# Very angry at seeing this



## BurtonReptiles (Oct 1, 2011)

I was at the markets today and I saw the local pet store at the markets and blue to tongue dog biscuits in it food container *** last time I checked blue tongues where not dogs









People need to learn how to feed there reptiles the right foods.


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## GeckPhotographer (Oct 1, 2011)

Dog food can be used as a part of Blue Tongue diet. It is not unhealthy for them. While they should also receive other food items it is a very easy food item to leave for the Blue Tongue to eat at its leisure while offering other more mobile items such as invertebrates only once a day or so...


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## Spider178 (Oct 1, 2011)

We occasionally feed our Blue Tongue dog biscuits but soak them in warm water for a few minutes first, he loves them.


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## DeadCricket (Oct 1, 2011)

I've got a friend who owns some very happy & healthy blueies and ewds and found they both love dog food. We had the ewds running around out the back when they got into some dog food left for the bluetongue. I've never seen them get so excited about food. Of course it isn't the main part of their food but some puppy foods contain great lists of vitamins etc.


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## Scleropages (Oct 1, 2011)

I'm sure it's not legal to sell reptiles at the markets.Shop or not.


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## craig.a.c (Oct 1, 2011)

lol, shot down in flames.


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## BurtonReptiles (Oct 1, 2011)

craig.a.c said:


> lol, shot down in flames.


 
Yeah heaps funny ... If you read half the crap thats in dog food you wouldn't even feed to your dogs . Last time I checked I didn't see a blue tongue catch a cow or chicken in the wild!


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## vampstorso (Oct 1, 2011)

I'm sure beardies don't eat the fruit they get either...because you know...it wouldn't be in their natural range.


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## Scleropages (Oct 1, 2011)

Im sure fruit drops to the ground and birds die and fall to the ground etc... and Lizards will eat.... off the ground....


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## GeckPhotographer (Oct 1, 2011)

That doesn't mean cows and chickens don't have vitamins and minerals that would be beneficial in the diet of a bluetongue. I'm not saying it should be the entire diet but dog food is perfectly healthy for bluetongues as just one part of a varied diet.


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## Wally (Oct 1, 2011)

I would only be concerned if it was fed as a staple.


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## timantula (Oct 1, 2011)

craig.a.c said:


> lol, shot down in flames.


fow....


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Oct 1, 2011)

xDragonx said:


> Yeah heaps funny ... If you read half the crap thats in dog food you wouldn't even feed to your dogs . Last time I checked I didn't see a blue tongue catch a cow or chicken in the wild!


It actually was funny - I even giggled. How is a blue-tongue catching a cow or chicken in the wild relevant? They can't catch alot of fruit either, but they still love it. Humans eat fish that are found in the depths of the middle of the ocean - if he lived in a 'wild' non-urban environment; then we wouldn't be able to catch them, but we still eat them -and they're good for us.


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## Beard (Oct 1, 2011)

xDragonx said:


> Yeah heaps funny ... If you read half the crap thats in dog food you wouldn't even feed to your dogs . Last time I checked I didn't see a blue tongue catch a cow or chicken in the wild!



Your blue tongues are just lazy then. I keep mine free range. Its pretty freaky really. If I go out to the house paddock at night with a spotlight I often pick up the pack swarming over a cow or lamb they just took down. Like a pride of bloody lions at times. All fighting over the choice meat. You should see them in action. A few go in to the front legs, trip the target prey over then they come in from all over the place and go for the throat.......


I suppose you don't eat any form of processed food stuff either.


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## Wally (Oct 1, 2011)

Whilst the OP's beliefs on processed food being unsuitable for skinks may be a little uninformed, I don't think his desire to feed a more appropriate diet should be howled down either. In fact I commend him for this attitude.


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## mysnakesau (Oct 1, 2011)

Its just like anything though. Chocolate doesn't grow on trees but we eat it. I don't chase the cows or chickens either. I buy trays of meat from the supermarket. I use to give my ackie a once a month treat of a premium brand dog canned food - chicken or roo. Now he doesn't chase kangaroos but he hoed it down.


