Tegus and Skinks, Raw and Cooked Foods

[Greg Feldman]

Hey all,

Long-time reader, first-time poster. I've had a red tegu for about two years now, and we just got a juvenile blue-tongued skink. (We also have just about every other reptile and amphibian you can imagine.)

So here's my conundrum, having read almost everything on the care and feeding of tegus and skinks: It seems to be common knowledge that (red) tegus and (blue-tongued) skinks are omnivores. It's also common knowledge that their diet should be roughly 50% vegetables/greens/fruits and 50% proteins. (This should be heavier on proteins for the first year.)

Somehow it's also common knowledge that tegus should eat raw whole prey (ground-up whole turkey, chicken, beef, rabbit, quail), and skinks should eat canned (cooked) whole prey (high-quality dog food made of whole-prey turkey, chicken, beef, rabbit, quail). And it's confusingly also common knowledge that one should not feed raw meats to skinks (even though nobody cooks for them in the wild) and one should not not feed cooked/canned meats to tegus.

So.

The idea that one shouldn't feed raw meat to skinks, while it's the best option for tegus--what's up with that?

The idea that one shouldn't feed high-end dog food to tegus, while it's the best option for skinks--what's up with that?

I suspect the former comes from a concern about bacteria and parasites, but I don't know why that concern hasn't propagated to the tegu world. And I suspect it's not a real concern for skinks when feeding high-end raw whole-prey food.

I suspect the latter comes from a concern about cheap garbage dog food, but I don't know why that concern hasn't propagated to the skink world. And I suspect it's not a real concern for tegus when feeding high-end canned whole-prey food.

What I'd like to do is feed both of my omnivores the same healthy base diet: a mix of whole-prey meats, maybe freeze-dried bugs, dark greens, veggies, some fruits, and vitamins. I feel like it would be silly to make two separate versions of this base diet--one with canned meat and one with raw meat--without any evidence that there's a reason to do that.

What do you think?

 

[Zyn]

Skinks I don’t believe need as much variety I’ve seen a large portion of the Northerns raised on purely wet dog food and lived long happy lives. A lot of northern breeders feed high quality dog food as a staple. I never read anywhere that says you should cook any meat for any reptile skink or Tegus. Canned dog food like Stella and chewy or Zignature are both raw based dog foods. They cost between 3 and 6 dollars a can. We have 5 dogs all eating a mix of Stella and chewy kibble and canned wet food. Thank god my wife is the Ohio area manager for her company or there would be no one way we could afford this volume of high end dog food. Currently the Tegu eats this food rarely, but I could see feeding it to the skink more often as my blue(tegu) eats about 50% of his meals as whole prey items. Rats, frogs, crayfish, fish, chicks, and so on.

They also don’t need UVB or a basking spot, doing great with belly heat or ambient. They don’t have the same UVB, calcium, or vitamin needs as tegus. I’ve Seen a lot of northerns do very well in large tubs similar to how a lot of breeders keep ball pythons. They enjoy the dark enclosed safe place that the bin or large tub offers. Planning to get my wife a pair of northern blue tongues for her birthday.

Also when we say whole prey, we don’t mean ground up turkey with bone. We’re taking thawed whole rodents, chicks, frogs, crayfish, fish ect

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

Hey all,

Long-time reader, first-time poster. I've had a red tegu for about two years now, and we just got a juvenile blue-tongued skink. (We also have just about every other reptile and amphibian you can imagine.)

So here's my conundrum, having read almost everything on the care and feeding of tegus and skinks: It seems to be common knowledge that (red) tegus and (blue-tongued) skinks are omnivores. It's also common knowledge that their diet should be roughly 50% vegetables/greens/fruits and 50% proteins. (This should be heavier on proteins for the first year.)

Somehow it's also common knowledge that tegus should eat raw whole prey (ground-up whole turkey, chicken, beef, rabbit, quail), and skinks should eat canned (cooked) whole prey (high-quality dog food made of whole-prey turkey, chicken, beef, rabbit, quail). And it's confusingly also common knowledge that one should not feed raw meats to skinks (even though nobody cooks for them in the wild) and one should not not feed cooked/canned meats to tegus.

So.

The idea that one shouldn't feed raw meat to skinks, while it's the best option for tegus--what's up with that?

The idea that one shouldn't feed high-end dog food to tegus, while it's the best option for skinks--what's up with that?

I suspect the former comes from a concern about bacteria and parasites, but I don't know why that concern hasn't propagated to the tegu world. And I suspect it's not a real concern for skinks when feeding high-end raw whole-prey food.

I suspect the latter comes from a concern about cheap garbage dog food, but I don't know why that concern hasn't propagated to the skink world. And I suspect it's not a real concern for tegus when feeding high-end canned whole-prey food.

What I'd like to do is feed both of my omnivores the same healthy base diet: a mix of whole-prey meats, maybe freeze-dried bugs, dark greens, veggies, some fruits, and vitamins. I feel like it would be silly to make two separate versions of this base diet--one with canned meat and one with raw meat--without any evidence that there's a reason to do that.

What do you think?

I personally feed raw meat to my BTS, along with liver, brains, and a whole bunch of other stuff about 2-3x a week for added variety. I'd say its a great way to add some more variety and protein into their diet, my BTS loves it. Although she loves insects a bit more. I dont see any problem with giving them raw meat, after all I'm sure in the wild they would feed on carrion left over by larger predators.

I dont even feed dog food to my BTS, its a waste of money. Way too many fillers and preservatives in my opinion, much rather have a more natural diet than one thats just for convenience. Although I will say that when I first got my BTS I did give her some cat and dog food to help get her weight up as she was very skinny and not in the best shape, so I suppose if your BTS is underweight and needs fattening up it could be used for that, but for the entire diet? No thanks.

