Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It is sad that so many keepers do not know to gutload their feeders. I am surely not referring to anyone here on kingsnake.com forums, I am talking about when you go into a random local petshop to buy frozen mice or rats, and you see someone paying quadruple for a few dozen sick, dirty crickets. I usually cannot resist to ask what they are feeding, and the responses are always the same. It does not matter if it is bearded dragons, leopard geckos, etc… -but when you then ask “what do you feed the crickets first”? –that is when you get the usual “Huh”?. I cannot recall the last time that one of these people actually knew what gut-loading is. Nor are they really interested in doing so after you explain how important it is...

I have talked to pet store owners and mentioned that they should be feeding their crickets something bedsides useless potatoes, and that their customers need to gut-load, but they never listen.

I only know of one pet center (that offers high quality CB reptiles of all sorts), and is very reliable in terms of making sure that their customers are versed on the husbandry of what they are buying, gut loading etc… But all the other shops in my area could care less.

It is not surprising that through the years, I have heard many people here and there complaining that their beardie (etc) is having health issues… -and they are the ones who do not gutload and never did the appropriate research before buying a reptile.
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dragonbreeders.com

just in case there is anybody out there that is not completly sure what gutloading is, myself included, please explain what it means. i would imagine, like me, there are other people who were wanting to ask

Gut loading is the process by which an animal's prey is raised and fed nutritious foods with the intention of passing those nutrients to the animal for which the prey is intended. This term is used most often in reference to the preparation of insects, such as crickets and mealworms, or mice which are used as food for reptiles. Insects that are raised commercially for the pet trade are themselves of little nutritional value. By providing the prey animals with a high quality diet immediataly prior to feeding, they become a more nutritious meal for the reptile.

Gut loading can be accomplished by providing fruits, vegetables, and cereals or a nutitionally complete manufactured diet. Several commercial products are available and are fortified specifically for gut loading. These products often include varying combinations of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and dietary fiber.

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Josh Delaney

Delaney Colubrids

thanks for the info

your welcome
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Josh Delaney

Delaney Colubrids