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## Fuscus (Oct 1, 2011)

I feed my rats horse pellets. Hope that doesn't upset you as well


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## Bluetonguesblack (Oct 1, 2011)

Mine eats canned dog muck and seems to enjoy it. Will he bark if fed too much of it ??


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## BrownHash (Oct 1, 2011)

mysnakesau said:


> Chocolate doesn't grow on trees but we eat it.



This made me smile


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## cypptrkk90 (Oct 1, 2011)

thread backfire at its finest


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## ianinoz (Oct 1, 2011)

IMO humble as it is.
If the lizard likes it, even gets excited when it sees or smells it before it gets it, then the lizard knows best what it needs so give the lizard what it likes.

If that's cat or dog food from a can, so what.

If it likes little bits of peoples' food as a treat, let it have it have it as treat.


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## Bandit05 (Oct 1, 2011)

Beard said:


> Your blue tongues are just lazy then. I keep mine free range. Its pretty freaky really. If I go out to the house paddock at night with a spotlight I often pick up the pack swarming over a cow or lamb they just took down. Like a pride of bloody lions at times. All fighting over the choice meat. You should see them in action. A few go in to the front legs, trip the target prey over then they come in from all over the place and go for the throat
> 
> 
> I suppose you don't eat any form of processed food stuff either.



living in the country we have to lock our freezers to keep the wild reptiles from stealing our frozen rodents


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## GeckPhotographer (Oct 1, 2011)

> IMO humble as it is.
> If the lizard likes it, even gets excited when it sees or smells it before it gets it, then the lizard knows best what it needs so give the lizard what it likes.
> 
> If that's cat or dog food from a can, so what.
> ...



I've heard Bearded Dragons love Avocado, I have also heard it is likely to cause death to them.....


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## BurtonReptiles (Oct 1, 2011)

Next time feed your reptiles dog food read the fact that 99% of dry food even wet food doesn't even have meat in it. My gf dad runs a factory where they mate it and let's just say I wouldn't feed it to any animal I own ever.


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## littlemay (Oct 1, 2011)

GeckPhotographer said:


> I've heard Bearded Dragons love Avocado, I have also heard it is likely to cause death to them.....



Yup, avocados contain a toxin which can be fatal for a lot of small animals


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## Helikaon (Oct 1, 2011)

then your obviously buying poop dog food.

What do you feed your french bull dog then?


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## Spider178 (Oct 1, 2011)

xDragonx said:


> Next time feed your reptiles dog food read the fact that 99% of dry food even wet food doesn't even have meat in it. My gf dad runs a factory where they mate it and let's just say I wouldn't feed it to any animal I own ever.



Is a bit like a lot of the food we eat, if you read what companies put into our food it is staggering. Additives, preservatives, colourings and even flavour enhancers all put in so that something tastes or looks like we think it should. 
Pretty scary really but I suppose like anything it's ok in moderation, except for beer and bourbon which is ok in large quantities. :lol:


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## BurtonReptiles (Oct 1, 2011)

Helikaon said:


> then your obviously buying poop dog food.
> 
> What do you feed your french bull dog then?


 
Both my pug and French bulldog get there meal cooked by my self and Ashleigh , mix of mince and veggies and brown rice . There dry food is earthborn which is all natural dry food and top the range has no preservative or unnatural products in it like corn flower and wheat flower , or by products what they use in most dog foods just so it fill them up


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## Helikaon (Oct 1, 2011)

each to their own, but i just looked it up and i wouldnt feed it to my dogs. there is some things in it i aggree with but most i dont. wait till /if one of your dogs develops a food allergy and i can assure you that you wont be feeding that stuff


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## KaotikJezta (Oct 1, 2011)

Dogs don't need dry food they need bones, they don't need their food cooked and I would imagine brown rice would play havock with their digestive system. I do agree with the argument against commercial dogfood though. My EWD eats wet cat food on occasion and my old blue tongue used to.


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## crail4 (Oct 1, 2011)

I fed a praying mantis corn, ive seen people feed tarantulas beef.


