Mutton Bird Oil?

[mrsshep77]

Well I have heard a few people mention that they use Mutton Bird Oil as a supplement with the snakes meals. How many people here use it, why and what results have you seen?
Are there any other supplements that people use?
Is Cod Liver Oil the same as using the Mutton Bird Oil??

Would appreciate everyone's feedback on this.

Cheers,
Mell

 

[MoreliaMatt]

i dont know much about it myself but what i do know is some peoples opinions on here, so i might just grab my popcorn and sit down.... lol

 

[mrsshep77]

Seriously Matt?????

Hmmm it's a shame how alot of threads these days are being started with those words "better get the popcorn"...... I was only asking a question that I wanted to know more about!!
Thanks for the warning anyway!

Cheers,
Mell

 

[yommy]

mutton bird oil = snake growth steriods

 

[mrsshep77]

Yeah I thought as much!! But what about for use with snakes that have had eating issues and are under nourished etc???? Is it still frowned upon????

 

[MatE]

Ive seen this discussion before and heard some people may use it ,but sort of gathered that if your feeding them right through the year you really dont need to.Mutton bird oil makes them put on heaps of weight rather quickly ,some use it for after a female lay there eggs to put weight back on but dont feel the need to do it myself.

 

[Just_Joshin]

It is high in energy and nutrients and is really only "needed" to get an underweight snake up to healthy weight quickly. It make syour snake grow at a much higher rate. Just google it.

It came about as it was found that the tiger snakes on chappel (??) or king island, i can't remember which one, where huge compared to their mainland counter parts. like 2m+. It was found that this was because the only food they ate were mutton bird chicks and these chicks were only small enough and around long enough to eat for like 6 weeks of the year. So they wonder how the snakes were so big. This is when they discovered what a potent formula and energy, minerals and vitamens mutton bird oil was and how it made snakes grow quickly. Personally i wouldn't use it unless i needed to put weight on a snake quickly. It's not need in general husbandry imo.

if you google it you will find some info on it.

 

[Magpie]

It's oil, basically a calorie boost, no nutrients to speak of.

 

[Just_Joshin]

It's oil, basically a calorie boost, no nutrients to speak of.

Yes it does.

Mutton Bird Oil is one of the most concentrated Sea Foods available for Medicinal Purposes.

With a high percentage of vitamins A, D and E. It also contains mostly Polyunsaturated Fats, which enables it to Lower Cholesterol in the Body, Reduce Blood Pressure and the Risk of Heart Disease.

Mutton Bird Oil is Rich in Iodine, Phosphate, Zinc and Calcium. The Iodine in the Oil, stimulates Growth, increase's Weight, and has a Beneficial effect on the Reproductive Organs. The Calcium in the Oil produces healthy Flesh, Bone Muscle and good Teeth.

 

[Just_Joshin]

Seriously Matt?????

Hmmm it's a shame how alot of threads these days are being started with those words "better get the popcorn"...... I was only asking a question that I wanted to know more about!!
Thanks for the warning anyway!

Cheers,
Mell

Read this. It should give you all the info you need. I took my own advice and googled it.


http://www.ozpets.com.au/articles/213/

 

[Magpie]

A D and E eh? all fat soluble vitamins that you'll also find in mutton fat and also higly toxic in high doses.
Phosphate, bad for you in high doses also.
What do you consider a "nutrient". Thos eare vitmains and minerals, I consider proteins and amino acids to be far more important.

 

[steve6610]

Seriously Matt?????

Hmmm it's a shame how alot of threads these days are being started with those words "better get the popcorn"...... I was only asking a question that I wanted to know more about!!
Thanks for the warning anyway!

Cheers,
Mell

i agree mell, seems to be a favourite reply, like we need popcorn in every thread, new members will get an idea this is the movies instead of a herp related site for learning things we aren't sure about, how do we learn, ask more experanced keepers, yes we can google, but will google tell you everything....................

 

[Just_Joshin]

A D and E eh? all fat soluble vitamins that you'll also find in mutton fat and also higly toxic in high doses.
Phosphate, bad for you in high doses also.
What do you consider a "nutrient". Thos eare vitmains and minerals, I consider proteins and amino acids to be far more important.

