Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have heard many times that it's not good to feed hognoses just mice, because of something with the fat and liver. CAn't remember exactly. I'm sort of scared to feed my hognose and taods because I'm afraid it won't eat any pinkys anymore.
If I should feed it both, give me an example of how many feedings I should feed it. Like every three feedings of mice feed it a toad or what. i've also heard from a guy at the herp show I go to before say that he has fed many snakes jst rodents for over 10 years. Thanx in advance.
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Justin

The disease you are referring to is "fatty liver disease" and I believe that western hogs will do just fine on a diet of mice only.

No need to feed toads from a health perspective, I would be more worried about parasite trasmission from the toads than fatty liver disease from the mice.

Take care.
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-Ross Payan - www.LeosAnonymous.com

Leos Anonymous

Ball Pythons, Red Striped Leos, and Screaming Fat-Tails

There are lots of rumors...no hardcore evidence. It seems like most people say Westerns can take the mice, yet easterns can't. I have yet to see HARD proof that mice have an ill effect on hognose. Colchicine actually has a pair that have been maintained on mice for years (EASTERNS at that). I personally would not worry about it. A lot of what I hear is "I got my hognose a week ago, fed it a mouse yesterday, and it died today. Therefore, it must have been the mouse." I personally will feed mice to every eastern I get. I kept one a while back that did fine on them. And those are easterns...Westerns reportedly even take rodents in the wild. So it should not be a huge jump in captivity. Andy
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Andy Maddox
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Who are you who can say it's ok to live through me? Alice In Chains

It seems as though the others have beat me to it! In my opinion, fatty liver disease is a rare and completely unsubstantiated phenomenon. Do the smart thing for your hognoses and the environment, use only mice. There is no need to supplement with toads.
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*Humans aren't the only species on earth... we just act like it.

".the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without
spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

Thanx everyone. I was pretty sue that it was not much to worry about but just wanted to make sure.
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Justin