Feeding dog food.

[LeapingLizards]

Hello fellow BTS owners,

i got my first BTS about a month ago (it is about 2 1/2 months old). I feed a mix of canned cat food (wet), veggies, insects, and snails.
I got one small problem though, the sink usually wont eat a whole can of cat food in a few days.
I took the cat food out of the can and keep it in sealed plastic boxes in my fridge.
When i google this for cats, most german sites state that once opened the cat food should be used within a maximum of 3 days after opening.

So i was wondering how long do you keep your opened cat or dog food until you throw it away?

Thanks in advance

I freeze what I can't immediately use, then thaw when needed.

[Janella]

Yes, exactly.

[DracoDussumieri]

Hello fellow BTS owners,

i got my first BTS about a month ago (it is about 2 1/2 months old). I feed a mix of canned cat food (wet), veggies, insects, and snails.
I got one small problem though, the sink usually wont eat a whole can of cat food in a few days.
I took the cat food out of the can and keep it in sealed plastic boxes in my fridge.
When i google this for cats, most german sites state that once opened the cat food should be used within a maximum of 3 days after opening.

So i was wondering how long do you keep your opened cat or dog food until you throw it away?

Thanks in advance

I freeze what I can't immediately use, then thaw when needed.

Well i only have one Skink, that seems like a lot of effort thawing the frozen food every 2-3 Days. But if thats the best way i probably come up with a solution.
Thanks!

[LeapingLizards]

Well i only have one Skink, that seems like a lot of effort thawing the frozen food every 2-3 Days. But if thats the best way i probably come up with a solution.
Thanks!

I also have one skink and I'm not one for waste, but I just put the extra food into ice cube trays, freeze then put into a baggie marked for skink food. All you have to do after freezing is just defrost it before giving to your skink... not really that much work in my opinion.

[SkittleTheSkink]

my skink never tries to eat the dog food I put out for him what should I do to make him eat it?

[Janella]

If your skink isn't eating the dog food you are putting out, you can try several things. First, switch canned variety that you are using. Some popular choices are Natural Balance Gobbler Cobbler and Merrick Grammies Pot Pie. My skinks also went nuts over any salmon canned food. Second, mix it with something they do like at first to get them used to the taste such as eggs or snails. Then, finally third, make sure to blend/mix all foods together really well, so that your skink can't pick out its favorites.

[splashy07]

I've never had one refuse dog food except when:
temps too cold
entering into shed cycle
entering brumation cycle
feeding too often
breeding season
If any of these things come into play, it could be your reason.

[Janella]

Yes, that too!!! Always make sure husbandry is correct as well.

[vana]

At what age is it good to switch from cat to dog food?

[Janella]

Usually around 6-8 months

[skinkisskink]

gave Agwan diarrhea it was quite a mess. now I make a veggie, squash, chicken frozen cube mix and thaw it every time I feed him. (very easy and quick)

[Jameswalker222000]

Never have said it better, sure. I was truly feeling burnt out on the incomparable Canie Food Disaster.

[Janella]

I usually don't recommend keeping canned dog food or cat food for longer than 3 days in the fridge.

[obsessed with Blueys]

yes!
it also depends on what kind of dog food you feed (dry or wet)
and the quality:)

[obsessed with Blueys]

yes!
it also depends on what kind of dog food you feed (dry or wet)
and the quality:)

[bluemingsar]

Great point about wet vs dry food and quality too. It can be tricky figuring out the best diet. I started giving my girl wet food around 6 months too since it seemed more similar to their natural diet. But you're right, the brand/ingredients definitely matter. It's all about finding what works best for each individual skink.

[lillizard]

On this forum we advocate dog food as a good, healthy staple.
If your feelings differ from what we recommend here, that is fine; we welcome everyone and respect whatever beliefs or opinions you may have. But, because the leadership of this site believes dog food to be a good and healthy staple in a BTS diet, we will not keep overlooking statements like: "dog food is bad" or "never feed dog food" unless you include the reason for your opinion. To throw a "blanket statement" out ("Dog food is bad") that goes against the group's stated beliefs without backing it up is not only annoying but can be dangerous --not everybody stays around long enough to get a grasp on the common consensus, or cares enough to keep reading other opinions. It makes for an increased work-load for those few we have here to oversee our site, as our #1 goal is to ensure that the info given here is as correct and easy to understand as possible.

And, I’ll point out that we are NOT saying you HAVE TO feed dog food. We’re not saying it’s the only correct way to feed your BTS. More power to all those who want to put in the love and the time and the effort to research, cook, cut, and put together great meals for their pets! Great! Tell us about it. But don't come here and say "Food in a can is bad". Because that's just as stupid as saying "Air is bad to breathe". IS air bad to breathe? SURE! Sometimes. Some places. For some people. But making the blanket statement that "Dog food is bad for skinks" is just as dumb as making the blanket statement "Air is bad to breathe".

The air is harmful to breathe. 100% of people die from it

But seriously, I heard about this problem even before I registered on the site. And the question of feeding BTS was one of the important ones for me.

[amily22]

Tried switching my pup to a new brand last week—he sniffed it, gave me the side eye, and walked off like a diva Guess it's back to the old favorite! Anyone else got picky eaters at home?