How is G'Mork looking?

[theDregs]

I just wanted to ask because G'Mork is the only tegu I have any experience with. I went to a show and he was noticeably larger than the 'Chacoan Giant" yearling they hard there, and G'Mork is only 5 months old. Is this good, bad, normal? He seems healthy to me and he's very well mannered. he is a regular Argenenian B&W.

The breeder fusses at me for feeding whole prey and vegetables, but I think it's working (unless he is growing too quickly?)

This tub is almost 18" across the bottom.

[txrepgirl]

He looks great to me. A young Tegu should eat as much as he/she wants to in the first year. Why would the breeder get mad at you for feeding hole prey and veggies ? This is what they need. Hole prey is very good for natural calcium from the bones. How often and what kind of hole prey do you give him ?

[theDregs]

I feed him every other day with whole prey. Mostly rat weanlings, day-old chicks, and smelt. I used to feed dubia, crickets, and superworms, but he's so big now that it isn't really efficient. I don't really supplement any more, other than a nice uvb light.

On off days he gets fruits and veggies. He doesn't really like them yet, but I try. He'll eat grapes, but he'll only eat other stuff after three to four days without food, and I don't like to do that to him so young.

Mr. Larocca said that I should never feed dubbia or superworms without killing them first because they eat their way out of his stomach. He also said that my whole prey diet is way unhealthy compared to his ground turkey and vitamins. I disagree, but he does have years of experience on me, so I don't know. He said any vet will tell me that whole prey leads to organ damage. We had a disagreement on his forums, but I don't want to argue with a man on his own forums. It does mean, however, that the one person I know in the trade is telling me I am doing it ALL WRONG.

I do know that my tegu is larger than his brothers and sisters, way larger. I just wasn't sure of that was good or not.

[txrepgirl]

I disagree also about him saying that the hole prey items are bad. I do would like to let you know that since the young rodents and chicks are so young their bones haven't developed much yet. That means that G'Mork doesn't benefit much from the bones. There isn't enough calcium build up yet. I know it sounds gross but I recommend getting some adult rodents and chicks. Put them into a blender and you can give it to him like this or mix it up with some hard boiled eggs, fish or other things. With those young feeders it is recommended to supplement other foods with calcium powder. Also I don't know where he gets it from that the super worms and roaches would eat through the stomach. I wouldn't have any animals left if this would be the case. Even my leopard gecko has been eating superworms for years now and he is 10 years old.

[theDregs]

Really? Even weanlings? I didn't know that! I had read that rats were more nutritious. Thanks for the advice! Luckily, I am sure that the smelt have plenty of calcium, so I don't think he is any danger.

But you are right, I looked it up and the weanlings don't have fully ossified bones yet. I will switch to adult mice until he can take larger rats. Glad I was feeding the smelt! Also, when he was eating insects until recently, they were dusted with calcium. He hasn't really had too many chicks yet becuase they are so big.

[txrepgirl]

I'm sorry. I don't remember if I mentioned this to you before. But if you want to you can grind up some egg shells for the natural calcium. The reason why I would grind them up is because the edges are very sharp and sometimes a bit harder to digest.