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## KaotikJezta (Oct 1, 2011)

Helikaon said:


> each to their own, but i just looked it up and i wouldnt feed it to my dogs. there is some things in it i aggree with but most i dont. wait till /if one of your dogs develops a food allergy and i can assure you that you wont be feeding that stuff


agreed


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## Wally (Oct 1, 2011)

I could eat maccas every day. But is it good for me?

Lets not lose sight of the original question posed. None of us are aware of the complete diet of the skinks concerned. Therefore a conclusion on whether their diet is appropriate or not is moot. However, a balanced diet, for any captive reptile should always be encouraged.


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## kat2005dodi (Oct 1, 2011)

I cant imagine my lizards eating dried dog food! At the moment they are loving the Mulberries


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## BurtonReptiles (Oct 1, 2011)

KaotikJezta said:


> Dogs don't need dry food they need bones, they don't need their food cooked and I would imagine brown rice would play havock with their digestive system. I do agree with the argument against commercial dogfood though. My EWD eats wet cat food on occasion and my old blue tongue used to.


 
Well The diet both my dogs are on is from two well known breeders it white rice which not good for them brown rice in really good for them.


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## crocdoc (Oct 1, 2011)

I don't really understand why the O.P. was attacked. His concern was legitimate - It's quite possible those blue-tongues were getting dog food as a staple and it's widely known that cheap dog food isn't a particularly good diet, even for dogs. I can say with confidence that if someone showed images of their monitor being fed dog food on a monitor forum they'd get the verbal/typed equivalent of being tarred and feathered pretty quickly. I also do not subscribe to the 'lizard knows best' line of thought, because all of their instincts have been honed to food available naturally, not to the assortment of artificial diets concocted by humans. They will happily eat the wrong food until they die of obesity, metabolic bone disease or any one of a wide variety of ailments caused by a poor nutritional mix. 

There was a classic example of this on this very forum, not so long ago. I spoke to the original owner of this lace monitor and asked him why he fed his monitor chicken breast, rather than a proper diet, and his response was: "but she LOVES it!". 
Unfortunately, chicken breast didn't love her - check out the photos:
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-reptile-discussion-42/lace-monitor-mbd-graphic-169275/


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## KaotikJezta (Oct 1, 2011)

I do agree crocdoc. Both my larger male beardie and my EWD have tried to eat artificial plants. The water dragon tried ripping plastic flowers off a plant and eating them and I had to remove it and my beardie ripped a silk leaf of a skull ornament and actually ate it, lucky no harm came of it. He has also tried to eat pictures of plants and got very excited one day when he saw some yellow electrical tape my son was playing with so no, they don't always know whats best for them when they live in a captive situation.


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## maddog-1979 (Oct 1, 2011)

knowing what pet stores are like thats probably all the poor little fella's get to eat. and kaotikjezta i no longer keep anything fake and green in my beardie enclosures for the same reason....a few times found silk plant leaves in my dragon poo.....very lucky it did no harm


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## Wally (Oct 1, 2011)

KaotikJezta said:


> I do agree crocdoc. Both my larger male beardie and my EWD have tried to eat artificial plants. The water dragon tried ripping plastic flowers off a plant and eating them and I had to remove it and my beardie ripped a silk leaf of a skull ornament and actually ate it, lucky no harm came of it. He has also tried to eat pictures of plants and got very excited one day when he saw some yellow electrical tape my son was playing with so no, they don't always know whats best for them when they live in a captive situation.


 


maddog-1979 said:


> knowing what pet stores are like thats probably all the poor little fella's get to eat. and kaotikjezta i no longer keep anything fake and green in my beardie enclosures for the same reason....a few times found silk plant leaves in my dragon poo.....very lucky it did no harm




The issue is a poor diet over the long term and the effects this has, not the random digestion of non food items that captive animals may encounter.


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## GeckPhotographer (Oct 1, 2011)

> I don't really understand why the O.P. was attacked. His concern was legitimate - It's quite possible those blue-tongues were getting dog food as a staple and it's widely known that cheap dog food isn't a particularly good diet, even for dogs. I can say with confidence that if someone showed images of their monitor being fed dog food on a monitor forum they'd get the verbal/typed equivalent of being tarred and feathered pretty quickly. I also do not subscribe to the 'lizard knows best' line of thought, because all of their instincts have been honed to food available naturally, not to the assortment of artificial diets concocted by humans. They will happily eat the wrong food until they die of obesity, metabolic bone disease or any one of a wide variety of ailments caused by a poor nutritional mix.



