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This is so horrible--made me really angry

DZLife

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Also, I never saw the video; I'm purely responding upon the conduct of those posting.
 

TeguKid80

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Whole prey
Captive raised insects
Crickets
Roaches
Mealworms
Super worms
Wax worms
Silk worms
Horn worms
Earth worms
Snails
Crayfish
Pinkie mice
Quail hatchlings
Baby chickens
Mice
Rats
Hamster
Gerbil
Feeder frogs/toads/lizards

Meat
Soft-boiled or scrambled eggs
Raw meats: turkey, lamb, venison, fowl, beef
Fresh fish filets
Organ meats: liver, hearts, gizzards
Sea food: Crab, Scallops, Shrimp

Fruits
Tropical fruits: Mango, Papaya
Melons: cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, watermelon
Bananas- in moderation, peels can be fed if grown organic
Apples- in moderation
Cherries
Grapes- Thompson seedless; green and red
Concord grapes higher in oxalates
Tomatoes- high in oxalates**
Berries:
Strawberries- high in oxalates** and goitrogens* so in moderation
blueberries, raspberries, & blackberries
Figs -fresh or dried
Dates
Kiwi
Peaches- high in goitrogens*
Pears- high in oxalates**
Pumpkin

Veggies
Acorn squash, butternut squash
Kabocha squash
Parsnip
Alfalfa
Okra
Green beans
Green peas, snap peas
Leeks
Prickly pear cactus

Dark leafy greens like:
Chicory greens (Escarole)
Collard greens
Dandelion greens
Endive
Mustard greens
Turnip greens

Spaghetti squash
Bell peppers
Rapini
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Radish
Yucca root- cassava- tough, should be shredded
Asparagus
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*
Parsley- good source of calcium
Cabbage- in moderation, high in goitrogens*
Cauliflower- in moderation, high in goitrogens*
Coriander- in moderation, high in oxalates**
Rutabaga
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**
Lettuces -low in nutrition
Celery- low in nutrition
Cucumber- low in nutrition
Flowering plants like- Nasturtiums, Dahlia or hibiscus, just be careful of pesticides and herbicides
Lentils-cooked
Cooked pasta or rice
Whole wheat bread


Lets make this thread never ending. Got a suggestion? Add it. Don't agree with an item listed above? Tell us.

Quote:
*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.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47</a><!-- m -->


Quote:
**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.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=48" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=48</a><!-- m -->


Top Healthiest Fish
Click on chart to view better

I stand corrected on the vegetable issue, I guess they do eat vegetables. By the way all credit for this list goes to Puffdragon, he created it, not me.
 

repcoop18

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i have all i have heard to not use d3 from the varn yard guy because of what itis made out of like clams or something
 

TeguKid80

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Written By Varnyard

Care sheet for the Tegu. Note some species will differ some on requirements.
This care sheet will be for four of the common species available in the pet trade.

Hatchling tegus will all take the same food up until about one year in age. Of these the Tupinambis merianae, Common name (Argentine Black and White), (Giant Tegu) And the Tupinambis rufescens, Common name (Argentine red Tegu), (Red tegu) will change feeding habits. The Blue Tegu is also a form of the Tupinambis merianae, but the Tupinambis teguixin, Common name (Colombian Black and White), or (Gold Tegu) Will stay on a carnivorous diet throughout their life.

