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Thread: Raw meat questions

  1. #1

    Default Raw meat questions

    My Colombian black & white is about 11 months old. I have held off feeding her raw meat, because I have read that it is not healthy for juveniles. Currently, she mostly eats crickets, hard-boiled egg yolk (occasionally, as a treat) and a few fruits, when she's feeling like it. So, I have a two part question:

    1) Is this an acceptable diet for a young tegu? If not, what changes would you recommend?

    2) Is it ok for me to start her on raw meat? If not, how long should I wait? And, how often (if at all) should I give her meat?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    San Antonio,TX
    Posts
    9,505

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    Hi columbianb&w. Welcome to our Tegu forum family. I don't recommend feeding any cooked meats. The only thing that I recommend cooking is the eggs. I also steam the veggies just to get them a bit softer for them to eat it. It is very important that your Tegu gets some meat and some feeders ( rodents, chicks ). You also can give her some fresh fish filets ( salmon, cod, tuna, tilapia, cat fish, shrimp.... ). Just cut up the solid meat/fish into bite size pieces and put it into a casserole dish with some warm water. Then put the lid on it. Wait a few minutes. Then squeeze the meat/fish to make sure it's not to hot or still very cold ( if it was frozen before ). Here is some information on where you can get some feeder rodents. They are having a special going on right now on some of the feeders. I almost forgot to ask you. Do you put any calcium/vitamin powder on her food ?

    http://www.rodentpro.com/

    http://www.rodentpro.com/frozen-feed...nformation.asp

    http://www.thetegu.com/showthread.ph...Tegu-Caresheet
    Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or what you are.Rich is who you have beside you.

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  3. #3

    Default

    Thanks! And, I usually (but not always) use a calcium powder on her crickets. So, I will definitely start doing that more. And a few more questions, if you don't mind...


    What kind of veggies are safe? I usually just feed fruits, I didn't know they could eat veggies, too!

    Can she eat the whole egg? I've been only feeding her the yolk (boiled).

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    California
    Posts
    121

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    i give my two argentine tegus raw beef mixed with calcium/vitamin powder and i give them feeders too. I don't do too many fruits during the winter but when i have them outside during the summer i'll give them partially frozen ones to play around with and chew on. when i give them eggs as treats i usually just scramble the entire egg. i try not to give them egg too often just cause they get some nasty smelling burps hahahaha
    You know you are a reptile owner when you can use tissue and duct tape to bandage a bite while you are working with your scaly critters

  5. #5

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    Is there a reason that you don't give them fruits in the winter, or is it just a seasonal thing?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    San Antonio,TX
    Posts
    9,505

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    Your welcome . Any time. Please ask as many questions as you like. Yes, you can give your Tegu the entire egg. You can hard boil them ( this is what I do ) or you can scramble them ( nothing added to it like oils/butter or spices ). After you hard boiled the eggs please remove the shells. Since the edges are very sharp I grind them up and added to the ground meat for natural calcium. Also please make sure the eggs are cooled down before giving it to your Tegu.
    When it comes to fruits I would stay away from the acidic ones like oranges or pineapples. They love mangoes . Bananas should be given just every now and then. They are very high in potassium. When it comes to the veggies I don't give them spinach. I don't remember why it's bad ( I'm sorry ). I could be wrong but I think it doesn't bind with the calcium. I don't give them white potatoes. Just sometimes the sweet potatoes. I give them corn, carrots, peas, broccoli, dark leave lettuce ( kale ).
    Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or what you are.Rich is who you have beside you.

    Our videos :

    http://www.youtube.com/user/txrepgirl

  7. #7

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    Great! I love how varied their diets can be. When feeding veggies, do you cook them, or give them raw? I seems like it would be difficult for them to chomp down on raw carrots.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Central FL
    Posts
    4,349

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    You can cook hard veggies or shave them into thin slices.
    Laura R (FL)
    1.0.0 Colombian Tegu
    1.4.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
    1.2.0 Red Tegu
    1.2.0 B/WxRed Tegu
    1.0.0 Green Ameiva (yet another teiid)
    7 other lizards
    1 little gator
    3 FL box turtle
    1 Sulcata tortoise
    16 snakes
    5 fuzzy pets
    4 little frogs
    a bunch of creepy bugs
    and a partridge in a pear tree

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    California
    Posts
    121

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    there isn't really any nice fruits during the winter so when spring hits i get them the berries and other seasonal fruits
    You know you are a reptile owner when you can use tissue and duct tape to bandage a bite while you are working with your scaly critters

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    San Antonio,TX
    Posts
    9,505

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    When it comes to the hard veggies I either steam them ( so they still have some nutrients in them ) and don't get over cooked. Or if I don't have much time then I put them in a blender and make baby food out of it. Then I mix it up with the ground meat.
    Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or what you are.Rich is who you have beside you.

    Our videos :

    http://www.youtube.com/user/txrepgirl

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