I do agree they need a varied diet, and with a petshop it probably isn't being provided properly. However I am simply saying the OP is attacking that any bluetongue be fed any dog food. Seeing as dog food is not bad for bluetongues and can be enjoyed by them as part of a varied diet I don't see the problem with feeding it, as long as it is part of a varied diet.


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## KaotikJezta (Oct 1, 2011)

Wally76 said:


> The issue is a poor diet over the long term and the effects this has, not the random digestion of non food items that captive animals may encounter.


We know that Wally76, was just illustrating that they don't always know whats best for them at all.


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## maddog-1979 (Oct 1, 2011)

Wally76 said:


> The issue is a poor diet over the long term and the effects this has, not the random digestion of non food items that captive animals may encounter.



sorry wally...i thought my 1st sentence commented on the original post of the thread, then the second commented on a progression of the discussion of what animals will eat thinking it's good for them....will keep my thoughts to myself from now on . cheers mate


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## Wally (Oct 1, 2011)

No, you are both right, and relevant points to the problems of keeping captive reptiles. I just wanted the conversation to remain on topic as crocdoc alluded to as I think it's important.


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## maddog-1979 (Oct 1, 2011)

when i 1st bought my beardies along time ago i was told by the breeder that they will live happily off tinned cat food as long as it's not a fish variety. i myself have not fed my lizards any kind of commercial cat/dog food, esp not as a staple,the closest i have got was a mix of pet mince, calci powder and wombaroo, which i keep in the freeer for when i run out of crickets/woodies.

i have seen some instances of monitors only being fed on pet mince and kangaroo bones bought from a pet food shop and they seemed to be in good condition, i cannot say how long this was sustained for tho as i was fairly young at the time.


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## AshleighMarie (Oct 1, 2011)

wow. so many people on this site take a lot of things way too seriously. This is Mat's opinion okay...i know the blue tongue that he's talking about and i know it isn't fed properly and they are trying to get rid of it as they don't really want it there and it's been there for ages.This is why i rarely even come onto this site. Post something and straight away people bag you out


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## BurtonReptiles (Oct 1, 2011)

crocdoc said:


> I don't really understand why the O.P. was attacked. His concern was legitimate - It's quite possible those blue-tongues were getting dog food as a staple and it's widely known that cheap dog food isn't a particularly good diet, even for dogs. I can say with confidence that if someone showed images of their monitor being fed dog food on a monitor forum they'd get the verbal/typed equivalent of being tarred and feathered pretty quickly. I also do not subscribe to the 'lizard knows best' line of thought, because all of their instincts have been honed to food available naturally, not to the assortment of artificial diets concocted by humans. They will happily eat the wrong food until they die of obesity, metabolic bone disease or any one of a wide variety of ailments caused by a poor nutritional mix.
> 
> There was a classic example of this on this very forum, not so long ago. I spoke to the original owner of this lace monitor and asked him why he fed his monitor chicken breast, rather than a proper diet, and his response was: "but she LOVES it!".
> Unfortunately, chicken breast didn't love her - check out the photos:
> http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-reptile-discussion-42/lace-monitor-mbd-graphic-169275/


 could not of said it better my self thanks ...


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## snakeynewbie (Oct 1, 2011)

I wouldn't feed that sort of dog food to my dogs let alone my blue tongues. I'll say that yes my blue tongues do get soaked kibble as a very small portion of their diet but it's always just an extra rather than a staple and it's a super premium dog food as well which is the other major issue here. Persoanlly I'd rather not use it at all however one of my blueys comes from a background where she was only ever fed beef mince and it's been a slow process convincing her to eat other foods, tonight I was pleased to see her enjoying some fruit and veg so the dog food has been phased out alot now.


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## scratchy (Oct 1, 2011)

xDragonx said:


> Next time feed your reptiles dog food read the fact that 99% of dry food even wet food doesn't even have meat in it. My gf dad runs a factory where they mate it and let's just say I wouldn't feed it to any animal I own ever.