Food:
All Tegus are carnivores as hatchlings, which means they only eat meat. I do allow baby tegus to eat as much as they want to, except rodents. I feed them one once or twice a week, and also make sure they are the size that can swallow without too much trouble. Crickets dusted with vitamins dust, Captive raised roaches, Mealworms, Super mealworms, ground turkey dusted with vitamin dust, Pinkie mice and cooked egg (Not raw) scrambled or hard-boiled. The only reptile supplement I have any faith in is Zoo-Med Repti Calcium without D3. Most other products are made from crushed oyster shells, and are not able to be absorbed. Therefore, being a poor product for a good healthy tegu.
As for my adults, I feed them everyday, as in the babies, the get one whole rodent, chick or duckling once or twice a week. However, my tegus do hibernate up to 7 months out of the year. If you have a tegu that does not hibernate, you can cut back on feeding him as much, or as frequent. Judged by the animal keeping good body weight, and a fat round tail base. If he starts to look like he might be loosing body mass, you can always add more to the diet.
Please remember to remove any food that is not eaten right after your tegu has eaten his/her fill. Insects are well known for stressing reptiles. This also will help keep their cage cleaner.
Adult tegus, for the Argentine Black and White and the Argentine red Tegu, the Blue Tegu and as well as the Extreme Giant tegus, they will take ground turkey; cooked egg (Not raw) scrambled or hard-boiled, rodents, fresh fish (Not from a pet shop, due to the chemicals used in these tanks), baby chickens, grapes, tomatoes, strawberries, melons, and just about any other soft fruits. Bananas can be given as well, but not as a staple diet, only in moderation. This is due to the high content of potassium (Known for not binding with calcium). Not more than once every couple of weeks. They also tend to have very high phosphorous levels. Some of my Argentine tegus will not eat fruit. They are just as healthy as any tegus that have fruit in the diet; they also have no shedding problems at all. The more I look into this, the more I see feeding fruit as being a waste of time and money. There are many things out there to feed your tegu that is much better than fruit. The Colombian Black and White, or (Gold Tegu) will take all of the above, except fruit. Also I suggest feeding only killed rodents. Live rodents can bite your animal. Dead do not; it is just not worth the chance. My choice of vitamin dust is Zoo-Med Repti Calcium without D3; it is made with calcium carbonate and not crushed oyster shell.

A side note on feeding: Tegus can get cage aggressive. They can get to where they will associate their keeper with food. There are a couple of ways to keep this from happening. The first is to feed your tegu in a separate cage or area than his home. Have the food there when you put him with it.
Another way, would be to feed him at night or when he is in his hide. Then he will not see you with food. The first suggestion is the best for a few reasons. One you handle him every day, which helps with the taming process. Another reason would be to remove all chances of him ingesting substrate. And last, but not least, the food would be fresher than feeding at night.

In my opinion, feeding fruit for skin problems has no solid ground to back the claims of some keepers. There is nothing in most fruits to promote good sheds but moisture, all though some fruits do contain some vitamins that are good for skin. There are other sources of these vitamins in much higher concentrations, these are found in meats. Feeding fruit seems to be nothing more than a wasted meal, and is not needed to have and keep a healthy tegu. There are other things that do contain the right vitamins, such as beef liver and cod liver oil. These need to be fed in conjunction with each other. Another words feed both of them once a week as a meal.

The way I mix my beef liver into the ground turkey:

I use one part of beef liver to three parts ground turkey, just mince the liver, or you can use a food processor. You can mix it together and then portion pack them into meal size zip-lock bags, freeze them and then thaw them as needed to feed. As in the little stamp zip-locks for hatchlings, up to sandwich bags for adults. You can make up a bunch of them and freeze them. Also this is fed raw, I do not cook anything for tegus but eggs.
Raw beef liver contains:
Vitamin A iu (ug * 5) 35346.000 10020.591 39940.98 706.9%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) mg 0.260 0.07371 0.2938 17.3%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) mg 2.780 0.78813 3.1414 163.5%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) mg 12.780 3.62313 14.4414 63.9%
Vitamin B5 (Pantotheic Acid) mg 7.620 2.16027 8.6106 76.2%
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) mg 0.940 0.26649 1.0622 47%
Vitamin C mg 22.000 6.237 24.86 36.6%
Vitamin E mg 0.670 0.189945 0.7571 4.4%
Water g 68.990 19.558665 77.9587 0
Zinc mg 3.920 1.11132 4.4296 26.1%

The way I mix my cod liver oil into the ground turkey:

I use one tablespoon of cod liver oil to one pound of ground turkey. You can mix it together and then portion pack them into meal size zip-lock bags, freeze them and then thaw them as needed to feed. As in the little stamp zip-locks for hatchlings, up to sandwich bags for adults.

