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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.

<blockquote data-quote="laurarfl" data-source="post: 116534" data-attributes="member: 401">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.&nbsp; 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?&nbsp; 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<hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3" />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.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="laurarfl, post: 116534, member: 401"] 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 [hr] 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.[/hr] [/QUOTE]

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