 This is the funnies threat in a while ! First you say blueies do not chase cows and chickens, then you say dog food does not contain any meat.
Keepers that have been successfully keeping and breeding tiliqua for many many years on dog food .


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## snakeynewbie (Oct 1, 2011)

Wow, which brands do they make at that factory because a good dog food will have meat as the top ingredient, not just meat by products but actual meat.


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## KaotikJezta (Oct 1, 2011)

Well depends what you call good dogfood, Hills Science dry dog food for example has cornmeal as the top ingredient followed by meat by-products then meat fat, with the exception of the lamb which has lamb meal first and the advanced activity which has chickken, in fact some have soybean meal before even meat by-products


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## Beard (Oct 1, 2011)

I can't believe its not dogfood


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## snakeynewbie (Oct 1, 2011)

My foods of choice are things like Royal Canin which are another step up again from Science Diet


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## Beard (Oct 1, 2011)

snakeynewbie said:


> My foods of choice are things like Royal Canin which are another step up again from Science Diet



Really, my food of choice are things like salad, fruits and veg. I do eat meat most night too. I love lamb, can't go past some nice slow cooked lamb. I do like to cook.

I do eat the occasional load of crappy junkfood but I try to avoid it mostly though sometimes I'm just too tired or lazy to bother cooking then cleaning up afterwards.


Oh, wait, sorry you were talking for pets........


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## snakeynewbie (Oct 1, 2011)

I much more inclines to a nice roo steak personally but each to their own


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## notechistiger (Oct 1, 2011)

I can't believe some of the uninformed comments in this threat (not including the OP of course, I think they get it)..


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## Beard (Oct 1, 2011)

notechistiger said:


> I can't believe some of the uninformed comments in this threat (not including the OP of course, I think they get it)..



well they certainly can't be my comments you're refering to, considering my comments are mostly rubbish


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## snakeluvver (Oct 1, 2011)

ianinoz said:


> IMO humble as it is.
> If the lizard likes it, even gets excited when it sees or smells it before it gets it, then the lizard knows best what it needs so give the lizard what it likes.
> 
> If that's cat or dog food from a can, so what.
> ...


That is not good advice at all! I hope you don't do that with your "house lizard" otherwise I'm afraid Lizzy won't live very long. Please don't take this the wrong way, but don't give advice about stuff you don't know about.


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## Wally (Oct 1, 2011)

notechistiger said:


> I can't believe some of the uninformed comments in this threat (not including the OP of course, I think they get it)..



There's a threat. What........Where............Be alert...... but not alarmed.


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## DeadCricket (Oct 1, 2011)

Weren't we talking about the wet puppy food? How did we get onto dry?


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## KaotikJezta (Oct 2, 2011)

No the blue tongue had dry food if thats what you meant.


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## Beard (Oct 2, 2011)

KaotikJezta said:


> No the blue tongue had dry food if thats what you meant.



Why'd they have dry food?


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## KaotikJezta (Oct 2, 2011)

Beard said:


> Why'd they have dry food?


The one the OP was talking about


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## Beard (Oct 2, 2011)

KaotikJezta said:


> The one the OP was talking about


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## maddog-1979 (Oct 2, 2011)

Wally76 said:


> The issue is a poor diet over the long term and the effects this has, not the random digestion of non food items that captive animals may encounter.






Wally76 said:


> There's a threat. What........Where............Be alert...... but not alarmed.




careful wally...i believe your last couple of posts may not actually pertain to the original thread.....dont want you to stray here mate


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## notechistiger (Oct 2, 2011)

Glad you think you're so funny 



> There's a threat. What........Where............Be alert...... but not alarmed.


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## mysnakesau (Oct 2, 2011)

maddog-1979 said:


> knowing what pet stores are like thats probably all the poor little fella's get to eat. ......



Least he gets food. Better than him starving. I use to own a pet store but because I insisted my animals were priority over money, my business went downhill with the economy a few years back. The animals weren't the only reason but I am sure I fed them better than most would which does chew up money.


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