Cod liver oil contains more vitamin A and more vitamin D per unit weight than any other common food. One hundred grams of regular cod liver oil provides 100,000 IU of vitamin A, almost three times more than beef liver, the next richest source; and 10,000 IU vitamin D, almost four times more than lard, the next richest source. Of course, cod liver oil is only consumed used in small amounts, but even a tablespoon (about 15 grams) provides well over the recommended daily allowance for both nutrients in humans. Cod liver oil is a natural source of vitamin D3.

In addition, cod liver oil contains 7 percent each of the elongated omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. EPA is the precursor of important prostaglandin, localized tissue hormones that help the body deal with inflammation; and DHA is extremely important for the development and function of the brain and nervous system. So it's no surprise that in numerous studies cod liver oil has proven to be a powerhouse in fighting disease.

They both must be fed in conjunction with each other, the Cod liver oil is needed to metabolite the vitamin A in the beef liver.

This diet is the best way to promote good sheds in tegus, if you have a tegu with shedding issues, or even impactions, the combination above will be the best solution.

Water:
Tegus require fresh water on a daily basis. It also would be recommended that their water dishes/bowls be big enough to soak in.

Housing:
Hatchlings will do great in a 20 long tank, but they will outgrow these fast. As an adult they require a much larger enclosure. I house mine outside in a 8 ft x 8 ft enclosure. Inside I use a 400 gallon showcase. If building your own cage, remember that these lizards are terrestrial (ground dwelling), So height would not be a necessity. I recommend at least a 6 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high.

Humidity:
Tegus require high humidity level 60%-70% for proper shedding as well as proper health. Misting on a daily basis is required. If you have another way to raise the humidity, that is fine. Remember not to have the substrate tacky.

Substrate:
I recommend using cypress mulch, orchid bark, Lizard litter, Repti-bark or eucalyptus mulch. These should not be dusty dry or wet. You can mist them a little to keep the dust down, this will also raise the humidity. Make sure it is not tacky, as to stick to their feet. Also your tegu needs to be fed where he will not ingest these substrates. You do not want him to have a intestinal blockage.

Lighting:
Ultraviolet light with a full-spectrum of light is a must!! Lights that emit UVB is a required item for this species of reptile. Ultraviolet lighting is important in the production of vitamin D3, which is necessary for calcium metabolism. There are some people that claim added vitamins of D3 would be a good substitute, however I do not. I do use a suppliment dust. But I do not depend on it for a substitute for UV lighting. The basking spot should be a max temp of 110*F, and the cool side is fine if it is in the 70s. I do not recommend heat of any kind on the cool side of the enclosure.

Understanding UVB lighting
UVB is very necessary in which vitamin D3 is produced in the skin of animals, and humans for that matter, and this is what also causes sunburns in humans. The vitamin D3 that is produced is responsible for regulating calcium metabolism. Vitamin D3 is obtained through UVB exposure, this is by natural sunlight or lighting that emits UVB light. I have no doubt that reptile species are unable to utilize dietary vitamin D3 through the stomach; they must have access to UVB. A lack of UVB and vitamin D3 can ultimately result in metabolic bone disease in reptiles, or what is known as rickets in humans.



_________________
Bobby Hill, Owner, <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.TeguTalk.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.TeguTalk.com</a><!-- w -->
and <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.Varnyard-Herps-Inc.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.Varnyard-Herps-Inc.com</a><!-- w -->

Here is your tegu care sheet, made by Bobby Hill, again this is his writing not mine I do not take any credit for it. Please read this.
 

DZLife

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Actually, I NEVER EVER use D3 Supplements.
It's MUCH healthier for them to obtain their D3 through more natural means.
In the wild, they don't rely upon vitamin supplementation for their D3; they get it through basking in the sun.

I believe I remember Bobby (Varnyard) has said before that he feels the same way.
 