I think you will find "Nutrients" convers anything needed for a living organism to grow. This includes Fats, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Vitamins and minerals.

So yes i stand by my statement that mutton bird oil contains nutrients and is much more than a calorie booster.

i think you will find vitamen A, D, and E can all be tolerated in high doses quite readily and are only "higly toxic" in extreme situations under extenuating circumstances such as other disease or ailment. Vitamin D is of most concern as it could be consider a prohormone and not a vitamin.

 

[GSXR_Boy]

I've also read it is taxing in the liver and can cause bad liver damage if used to often.
Spoke to a chap that uses it and he injects it into the food every 6th feed.

 

[Dan123]

i use it after any female lays. i also use it on schedualed occasions which varies between each snake and on there eating habbits.
.e.g: my bhp that only ever ate small finches for his first 3years before i got him has a rat with 3.5ml muttonbird oil every 4th feed (being feed fortnightly)
My biggest waterpython would get an medium rabbit with 6ml muttonbird oil for her first 3 feeds after laying.
my yearling stimmi gets a 2 weaner mice per feed (every fourtnight) every 8th feed both mice are injected with 2mls of muttonbird oil this is to help it grow.
these are just a few examples of my own, if you dont want to use it then dont use it, if you do want to use it then sure go for it. i got it recomended by a vet when i was having shedding problems with my cape york. i found it great and I decided to keep using it.

 

[Renagade]

sssssssssskkkkkkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffe

 

[RevDaniel]

How much difference between Mutton bird oil and quails are there? I feed my bigger reptiles quails and they almost glow after having shed their skins. They fill up easier {as oppose to feeding plenty of rats just one quail will be sifficient} and grow much faster

 

[elapid@]

some people that own chapell island tiger snakes inject small dose's of mutton bird oil into there mice as in the wild they start off eating small chicks then growing larger to eat adult mutton bird. the oil in the birds help them to grow quick and large also helps them to digest there food and shed there skin. I probably wouldnt give it to other snakes.
cheers steve.

 

[wokka]

Dan123 your feeding regime seems very precise. Is there any science behind it? What do you get out of mutton bird fat that you dont get out of say rat fat. I' always steered away from fat and so like you use youg rabbits for larger feed items rather than old rats. Does Muttonbird fat add strain to the liver in handling the extra fat load?

 

[slim6y]

I think you will find "Nutrients" convers anything needed for a living organism to grow. This includes Fats, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Vitamins and minerals.

So yes i stand by my statement that mutton bird oil contains nutrients and is much more than a calorie booster.

i think you will find vitamen A, D, and E can all be tolerated in high doses quite readily and are only "higly toxic" in extreme situations under extenuating circumstances such as other disease or ailment. Vitamin D is of most concern as it could be consider a prohormone and not a vitamin.

Vitamin A: "While in general the body absorbs retinoids and vitamin A very efficiently, it lacks the mechanisms to destroy excessive loads. Thus, the chances for toxicity exist unless intake is regulated carefully. Revision of earlier estimates of daily human requirements of vitamin A has been suggested; the suggestion is that estimates ought to be revised downwards. Concern exists about the teratogenicity of vitamin A." (humans only accounted for in this paragraph)

Vitamin D: "Vitamin D toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. It can also raise blood levels of calcium, causing mental status changes such as confusion. High blood levels of calcium also can cause heart rhythm abnormalities. Calcinosis, the deposition of calcium and phosphate in the body's soft tissues such as the kidney, can also be caused by vitamin D toxicity."

Recommendations for Vitamin D are EXTREMELY low - your snakes should be able to get adequate Vit D from being in the sun for 15 minutes per week!

Vitamin E: "While short-term supplementation with vitamin E up to 1600 IU appears to be well tolerated with minimal side effects in most healthy adults, the long-term safety is questionable. Recent data suggest a possible increase in mortality and incidence of heart failure with long-term use of vitamin E (400 IU or more) in patients with chronic diseases."

I did copy and past all of these fromwebsites to save me re-typing what i was originaly taught in Toxicology classes at uni.

It's not on the topic of mutton bird oil - but I would be inclined to say I haven't an informed choice on this matter, but I am fully aware of nutrient toxicity sorry I couldn't be of further assistance.