Is it possible?

**Care** · 08-01-2009, 05:14 PM

I'm interested in tegus... but there is no way I would ever buy any "feeder" animals. At one point, I was considering a vegetarian diet with eggs, but I'm not sure how fair that would be to the animal. I gave up on the idea of getting a tegu for awhile, until something "clicked" the other day.

One of my cats brings home dead animals all the time. Mice, rats, snakes, birds, you name it. She leaves them completely untouched, and dog and other cats show no interest in them - something I consider it a complete waste. Would it be plausible to feed a tegu on a largely vegetarian diet, with eggs and the occasional rodent/snake/bird that the cat leaves?

I've read a few places that in the wild, they are largely vegetarian, with meat eating mostly in the form of scavenging. I've also heard their eating habits described as them being a "garbage disposal". Both of those things make me think it could work, am I wrong?

**BoxTurtle52** · 08-01-2009, 05:48 PM

You should never feed them feeders you get from outside. Take crickets for example. If you take crickets from outside to feed to the animal, there is always a risk that the cricket has been exposed to pesticides and other things. I don't think you should keep a tegu entirely on a vegetarian diet. They need feeder animals like mice.

Here's a care sheet.

http://www.www.thetegu.com/showthread.php?t=4788

**Care** · 08-01-2009, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by BoxTurtle52

You should never feed them feeders you get from outside. Take crickets for example. If you take crickets from outside to feed to the animal, there is always a risk that the cricket has been exposed to pesticides and other things. I don't think you should keep a tegu entirely on a vegetarian diet. They need feeder animals like mice.

Here's a care sheet.

http://www.www.thetegu.com/showthread.php?t=4788

Are they not essentially the same as a wild tegu, though? That's pretty similar to what they would be eating in the wild, is it not?

**agallegos37** · 08-01-2009, 06:05 PM

If you don't want to feed your tegu feeder animals, you shouldn't get a tegu. It may be similar to what wild tegus eat but there's a MUCH larger chance that those animals have parasites and diseases that could harm your tegu. Not worth the risk at all.

**rollingkatana7** · 08-01-2009, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Care

Are they not essentially the same as a wild tegu, though? That's pretty similar to what they would be eating in the wild, is it not?

you need to feed your tegu meat, if you dont he wont be healthy enough, if you feed him animals from outside youll be exposing the tegu to disease and bacteria it is not the same because it is a captive tegu not wild you need ur tegu to be healthy so dont be like that

**Care** · 08-01-2009, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by rollingkatana7

you need to feed your tegu meat, if you dont he wont be healthy enough, if you feed him animals from outside youll be exposing the tegu to disease and bacteria it is not the same because it is a captive tegu not wild you need ur tegu to be healthy so dont be like that

Instead of saying "don't be like that", facts as to why are helpful.

BoxTurtle and Agallegos, thanks very much

I guess I was expecting that, but I thought it was worth a try to ask.

**txrepgirl** · 08-01-2009, 06:26 PM

Hi Care.Welcome to the Tegu forum family.The other members coverd what I wanted to say very well.I wouldn't risk it either.If you don't want to feed the Tegu feeders because you don't like killing anything I understand that.Feeding frozen/thawed rodents is much better any way.You can give him raw and at room temps lean ground turkey,chicken/turkey breast, fish filets ( with no growth hormones in it ), chicken gizzards and hearts.Here is a good link for you to check out about the rodents.Hope that helps.

http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_01.asp

**Care** · 08-01-2009, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by txrepgirl

Hi Care.Welcome to the Tegu forum family.The other members coverd what I wanted to say very well.I wouldn't risk it either.If you don't want to feed the Tegu feeders because you don't like killing anything I understand that.Feeding frozen/thawed rodents is much better any way.You can give him raw and at room temps lean ground turkey,chicken/turkey breast, fish filets ( with no growth hormones in it ), chicken gizzards and hearts.Here is a good link for you to check out about the rodents.Hope that helps.

http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_01.asp

To me, the poultry and fish is still killing something. I'm vegan, so I'm not really about to keep mice in my freezer or cut up chicken hearts. Cat/dog food is really as far as I'm willing to go, because they need it. My main thing was whether or not tegu's needed the above things that you stated. Since they do, it looks like they're not a good choice for me. Thanks for the help!