BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Just wondering how often everyone uses canned cat/dog food and what kind...

I use a bit in every meal to make it pasty, but it only takes up a small amount of the entire thing...not sure how I should vote.

I was using Eukanuba, but I just got new catfood thats really nice and they love it.

The cat food we use comes in a pouch (Whiskas). It has little bites of meat in a gravy mixture. We mix a little of that in with veggies and fruits. Then several times a week we sprinkle a tiny bit of RepCal on it. Occasionally we also sprinkle a little Herptivite on it.

I've been using this science cat stuff occasionally.

I've really been reconsidering and rethinking catfood this past week.

I've been having this large internal debate about whole prey in general. I feel like there must be nutrients in shells/bones/organs, etc. that we're just not supplying otherwise. Like, we would never dream of feeding our snakes other than whole prey, so why do we do it here? I'm just as guilty as anyone, I'm just raising the issue for discussion.

Zach, what are you thinking about as an alternative? Mice, snails, worms, etc?

I have actually cut back ALOT! I used to use it about half of the time, I have not used it in over a month now. I use worms, and snails, and pinkys... along with groung turkey and some chicken. (for the meat that is), I still use alot of greens and some fruits.. speaking of fruits.. Grapes made a wonderful snack last night! They loved them! Atleast I think they did. It was the first time I had used them.

Ann wrote:I've been having this large internal debate about whole prey in general. I feel like there must be nutrients in shells/bones/organs, etc. that we're just not supplying otherwise. Like, we would never dream of feeding our snakes other than whole prey, so why do we do it here? I'm just as guilty as anyone, I'm just raising the issue for discussion.

Zach, what are you thinking about as an alternative? Mice, snails, worms, etc?

Mostly chicken. When I do use a bit of catfood, I use less than one tiny can for all 8 blueys. Tonight was boneless chicken breast diced up with a bit of collard greens.

I've been trying to use less cat food and more meat, mice or worms. If Ann successful with her snails, I think I'm going to try my own so they can have them more often.

When I've been using meat I've been holding it all together with a little bit of my homemade fruit babyfood. Spike and Kaylee love it. Spike actually goes as far as licking his plate clean. Of course Frankie is still turning her nose up to it.

Frankie still won't budge eh?

Zach wrote:I've been using this science cat stuff occasionally.

I've really been reconsidering and rethinking catfood this past week.

Please elaborate on your thinking about cat food.

Nope. She is a big pain. I've tried sticking her nose in it, holding her, a spoon. She doesn't want to eat. She did this last winter and is still active so I'm trying not to worry. But it cannot be good for her to go long periods of time without eating and then not eating so healthy when she does. She ate a snail last week so I'm going to get some more. Can I sprinkle the vitamins on the snail?

I don't see why not, but they are full of good stuff as is. (live ones)

I don't see why not.

I know they are full of calcuim but they aren't going to have the vitamins she needs from her greens. She has also figured out how to eat just enough of the shell to get to the yummy middle!

Jenn wrote:Nope. She is a big pain. I've tried sticking her nose in it, holding her, a spoon. She doesn't want to eat. She did this last winter and is still active so I'm trying not to worry. But it cannot be good for her to go long periods of time without eating and then not eating so healthy when she does. She ate a snail last week so I'm going to get some more. Can I sprinkle the vitamins on the snail?

Don't worry, Belle just started eating again after a month of not eating anything. The Can o snails got her started She's eaten twice in the last 4 or 5 days. We tried everything but just gave up after a while since she did the same thing last year. We would try maybe twice a week but she would always ignore it. She's around 4 years old so maybe this is how's she's always been. We've only had her for 14 months.

Steve

Frankie is three and I've had her for the last two years. From what I could figure her last owner fed her mostly cat food and sometimes fruit. She was picky last winter but this winter seems to be even worse. She has turned her nose up at can o snails and pinky mice! She ate a live one last week but even then she would only eat one. My other northern Spike is the opposite. He slowed down a little durning the winter but is now eating like a pig again. He's always had tons of veggies and stuff so I think that is the difference.

How does Bella shed?

DixieDiana wrote:

Zach wrote:I've been using this science cat stuff occasionally.

I've really been reconsidering and rethinking catfood this past week.

Please elaborate on your thinking about cat food.

It's just so full of junk. Chemicals, by-products...it will tell you right in the ingredients. Not to mention it seems to make their poo runny because the actual catfood is so spongy/runny. I'm just starting to think there are better alternatives.

I never had any problems with catfood making my guys poo runny.

I definetly agree that there are better alternatives and I'm starting to go with them and trying not to use catfood.

I know some people said that they froze their ground turnkey in individual servings and then just popped them into the oven for that meal. I was wondering what temp you cooked at and for how long.