Skinks I don’t believe need as much variety I’ve seen a large portion of the Northerns raised on purely wet dog food and lived long happy lives. A lot of northern breeders feed high quality dog food as a staple. I never read anywhere that says you should cook any meat for any reptile skink or Tegus. Canned dog food like Stella and chewy or Zignature are both raw based dog foods. They cost between 3 and 6 dollars a can. We have 5 dogs all eating a mix of Stella and chewy kibble and canned wet food. Thank god my wife is the Ohio area manager for her company or there would be no one way we could afford this volume of high end dog food. Currently the Tegu eats this food rarely, but I could see feeding it to the skink more often as my blue(tegu) eats about 50% of his meals as whole prey items. Rats, frogs, crayfish, fish, chicks, and so on.

They also don’t need UVB or a basking spot, doing great with belly heat or ambient. They don’t have the same UVB, calcium, or vitamin needs as tegus. I’ve Seen a lot of northerns do very well in large tubs similar to how a lot of breeders keep ball pythons. They enjoy the dark enclosed safe place that the bin or large tub offers. Planning to get my wife a pair of northern blue tongues for her birthday.

Also when we say whole prey, we don’t mean ground up turkey with bone. We’re taking thawed whole rodents, chicks, frogs, crayfish, fish ect

Its actually recommended to give them both UVB and a basking bulb. Just thought i'd point that out...
I know for a fact my BTS would choose a basking bulb over a heat mat any day. When I offer one she barely uses it, but I suppose if a heat mat was her only way of getting heat then to survive she would have to or she wouldn't be able to digest her food properly.

 

[Zyn]

Rereading some of the research on BTSs it seems there are conflicting opinions. Some use UVB some don’t while supplementing with dietary D3/calc. Some don’t use any basking spots some do with a UVA source instead of UVB and do just fine.


I know a lot of people use high quality dog food because it already comes with the D3/calc added. But I’m no expect on BTS.

 

[Teguixin.22]

Please don't feed your lizards dog and cat food.

 

[Walter1]

Please don't feed your lizards dog and cat food.

Hi Teguixin.22,

My 2.2 Argies get good quality wet dog food irregularly, maybe once every other month or so. I view it as variety. Mostly f/t med. mice followed by say 1/2 that organ meat dusted.

Do you feel that most/all the time dog/cat food is not good or mybe reliance on them is not good?

 

[Teguixin.22]

Most veterinary medicine and husbandry books advise against it, and i tend to agree with them. I think an over reliance on them leads to obesity too

 

[Zyn]

My blue rarely gets it if ever. He gets whole rodents more often than anything else. But a lot of skinks are fed it as a staple. These books may be outdated believe it or not wet dog food as come a long way in a short time. Again I’m talking zignature, Stella and chewy, not imes or alpo.

 

[Teguixin.22]

My blue rarely gets it if ever. He gets whole rodents more often than anything else. But a lot of skinks are fed it as a staple. These books may be outdated believe it or not wet dog food as come a long way in a short time. Again I’m talking zignature, Stella and chewy, not imes or alpo.

Hardly. Dog and cat foods are high in proteins and fats which when fed as a staple will lead to renal disease an/or failure, and other ailments. Mind you, this book talks about feeding high quality dog and cat foods only, and does state you can feed it, i just wouldn't.

 

[Zyn]

It genealizing, where both Tegus and skinks both live on high protein whole prey item diets. The same argument can be made against repti links and similar products. But as stated above I’d never feed them high quality wet dog food only.
Lol that’d cost more than the normal diet.

 

[Teguixin.22]

It genealizing, where both Tegus and skinks both live on high protein whole prey item diets. The same argument can be made against repti links and similar products. But as stated above I’d never feed them high quality wet dog food only.
Lol that’d cost more than the normal diet.

No generalizations were made and no they don't. Adult tegus in the wild have more fruit and plant oriented diets in the wild as adults, the same can be said for blue tongues to some degree.

 

[dpjm]

Dog food is way too high in protein and fat and way too low in fibre.

Merck Veterinary Manuals: Omnivorous lizard recommendations
20-25% protein
3-6% fat
20-35% fibre

Zignature Turkey Formula (Wet)
52% protein
23% fat
5% fibre

See how these numbers don't match up at all.

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

Dog food is way too high in protein and fat and way too low in fibre.

Merck Veterinary Manuals: Omnivorous lizard recommendations
20-25% protein
3-6% fat
20-35% fibre

Zignature Turkey Formula (Wet)
52% protein
23% fat
5% fibre

See how these numbers don't match up at all.

Along with that its probably a good thing to note that cats and dogs (which those types of foods are designed for) are obligate carnivores and facultative carnivores meanwhile tegus are omnivores.

Obligate carnivores must have meat in their diet and really cannot survive on anything else. Facultative carnivores thrive with a diet that mainly consists of meat with some veggies/fruits. And then omnivores can sort of thrive on either or, but do need to have some meat or veggies/fruits in their diet and the percentage of that varies depending on species.

 

[Merlot]

One of my customers who inspired me into getting my Tegu, pretty much exclusively feeds her 2 Red and Blue tegus “Instinct” brand of premo wet dog food. Good stuff. And these are the happiest and healthiest looking tegus I’ve seen. Beautiful coloration, patterns and shine to there heads. Very well tamed. I’ve been giving my tegu Reptilinks with like 5 different ground whole prey animals, blueberries, greens and quail eggs mixed in. She loooooves when she sees them things

 

[Member1421]

Where are the missing percentages there?