Mouse Ingredients

[Fangs]

Saw this on a herp shop website.

Repta Calcium
A premium calcium supplement for lizards, snakes, turtles and frogs, Fluker's Repta-Calcium Dietary Supplement provides the calcium your pet needs for strong, healthy bones and vital bodily functions. Recommended for reptiles or amphibians who eat large amounts of high-phosphorus foods (crickets, mealworms, wax worms or mice).

Whats with the last sentence about mice being a high-phosphorous food.
I realise this is a marketing pitch by the makers but how much truth is in it?I assume that phosphorous blocks or slows down the uptake of calcium.
Anyone know the story?

cheers

 

[Artie]

Hi Fangs, I use the stuff sometimes for my young Diamond.
If you look closely at the label, it states crickets, mealworms, wax worms and " p i n k y mice", not fuzzies, or adult mice.
Cheers

 

[Artie]

Sorry, fuzzies and adult mice are not mentioned on the label only the pinkies. Just in case my message implied that !!

 

[Fangs]

Thanx Artie,
I didnt read that of the label but rather the website that is selling it.

So how do you go about getting calcium sups into snakes,roll the pinkies,fuzzies or whatever in it,or inject some into the prey item?

cheers

 

[Artie]

After I defrost the prey, I usually let the hot water run over it to clean off any thing that shouldn?t be on it, dap it off with papertowel and sprinkle a bit of Rep-Cal on one side and a bit of Reptivite on the other.
The prey is usually still warm (hot water) and Ruby just loves it!
Ps. I only do it every second feed 5-6 weeks.

 

[africancichlidau]

I used to inject the rats with a liquid calcium but don't do it anymore. What does everyone think about the necessity of calcium supplements if your snake is getting a good diet and plenty of sunshine? I have wavered on this and still occasionally give some anyway but I would really like to find out other peoples opinions so I can put the matter to bed once and for all.

 

[Nicole]

Trusted source assures me that as long as they get whole mature animals, no need, so no suppliments for my girls...

 

[Artie]

Yeah, you probably right, I wouldn?t do it with any other snake either, only the Diamond, as they have some strange habits.
I have heard of other breeders doing it also with young Diamonds.
I?ll only do it this season, till she hibernates.

 

[Guest]

Mice eat cheese, don't they?

 

[Fangs]

I thought this topic would generate some debate.
The reason I put it up here is because of the high phosphorous/low calcium comment in the webpage about Repta Calcium.
What about snakes that dont get any sunshine, maccies etc?
Im sure this has been thrown around umpteen times on this forum but what constitutes a "good diet"? Surely not one that includes only mice or only rats.
Probably the best question to ask is would there be any harm in giving your snakes vitamins and calcium suppliments? If not then why not suppliment just in case?

cheers

 

[Artie]

That's basically what I'm doing, Fangs.
"Supplimenting "just in case".
I can't see it doing any harm, as long as one doesn't over do it.
As they say, too much of a good thing is no good either hehehe
I did actually read in one of my snake books, too much vitamin can do more harm, than no vitamins.
Cheers Artie

 

[Hawkeye]

Well at least with humans too much vitamins can cause problems. I think that snakes must get all they need from their natural prey and being outside.

I am pretty sure that frozen mice are not regularly on the diet for the average wild snake. I am more interested in what the nutritional difference between reptiles (eg lizards/other snakes etc etc) and mammals when they are not the snakes natural prey? Taipans obviously get all they need from mammals but not sure about carpets.

Cheers Hawkeye