Reptile & Amphibian Forums

this is a question more for my own curiosity than for an animal i own.. i dont even own a uromastyx but i work at a petstore that has two.. apparently i am being questioned in my choice of food for them... and i would like to know if i was mistaken or not.. i understand that a varied diet is the best diet but the girl who is claiming that i dont know what i am talking about thinks that they should eat nothing but those frozen veggies you get from the grocery store.. (lime beans, peas, carrots, corn and green beans) she said that they need those because they dont get moisture from the fresh greens.. ive been feeding them a mixture of fresh springs greens and every two days i add grated zucchini, squash and other fresh grated veggies.. i had thought that since they were a desert species and built to survive without a lot of water, that the mixed greens were ok.. it seems to me that the frozen ones would be lacking in nutrients due to processing?

i also understand that they will eat bird seed or rodent chow? i havent been doing that because i dont know what kind specifically of each.. suggestions would be appreciated!

if i am wrong i would like to be corrected so i can start feeding them the proper diet.. honestly i hope i am not because my position at the store is at stake if she is right.. but i care more about the welfare of the uros than my paycheck.. if anyone can answer my question, please do.. or if you dont have time for a response but could direct me to a website that has accurate info.. that would be fantastic.. thanks very much..

-dana
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

Dana,

I would say you are much more correct than the other person is. Though when I first bought my Uro that is what the pet store person told me (frozen veggie mix) so possibly she has just never done any research (though I was also told walnut shell bedding - EEEK!)... Anyway, that is sort of besides the point. How I wish every person who worked in the pet industry was as conscientious and thoughtful as you!!

Here is a link to a great care sheet for Uromastyx:

http://www.deerfernfarms.com/Uromastyx_Care.htm

If you have any questions this forum is a great resource with many knowledgable people. Maybe you can send the person who came into the shop here too...

Thank you again for asking!

Elizabeth

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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes (May he rest in peace)
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine (RIP)
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

i always feed leafy greens and leave the frozen food to emergencies or a really busy week. frozen foods do lose some nutrients and i don't even like eating frozen veggies so i rarely give them to the uros
bok choy, peas and lentils are three things my uros can't resist and i even have a hard time getting them to eat other things if those three things are in the cage
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vonnie
***The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.
— Mark Russell***

thank you all very much for the info.. and that website was excellent.. im going to try to print the information and bring it to work with me tomorrow.. i appreciate the compliment Elizabeth.. .i try my hardest.. wouldnt be working at a petstore if i didnt love animals and want the best for them..

actually the girl who is contradicting my care of them is a co-worker.. i apparently "usurped" her hold on the reptile dept. when i came to work there.. the position of reptile manager has been discussed with me as a possiblity in the future.. thus far she has done nothing to prove to me that she is more capable .. for example, ordering desert horned lizards and denying that they need ants to survive (we lost two of three and sold the last).. i dont want to have some "pissing match" as my boss put it, with her.. but i do care about the welfare of the animals.. and i do not believe she knows as much as she thinks she does... i really just want to settle it and make sure that the uros and all the other herps there get the proper care, and that the people who take them home get accurate info to ensure they live long happy lives.. (sounds horribly cheesy)..

thanks again!
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

there is nothing wrong with you wanting the animals to have long happy lives, i wish more people cared about them having long happy lives!
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vonnie
***The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.
— Mark Russell***