]

Is the cat food something that is bad for them?

I'm weary of it because I know the meat that makes it into pet food is usually the lowest quality meat that isn't fit for human consumption.

I'm also curious if she can eat things like canned sardines?(if there is nothing added.)

 

[Walter1]

Try Ceasar or Rachel Ray's wet dog food. 2/3 of mine love it.

 

[Sophi]

Well I seem to be having a different problem now. Chia doesn't want to eat anything except for superworms and horn worms.

The first few days I had her she was eating a mix of the cat food with some fruits and vegetables. She ate a few berries and salmon. Yesterday I tried feeding her and she wouldn't eat anything except the super worms. Today I tried again with a mixture of ground turkey, blueberries and banana but she sniffed it and walked away. Once I offered her superworms though she ate them aggressively and quickly.

I'm going to try crickets tonight (she is asleep now) and maybe roaches but is this normal? I hear about how Tegus are various feeders and like meat and fruit but mine seems to prefer bugs and sleeping, haha.

Also how much is normal for her to be eating? She's small. She can fit in my hand without her tail, maybe she's 11-12 inches long tail included but she only will eat about 10-15 bugs. If she doesn't want to eat she will just close her eyes and walk away.

 

[Sophi]

She seems to be going to the bathroom just fine. Her basking temps are around 95-100 and her cool sideis about 80. Ive been misting her enclosure once a day and her humidity is around 70.

 

[Jessicak]

My lady might eat like 3 bugs and half an egg. I'm still waiting for her to start eating like crazy

 

[Sophi]

My lady might eat like 3 bugs and half an egg. I'm still waiting for her to start eating like crazy

Thanks, this makes me feel a little better. I will be picking up a few eggs tomorrow and see if she likes those.

 

[Walter1]

Raw egg is hard for them to resist. If healthy, may just be slow for winter.

 

[Sophi]

Raw egg is hard for them to resist. If healthy, may just be slow for winter.

She seems healthy. She's alert and has clear eyes and is very active. When I'm home I open the door to her enclosure and let her explore my room. She's already pretty comfortable around me.

I'll be making her a veterinary appointment in a few weeks just to get a fecal sample done and have her checked out.

She is going to the bathroom regularly and she doesn't seem to have any diarrhea or dehydration or anything like that.