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Post by lizardluver on Nov 19, 2005 18:36:54 GMT -5
hey everyone i wanna know if im correctly feeding my dragon. hes a very gd feeder and will eat anything i put in front of him . at the moment this is what and when i feed him oh yea hes a male and around a foot long : i would be interested to know what the correct ratio of food i shud be giving him is this is his current diet : DAILY-five black crix five super meal worms and a pinkie. EVERY 2 DAYS-a small bowl of cat food and a small bowl of veggies including kiwi,banana,apple,mellon,rasberrys,strawberrys and carrot. WEEKLY-a small rat pup or chick. please feel free to give your honest opinion on his current feeding regime thanks  |
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Post by dragosmom on Nov 19, 2005 20:16:04 GMT -5
You're feeding all of that to a 12" water dragon? I can't imagine how. A rat pup? Daily pinkies? 12" from snout to vent?  Whatever size this one is, IMO you're way overfeeding it. I have been warned (mine was overweight) that too much weight will shorten their lifespan. What does your dragon weigh? |
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Post by cwddude on Nov 19, 2005 20:25:33 GMT -5
Cat food??? Dragons are not cats, at least last time I checked...or even mammals. Feed them what is on caresheets. How is your dragon eating rat pups and chicks at 12"? I could see pinkies, as mine is a little of 15" and can take larger pinkies.
Agreee with DM, way overfeeding. My guy is a pig, and if I let him, he will eat 2 pinkies and about 10 mealworms every other day.
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Post by lizardluver on Nov 20, 2005 20:15:51 GMT -5
oook firstly let me clear a few things up cwddude about the cat food ive herd mixed things about this , BUT in the book THE COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TERRARIUM written by eugene bruins a world renowned herp expert he states the wd diet shud be made up of , insects , MICE , earthworms , slugs and snails , TINNED CAT FOOD and about 25% of the diet should be fruit. i try and feed my dragon a very varied diet and , since posting the question i have learned im feeding him too much , waaaay too much . rite dragos mum i said my dragon was around a foot long i wasnt being precise but since taking a measurment last night he is now almost 2 foot in length and the pinkies and rat pups he takes are very small , as are the chicks ( my grandad has a farm ) thats where i get my chicks which are like the tiniest things youve ever seen ! but at i dnt get is why youre shocked he eats pinkies and small rat pups , i mean loads of ppl feed their leos pinkies and rat pups and their much smaller ? now ive started to cut down his feeding since ive been warned it will shorten his lifespan . but my dragon is seriously huge his head is almost 2 inches wide ill try post some pics soon hopefully . AND if anyone noticed i actually posted a question on here that know one reely answered jus gave remarks on how my dragon ''couldnt'' be eating such large things , well cud any one now answer my question WHAT IS A GD RATIO OF FOOD and plz not how bad my ratio is thnx for your opinions |
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Post by cwddude on Nov 20, 2005 23:46:34 GMT -5
Alright, if he's 2 feet, than I can see the rat pups and chicks.
I still would be wary of feeding cat food. Cats have different nutritional needs than do dragons. You also state that THE COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TERRARIUM says herps in general. They all have different needs, so that is why I say stick to the caresheets. I really don't mean to come across as a jerk, but I am just very frank. I am just offering my opinion.
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Post by lizardluver on Nov 21, 2005 17:45:23 GMT -5
I really don't mean to come across as a jerk, but I am just very frank. I am just offering my opinion. no probs , thats wat forums are for im glad you gave me ure honest opinion rather than trying to tell me gently that im doing sumthing wrong , now i can hopefully get my dragon eating a proper healthy diet and if i didnt ask this question hed still be tucking into his three course meals in the evening so thanks for your help |
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Post by Pooka on Nov 22, 2005 17:21:01 GMT -5
Cat food is not nessecarily a total NO-NO. cwddude is nose on though that it should not be a primary diet item. Really, a few odds and ends like catfood/veggie mixes thrown in 1 time a month or so are likly good for nutritional diversity in my opinion. However, I will say this, CAT FOOD IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT WISH TO USE LIVE FOODS LIKE INSECTS. Sorry about the caps but didn't want that to be missed  . DM brings up a great point that goes hand in hand with processed foods like cat food, it makes reptiles overweight and overweight can get unhealthy, especailly in older reptiles. LL I think 2 times a week may be a bit much but I'd encourage you not to toally drop its use, if your dragon is like my blue tongue skink its the only way you'll get veggies in them  Just some of my thoughts on the subject. |
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Post by lizardluver on Nov 22, 2005 20:15:33 GMT -5
thanks pooka , i appreciate everyones opinions on this and i can now tell you my dragonsw now on a much healthier diet and is slimming down lol ! ill keep u all updated on hisw diet thanks ppl
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Whatever size this one is, IMO you're way overfeeding it. I have been warned (mine was overweight) that too much weight will shorten their lifespan. What does your dragon weigh?
. DM brings up a great point that goes hand in hand with processed foods like cat food, it makes reptiles overweight and overweight can get unhealthy, especailly in older reptiles. LL I think 2 times a week may be a bit much but I'd encourage you not to toally drop its use, if your dragon is like my blue tongue skink its the only way you'll get veggies in them 
Just some of my thoughts on the subject.