Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been thinking about this lately. Would a reptile vitamin supplement be beneficial to ball pythons, or any snake for that matter. I have heard it mentioned occasionally, generally for people who think that feeding FT provides their snakes with a diet that is insufficient in certain vitamins or minerals. Does anyone here dust? their feeders and if so how often and what type of supplement. I believe that I have actually seen this on a care sheet/video or two.....what are your opinions?
-Bryce

Well I inject supplements every 4th feeding into f/t and live ,its not just the f/t that are lacking . In the wild they eat wild rodents that eat wild food, food not grown on a farm in fertilized ground , They now on bones and horn of the other animals to get the stored minerals and eat wild seed and plants ,the minerals that are not found in most farm raised rodents . Like L-Tyrosine and copper that if there is not enough of can cause a steady lose of color shed after shed . And if you read back thru the archives you will find were someone asks about color louse after sheds just about every mouth ore so . Well this is what I have found as I had the same problems every once in a wile until I started adding the vitamins and I have not had a problem since , and that 6 -7 years ago now . David

Thanks Dave, good info. Which vitamin supplement do you inject and how much?

It is one I have made for me by our pharmacist , I will get the ingr. From him Monday and send them to you if you send me your e-mail address to my contact point were it says e-mail message . . Thanks David

Never used a supplement on a ball - never will - yes I feed f/t they do just fine - there are more than enough vitamins and minerals in a captive rodents - 99.9% of the time supplementation is totally unnecessary.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

Vitamin supplements are proven to work in all animals. Thiamine is definately one missing if you're feeding frozen.

...The first thing any good health practitioner dose, evaluate diet and then recomend supplements if there is something lacking. In the case of captives it's all the trace elements wild rodents would have in their bodies.

i have a female cal king who was ill earlier this year... kinda spaghetti noodle feeling.... so i fed her small rats with their butts dipped in calcium/d3 and she perked up quickly. she have more muscle tone and is getting bigger around.... she's also gravid.

~kin
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~Sober Serpents~
www.freewebs.com/soberserpents
Corns, Creamsicles, A Black Rat, Thayeri, Cal Kings, A Jungle Corn(Just A Pet), A Ball Python, A Bearded dragon, Leopard Geckos, Green Anoles, a Snapping turtle, and a white cheeked mud turtle