feeding mice

[Paradon]

Purine and pyrimidine are the building blocks of DNA and RNA...

 

[Claudiusx]

So are you saying if I gave my dragon some whey protein, that the dragon would handle it just as well as if I gave the dragon soy protein?
Dragons cannot digest dairy products, and whey protein is a dairy product. Clearly that shows that not all protein is the same?

-Brandon

 

[Paradon]

Isn't whey protein from the dairy product? So, no, I wouldn't feed it to my reptiles. Although, I know people that feed Ensure to the sick and malnourished reptiles that they rescued.

Anyway, I thought we are talking about purine which is the building blocks of DNA and RNA.

 

[Claudiusx]

You said ALL protein is the same no matter where it comes from.
That is why I mentioned whey, its a protein that comes from dairy, which is much different than a protein that comes from soy.
Just like protein that comes from bugs, is much different than protein that comes from mice.

There is no reason to feed any sized mouse. Everything you can get out of a mouse can be fed in a much safer manner with other feeding choices.

EDIT: Erm, no we weren't talking about that, you were the only one who brought it up. I was replying to your false statement that all protein is the same.

-Brandon

 

[Paradon]

I think you're confused. I'm talking about purine.

 

[Claudiusx]

Protein is protein whether you get it from mice, anoles, snails or wales.

No its not.

And no im not confused. Like I said, I was responding to the above statement.

-Brandon

 

[ShannyBeard]

In choosing feeders for my dragons, I think about the overall health value of that feeder. With so many worm and insect choices, and the fact that they are healthier than mammal protein, I don't consider feeding mice. There is a limit to the amount of protein a bearded dragon can burn off or excrete, and it will likley store the fat. That fat is stored in the liver.

I'm think we should reserve our dragon's liver for more important functions than to try to break down unnecessary amounts of fat from unhealthy feeders. It is my opinion that overloading the liver with fat disrupts a very important function - the synthesis of Vitamin D3 and release of calcium into the bloodstream. There is already a hurdle to clear with respect to absorption of calcium - we have desert dwelling creatures living in glass tanks in our house. We have to provide proper UVB and also a heat lamp that work together to aid in the proper absorption of calcium. Then we also must supplement their diet with calcium. Why would you want to compromise this balance that we are trying to achieve? The liver is directly responsible for the proper systhesis of Vitamin D3 and calcium.

Another thought I have about this is that Adenovirus attacks the liver and ultimately dragons die from liver damage when infected with adeno. Adeno is already a real health concern with captive bearded dragons. The best defense against adeno is a healthy liver, which would be that of a dragon that was fed a healthy diet, leaving the liver free from the burden of dealing with a fatty diet.

Please reconsider feeding your bearded dragon mice. It really doesn't make sense from a nutritional standpoint.

 

[Ratlovinkippy211]

Thank you.
I knew of people doing it but never really knew why or if there was a good reason other than " its cool" or "fun".

I will go on feeding my beardie its greens and crickets. Once she is older I will bring in the worms and such but never mice.

Thanks again.

 

[Claudiusx]

Great choice.

There are some very healthy worms though that you can feed to your dragon even as a baby.

These would include all types of BSFL, silkworms, hornworms, and butterworms.

-Brandon

 

[ShannyBeard]

that's exactly what we did with our baby - lots and lots of crickets, then we tried silkworms and roaches, and they all loved them. I swear Scarlet has grown almost as large as Ginger now that she eats roaches, and she is almost a month younger. :shock: Scarlet likes the roaches more than Ginger!

 

[Ratlovinkippy211]

My co worker can get silk worms and i know at least two breed everything from meal worms to roaches. shes only a few months old so I think I wait a little longer but I do plan on changing things up even more soon.
She has about 150 each week and lots of greens too.

 

[ShannyBeard]

Sounds like you are set for feeders. That's awesome. I always feel badly for people who have to mail order so much. It's nice to be able to pick things up locally.

 

[Ratlovinkippy211]

would I intro meal worms first or waxworms. I know waxworms have more fat and shouldnt be given too much and Just needed a idea on when its safe to start giving him any type of worm.

 

[Claudiusx]

Actually I wouldn't feed mealworms at all.

They are not a very nutritious feeder, and have more chitten on them than actual meat.

Waxworms should be fed sparingly. Think of it as feeding your own child a candy bar. You don't want to be giving them that all the time.

Better worms would be silkworms, butterworms, hornworms, Phoenix worms, Repti-worms, and Calci-worms.

-Brandon