The low down on gut loading

[dolphinsilversea01]

I often help people out on other boards, especially yahoo answers, the amount of kids who ask about beardie care on there is just nuts! And alot of people give the wrong information. I always give my answers about beardie care with as much information as possible, but I try to keep it short as not to overwhelm. I go through all the basics quickly: tank size, substrate, lighting and heating, food, etc. and I ALWAYS suggest that they visit here. Sometimes they will contact me via email or pm and ask me questions - this is what I am facing right now. Oh, and I also not only like to answer and explain, but give links to examples, or questions posed here about the issue as well. On of the questions being asked of me is about gut loading - what is it, why, etc. etc. I know what it is, but I am having that issue when you know what something is but can't find the words to explain it.
I have been looking and looking through be.org - seriously! I did like 5 searches and can't find too much about gut loading information as a whole. So, to help me out when I am faced with this question on other boards or even at work, can you please post what should be mentioned when telling someone what gut loading is, why we do it, etc. etc.

Thanks.

 

[slantedii]

Well, the reason you gutload, is because whatever your bearded dragons feeders eat, ur dragon is eating too. Most crickets from the pet store have been chewing on egg crates for days and really arent all that nutritious for ur beardie. By giving them lots of greens and some protein, ur beardie is also getting those nutrients. I mean, thats basically it.

 

[railroadwife]

How bout an analogy....The crickets are the "gas station" your beardie is the car. The food you feed the crickets is like the gas that the big tanker trucks bring the station so they can provide gas for your car (aka beardie). You have to fill up the tanks at the gas station (crickets) before the gas station can provide your car with gasoline. You gutload (feed) a cricket so you can have quality gas (food) for your car (dragon). okay, it's a little early and maybe the freezing rain has frozen my brain Made sense to me..?

 

[beardiebandit]

yeah it made sence. basically you are trying to load each cricket with as much nutrients as possible right before feeding them to your dragon so all the nutrients they just ingested will transfer to you beardie.

i think the more in depth you get the more complicated it seems especially to some one that is just getting into keeping beardies. good luck answering all those questions! : )