TeguKid80

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I hope this care sheet cleared the issue up for you, as well as the list of food items. If you cannot learn from this I honestly cannot help you. I will also mention if you had searched the forums all of this was easily reachable in less than one minute. I really am willing to help you Rep Coop, and Tanman I understand your frustration 100% but helping him would definitely be the optimum choice given the situation. DZLife, thank you for settling this down a bit.
 

repcoop18

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i still dont see what im doing wronge with all my other animals and i really do know what im doing with the tegu
 

reptastic

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repcoop18 man i understand that you may feel like a lot of people on hear are just yelling at you but some of what they are saying is true especialy care wise reptiles are not like dogs and cats they require a more extensive husbandry trust me i used to be like you thinking i was providing enough care for my animals that is why i am so grateful for people like the ones on this site trust me my nero would have probably perished by now had i not had these people here to help me along the way and for you to blame tanman for the death of zander is rediculous he really loved his tegu just as all the rest of do they myself included only want to see your tegu be happy and healthy and im not 100% sure as to what your diet is but you also have things llike basking temps, humidity, substrate these are some of the key things you need to keep a heathy gu so man please sop arguing and just take some time and browse though the site ask some questions you and your tegu will be happy you did by the way welcome to the forum
 

TanMan57

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repcoop18 said:
i still dont see what im doing wronge with all my other animals and i really do know what im doing with the tegu
Ive seen people keep leos in enclosures like that and i have not owned a leo for about 12 years so im not an expert on them. The bearded dragon needs at least a 4x2x2 enclosure probably would explain his stress and he looks a little thin.


Hope this helped not trying to be mean in any way
 

reptastic

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another thing i wanted to add im not sure how old you are or how long you have been keeping reptiles but you have to realize some of the people on this site have many years of experince and have a passion for reptiles whether they are theirs or not so please take some advice from them as far as your husbandry i cant comment ive only seen your tegu video like i stated before just browse around and post some questions
 

repcoop18

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most of you guys just not understand just about every thing is right for my tegu except that she doesnt have subtrate and she lives in the bathroom but im working on fixing that and i sure i have the right enclosures for my leos but i do have a custum cage for my tortoises that was in my old house that is 8 foot by three feet but in my new house it will not fit upstairs but i should be building a shed in a few weeks it will have insulation and substrate.
 

TanMan57

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repcoop18 said:
most of you guys just not understand just about every thing is right for my tegu except that she doesnt have subtrate and she lives in the bathroom but im working on fixing that and i sure i have the right enclosures for my leos but i do have a custum cage for my tortoises that was in my old house that is 8 foot by three feet but in my new house it will not fit upstairs but i should be building a shed in a few weeks it will have insulation and substrate.
You also do not have enough uvb. Or are you feeding her correctly.
 

wyattroa

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repcoop18 said:
most of you guys just not understand just about every thing is right for my tegu except that she doesnt have subtrate and she lives in the bathroom but im working on fixing that and i sure i have the right enclosures for my leos but i do have a custum cage for my tortoises that was in my old house that is 8 foot by three feet but in my new house it will not fit upstairs but i should be building a shed in a few weeks it will have insulation and substrate.

before trying to take care of animals, please first learn to use a period. It is that DOT that goes in sentences to give it structure. I cannot even understand what your trying to say. What grade are you in. This is first grade material your missing.
robert
 

repcoop18

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yeah im pretty sure i have correct uvb it is a 160 watt zoo med power sun mercury vapor bulb and i also have a 150 watt basking spot bulb that makes a basking spot of about 115 degrees. also i just made some scrambled eggs with some chickenand calcium. and she is also getting bath
 

wyattroa

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repcoop18 said:
yeah im bretty sure i have correct uvb it is a 160 watt zoo med power sun mercury vapor bulb and i have a 150 watt basking spot bulb that makes a basking spot of about 115 degrees and i just made some scrambled eggs with some chickin and calcium. and she is also getting bath

again, please read my previous post.
robert
 

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