Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is a question for my own benefit. What would be the negative effects of feeding a uro orange slices, celery, and melon doused in orange juice? I know this is a bad diet, I need scientific data to back this up. Thank you.
Kevin

"I know this is a bad diet'

"I need scientific data to back this up"

Huh? Isn't this a little like saying -'I know I shouldn't play Russian Roulette but I need scientific data to really prove it'?

I do not know of too many controlled diet studies where a group of uromastyx were fed oranges, melons, celery, and orange juice but then again, I do not know of too many studies showing the odds on Russian Roulette either. There are just some times when common sense should come into an equation.

I would suggest that you into the natural diet of the animal, look into the nutritional data of the limited number of items being fed, look into the role fiber plays in the digestive system of herbivores, look into studies where an animal (take your pick) lived on a limited unbalanced diet…..

This has to be a trick question as no sensible Uro keeper would even consider the thought. Just nonsense over the net.

Let me explain this before everyone jumps all over my case. I've kept a uro in the past, and I feed them correctly. I'm not an idiot. I kept a seed bowl on them and fed them a combination of dandelion greens, bok choy, nappa cabbage, and occasionally, kale. So before everyone flips out, here me out. There's a local pet store keeping uromastyx, and out of curiosity, I asked what they were feeding them. The above diet that I mentioned in my first message was what they told me they were feeding it. I told them that was completely wrong, and they told me to prove it. That's why I'm asking here. I know it's the wrong diet (what they're feeding it, the OJ, baby food, etc., I think there was even some cricket diet in there), I just don't have a scientific explanation why other than "that's not what they eat". That's why I came on here.
Kevin

Kevin,

Print off my reply and hand it to the pet store manager.

Just replied & somehow the message disappeared so I'll start over. Your post makes sense now! Can't say the same for the pet shop but, that's not unusual is it? You can't "prove" anything to the nitwits in the mall retail outlets. They often consider themselves the "experts." Obviously, there's no "data" based on such a diet. As Debb sez, it's just common sense. As in, "Duh." Can you go back there with some bonafide care sheets in hand? We've been through this routine with PetDumb &, despite initial resistance, they came around. They had insisted that cabbage was an ample diet.
Thanx for clearing up your post & good luck!

Or.... research some of the items I mentioned and give him/her your findings.

That's exactly my plan, although I doubt I'll be listened to on it. In the past, I've seen multiple species from different sides of the globe piled in in the same cages with the explanation that "Well, they're all desert lizards, aren't they?" backing it up. Actually, here's the honest to god truth, I was afraid to admit this before. I work there. It was a job that I took in on the premise that I'd be in charge of a small reptile section. Once I was hired, they at the same time hired on a seperate manager, who insisted he knew better than me, and has continually done things like what I just mentioned with the uros. I've seen pacman frogs put on pebble gravel, I've seen emaciated geckos being given gatorade as a cure, I've seen as many as five different kinds of geckos put in the same tank, the list goes on and on. I've tried to do some good, but I'm not making any headway. I took it to the store manager tonight, and I think I might have gotten it through their heads that I know what I'm talking about. In the past, I've kept and bred tokay geckos, I've kept uros and bearded dragons both successfully, I currently keep leopard geckos as well as western coachwhips, trans-pecos ratsnakes, and a few other odds and ends on snakes, etc. Basically if I haven't kept it, I know how. So I think I'm a reliable source. Anyway, any advice would be appreciated.
Kevin

Try to convince them they will only lose money on uros. Talk the "unknowing" customers out of buying them(but be slick about it so you don't get fired)redirect them to the easier and cheaper to care for reptiles. Take good care of the one's they have and they will see it is more expensive than they thought.Haven't seen a uro in 3 stores I complained to since I broke down the mortality rate vs. the cheap import price. Was it me? Don't really know(i doubt it-they probably just died before they sold one-one pays for all) but I haven't seen any in a year at those locations. Some places will never listen until they can't get them for 20-30 bucks anymore. Other places it is like a "corporate" decision(buy a lot, mark them up and spread them out). That fight you will not likely win. At least you care. Good boy!(just playing with you).I could never deal with it. There is a girl at a Petco near me who says they don't have uros anymore because they are too delicate! Imagine! Sure, you little crazy lady. At least they don't have them. Hate to see them in those teeny tiny ice boxes. Another says they die too much. Hmmmm. And the CB next to the picture of the adult male mali just kills me. But to them it is just a lizard-who cares,right? Tough gig. Noone understands you, Kevin. I think the sugars are the problem with the diet- makes them little crusty mouth diabetics.Not very scientific, I know, but which will they understand- science or economics? I bet economics.

I have complained all the way up the corporate level at one pet chain. Up to the district level management and I think it has helped to a slight extent. One store I went to, there was an emaciated, dehydrated uro kept in a little 5 gallon tank at 80 degree temps for months. I finally got so sick of it that I bought him, took pictures and took him to the vet, this was after having talked to the management numerous times.

I then logged a complaint online. After this they ended up paying for the vet visit by sending us a check for the amount me and my wife paid.

I havent seen a uro at the same store since and have talked to one of the managers at another store where they were being kept in similar conditions and I think she has taken care of that situation.

You just have to be persistent about it. If the manager doesnt want to hear what you have to say about it, ask to speak to the district manager and if he says no file a complaint online and you should see a response pretty quickly.

The uro we tried rescuing died about 7 days after we took him home. I just wish I had acted sooner and then he would still be alive.