feeding dog food to your reptiles?.. please read

[africancichlidau]

Hey Guys, take it easy!! Zard only posted this for general information thinking it may help some people or at the very least be of interest to some of us. If ya wanna comment, then comment but don't take it out on poor Zard who was only trying to do the right thing.

 

[geckodan]

I am not taking it out on Zard (and I realise my mistake referring to it as your dogs). I was mearly pointing out that she has provided information , with a warning but with no facts. The veterinary industry spends every day trying to dispell anecdotal crap that dog/cat/bird and reptile breeders put on the internet as gospel that is supported by nothing more than the theory of "I have been doing this for 20 years , I should know what I am talking about". I realise that Zard has posted it for general information BUT at the moment it is general misinformation (there is no proof that there is a "bad batch" of dog food on the market). I had a similar case just three weeks ago where a commercial pheasant breeder came in with 35 dead birds and a request for a second opinion. She was going to sue the feed company for killing all her birds as her other vet suggested that it was a bad batch of food. She wanted me as an avian vet to put it in writing for her. All of the 35 dead chicks showed signs consistent with yolk sac infection from dirty incubation conditions. The deaths stopped when she cleaned her incubator. Had she listened to her first vet she would still be trying to sue a feed company. Breeders are sometimes the last people to pick out their own mistakes. Enough said.

 

[Scorpio19]

Its so sad when ppl lose loved pets....i guess it always pays to make sure they r eatin quality food and r well looked after...

 

[hugsta]

I have never had any problems feeding canned food to my dogs or my herps. I agree with Dan, all the info needs to be passed on before making rash decisions.

I do feel sorry for the lady who lost her dogs though.

 

[earthmother]

Thank you Zard, that was interesting.

I have a long term problem with feeding reptiles dog or cat food. I won't do it. I would rather feed them minced meat, {if I'm desperate) without the added salts and things we don't know about.

There is an American writer who advocates the feeding of dog/cat food to Bearded dragons, and Blue Tongued Skinks. I think she started it. But facts show that she lessened their life spans considerably.

Cat food is very high in sodium and dog food-well who knows? eeek.
Dog food sometimes has kangaroo in it, I've never seen a Beardie take down a 'roo.
Her links are on some Australian sites and that bothers me.
I shan't say her name on forum until I know it's not libel. lol.
Very sorry for the person who lost her animals.

 

[geckodan]

The biggest problem with both dog and cat foods is that (in addition to the higher than recommended fat levels) carnivores require relatively high levels of supplementary Vitamin A (normally from vegetable matter - wild carnivores get it from herbivore gut contents). Hypervitaminosis A is one of the more common causes of renal and hepatic disease in captive reptiles. My normal recommendation to clients is no greater than 10% of the diet as Tinned cat/dog food regardless of type.

 

[Jay]

Re: RE: feeding dog food to your reptiles?.. please read

, I've never seen a Beardie take down a 'roo.

Ever seen one take down a sheep, cow or chicken?