Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have read many post on many forums by many people mentioning canned food for monitors. I am ready to straighten this out once and for all.
What is in the can? Nobody knows.
Why use it over whole food items? Ya say your monitor is too sick to eat whole foods? Fine, Step away from the can opener.
Now get the blender. Yes, the same one you make margiritas in.
Now so to make sure your sick monitor can have the proper foods, drop in some mice and blend away. You can do this with dusted crickets too. If you hit the puree button you can make some yummy monitor soup.
You might want to get a new blender for mixing drinks in now that you have found a use for the old one. Race ya to Wal-Mart ans the liquor store.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Times are changing. Many (not all) of the prepared foods for many of the herps are put together by herpers with large collections that were looking for a better way. When that better/easier way was found I'm guessing that they thought 'hey, maybe I can sell this idea'.

The point is that not all prepared foods are bad. I'm careful when I'm selecting a diet for my critters and I've found there are some good diets but for my lizards/monitors I do like whole foods.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

It clearly states, "contains 100% organic lips and a$$holes."

In all seriousness, we use it on occasion. I'm probably going to hell for it, but at least it will be warm.

Those canned prepared diets have been made for years, then theres that jello looking stuff that one company sells. No prepared foods can possibly be as good as whole fresh animals, it doesnt matter whats in it. If you want to believe that sales pitch about fellow herpers looking for a better way (every new reptile product that comes out uses the same sales pitch).
By all measn if you choose to use it go ahead, if you choose to spend a fortune on canned monitor food go ahead (the stuff is much more expensive than whole animals). Over the years Ive tried prepared monitor diets of 6 companies to see what happens if any difference over whole animals. The monitors spoke for themselves 2 types they refused to eat completely (theres a great sign), 2 they tried but wouldnt eat much (a few bites), 1 they ate for a few months and would only eat on rare occaisions afterwards, 1 I tried on them years ago they ate it for years it never caused any problems, the animals grew good, were in good health and continued to eat it whenever I offered it but it disappeared off of the market completely.
The entire time Ive had monitors and all reptiles Ive fed them 1 thing consistantly and on a regular basis, its still on the market and always will be, has a wide variety to choose from, its whole animals, it works, and it cost less than "can of magic". By all means if you want to use the stuff go right ahead, if you really believe the claims then feed it only, but do so and see for yourself what results are.

I personally find canned food to be useless. That
is not to say that it might not be useful to others.
Naturally I'm skeptical of the nutritional value, but
more to the point, in my experience monitors prefer
rodents, insects and other whole food. While they
may accept canned, they don't seem too thrilled
about it.
Neal
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pale reason hides the infinite from us

I do believe some of the folks who market the stuff because they are fellow herpers that I've known over they years and I've watched the evolution of herp supply marketing. Some of it is crap and some of it is very well thought out material.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Years ago a company sold this powder that you mixed with water, they loved it and almost never turned it down, but I also based their diet off of mice, chicken peeps, insects, and then added that stuff in between feedings, but I would never feed a prepared food as a basis. The stuff disappeared off of the market years ago and since then the one brand that they would even eat was zupreem, but they wouldnt eat it sometimes half of the time I offered it, they know better than we do what they need or want so that was my indicator besides the results of feeding whole animals speak for themselves. I tried that stuff that looks like jello and was "designed and made by experienced herp hobbyists", guess what they absolutely refused to eveb taste it no matter what. What canned food are you suggesting? Personally Kaps idea to blend pinkies is the best idea for a prepared diet, umless you blend in some insects, and little birds maybe.

n/p

I think it could be worth keeping a can in the cupboard just in case your mouse order gets sent to the wrong adress. Mice are way cheaper and those with the most experience say they use whole animals. £3 could buy me 1 small can of monitor food or 10 mice.

n/p

.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care