Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, I just found out I was feeding my beardies bird food. I looked up the nutritional analysis to compare Zupreem and Kaytee.

Zupreem has
14% min crude protein
4% min crude fat
2.5% max crude fiber
10% max moisture

Kaytee is
25% min crude protein
6% min crude fat
6% max crude fiber
10% max moisture

Unless you guys can tell me that the Zupreem is fine with it's levels I think I will be switching my kids over to Kaytee.

Heather
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Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first and the lesson after.

Hs Kritter Kove

The kaytee product you mention contains propionic acid and ethoxyquin, both are preservatives. Ethoxyquin in perticular is believed to cause problems with birds. I personally would stay away from the product. Rep-cal pellets contain no preservatives and have a high protien content.
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Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

I use Kaytee with my beardies. They love it and I've never had any trouble with it either.
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Julie

That's fine, I was just pointing out that that product contains 2 preservatives that could have long term negative effects on your dragon. To some people that would be a deciding factor on whether thay use the product. I was also pointing out that there are other pellets that do not contain preservatives. If you want to learn more about the potential hazards of ethoxyquin and propionic acid, I would suggest a seach. There is plenty of info.

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Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

gizzard?

beardies do not process and digest food like a beardie does or other reptiles for that matter, birds have a gizzard that helps grind down the food to pass through the intestines, a beardie does not. Granted with reptiles we often have to use things that are designed for avian or human use, but we have some really good feed products made just for them, why use something that is not?

These photos are good as they show where the stomach lays in lizards, you can also see why an impaction causes paralyzes in the back legs, the stomach lays right along the spine.

X-rays of a Uro impacted with bird pellets

X-ray after flushing treatments, still a small impaction that would not break down and had to be surgerical removed.