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What is the deal with feeding hot dogs to crocodilians? I went to a tourist golf spot that I thought was owned my a respectable herper. A photographer had a ghastly little gator that was obviously underfed with stick limbs and little tail thickness. The 3-4 ft gators seemed to have varying degrees of snout 'strangeness' for lack of a better word. They just didn't look right...some were snubbed, just had a dwarfy look to them. I was glad to hear that the original owner had sold. I'd hate to think that someone I respected kept animals in such poor condition. I declined on the offer to feed hot dogs to the alligators.

I left and took my family and friends to another tourist spot that also featured live gators...and you could buy pieces of hot dog to feed. The gators looked better, but ridiculously fat from hot dogs. There are quite a few gator parks in our area that offer hot dogs as gator food.

I also spoke with a local 'wildlife educator' who was glad to get his gator off Mazuri and on to hot dogs since they were cheaper and cleaner. What am I missing with the appeal of hot dogs? Heck, I don't even care to eat the darn things myself! They can't be a good staple diet for young gators.

Any thoughts?

>>What is the deal with feeding hot dogs to crocodilians? I went to a tourist golf spot that I thought was owned my a respectable herper. A photographer had a ghastly little gator that was obviously underfed with stick limbs and little tail thickness. The 3-4 ft gators seemed to have varying degrees of snout 'strangeness' for lack of a better word. They just didn't look right...some were snubbed, just had a dwarfy look to them. I was glad to hear that the original owner had sold. I'd hate to think that someone I respected kept animals in such poor condition. I declined on the offer to feed hot dogs to the alligators.
>>

Some of what you describe with the snout can also be attributed to boneless skinless chicken breasts. I have noticed that issue when I get them in through rescue. I am getting pretty good at picking out my "chicken" babies.

I would assume you hit the nail on the head as to the hot dogs. Expense. Mazuri is not really cheap persay.
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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

Heres my thoughts:
I would NEVER feed any alligator a hot dog only diet. IMO its not nutritionally sound.
I think mazuri is only expensive if you have a lot of animals to feed. Since I switched to Mazuri, I'm still on my first bag. That was purchased in spring of 2008. I am only feeding 2 animals.
I think the people who are feeding a hot dog only diet are going to walk in on a dead animal one of these days. I dont think nature intended these animals to digest and eliminate all of the salt and phosphates in a processed meat that was only ever intended for humans to eat once in a while.
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1.0 Albino American alligator, "Smoke"
1.1 American alligator,"Al Bite Ya & Mollie"
1.1 Purple Albino Reticulated Pythons, "Gumbo & Abita"
0.1 Eastern Gaboon Viper, "Gabbie"

Just reading your post Kachunga, and if you have 3 alligators (as your signature would suggest), why do you only feed two of them Mazuri???

The third one is a new acquisition and hasnt switched over yet.
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1.0 Albino American alligator, "Smoke"
1.1 American alligator,"Al Bite Ya & Mollie"
1.1 Purple Albino Reticulated Pythons, "Gumbo & Abita"
0.1 Eastern Gaboon Viper, "Gabbie"