Do you/have you fed pinkies?

[T-ReXx]

What exactly is the gain of feeding vertibrate prey to insectivorous animals? Personally I dont get it. Properly varied and gutloaded insects used alongside proper supplementation makes pinkies obsolete. I feed rodents only to my carnivores(snakes).

And I would never give rodents to crested geckos. Thats not even close to natural prey for a primarily frugivorous animal.

 

[philly4ya]

What exactly is the gain of feeding vertibrate prey to insectivorous animals? Personally I dont get it. Properly varied and gutloaded insects used alongside proper supplementation makes pinkies obsolete. I feed rodents only to my carnivores(snakes).

And I would never give rodents to crested geckos. Thats not even close to natural prey for a primarily frugivorous animal.

I couldn't agree more. Small reptiles have no need for excess protein and fat. It's stunning and dissapointing.

 

[Dimidiata]

Im not against it but i probably wont, im not sure rango would eat one(when hes big enough) but if i try i have a blair king who wont mind taking it if he wont. I try to just keep all my animals on a varied diet, even my fish have 2-4 types of food.

 

[lillith]

I generally reserve them only for breeding females who are losing too much weight while breeding. I am hesitant to use them, I will generally only use them if I can't get weight back up even with a glut of bugs. Or sometimes in an attempt to break a hunger strike that might endanger her health.

 

[Jusselin]

i have many snakes and have fed many size mice and rats to them over the years...i fed a pinky to a Leo once and it broke my wife's heart lol... we sell reptiles for some side money... but Leopard Geckos are just OUR pets we dont sell them, so i dont think we will be feeding pinkies to the Leos again.

 

[Desdemona]

I didn't answer the poll since none of the answers really apply... if I was breeding I would use them to suppliment the females. Right now my one big adult is fat enough without any of those little guys. If I had an adult on a food strike I'd probably try a live one to renew interest.

I feed one to my B. Dragon on occasion as a treat. She loves them.. but its only once every 3 or 4 months.

Mice are prey animals, natural selection didn't make them preditors or "humans". I use to own them as pets and breed a few.. so I've had them as cute furry pets. But, that doesn't change who or what they are in the grand scheme of things.

 

[gecko4245]

I didn't answer the poll since none of the answers really apply... if I was breeding I would use them to suppliment the females. Right now my one big adult is fat enough without any of those little guys. If I had an adult on a food strike I'd probably try a live one to renew interest.

I feed one to my B. Dragon on occasion as a treat. She loves them.. but its only once every 3 or 4 months.

Mice are prey animals, natural selection didn't make them preditors or "humans". I use to own them as pets and breed a few.. so I've had them as cute furry pets. But, that doesn't change who or what they are in the grand scheme of things.

Warning you about what I read a few months ago. It was about when reptiles go off food. It stated you should never start them eating again with high protein food because they most likely have low dehydration. Because they rely on food for most of their water needs, so if they are not eating their bodies are low in water. The high protein and low water can increase uric acid.

 

[Nia2010]

I've used them I would say maybe 3-4 times? Bu on different geckos.

I do it as a sort of, Its a new year or been a good long few months, You're looking great but here is a nice thanksgiving turkey(Aka pinkie) for you to perk up and enjoy and big meal that may taste really good!

They enjoy it, most of my geckos eat them, which reminds me, I'll pick some up for them soon.

Only frozen, never alive!

Pictures Warning, Graphic For Some Viewers.

This was Technos first time.

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm261/liontiger2424/1f7a27e5.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm261/liontiger2424/0afbf719.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm261/liontiger2424/0b4539bd.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm261/liontiger2424/ed9a8f39.jpg

 

[Wowoklol]

Warning you about what I read a few months ago. It was about when reptiles go off food. It stated you should never start them eating again with high protein food because they most likely have low dehydration. Because they rely on food for most of their water needs, so if they are not eating their bodies are low in water. The high protein and low water can increase uric acid.

Can you cite me nutritional information on neonatal mice(pinkies) specifically regarding moisture content and protein content? Are you saying the moisture to protein ratio in a pinkie is out of proportion and will harm the animal you are feeding it to? What is "low dehydration"?

 

[gecko4245]

Can you cite me nutritional information on neonatal mice(pinkies) specifically regarding moisture content and protein content? Are you saying the moisture to protein ratio in a pinkie is out of proportion and will harm the animal you are feeding it to? What is "low dehydration"?

There is low, moderate and severe dehydration. Most people feed frozen which loses water. Like I said a gecko who is not eating for a while can have low dehydration. It's very common and us owners do not know it. Ask a vet and they will explain in better detail. I am sure you know pinkies are high in protein compared to insects. My geckos vet will scream at me if I ever fed a pinky. There is no need.
Feeding live will have more water but you are also taking risk with introducing parasites to your gecko.

 

[katie_]

I hearded that pinkies can cause fatty liver disease in beardies, since theyre so high in fat. Is this true for leos?

 

[MarkXS]

with so many different bugs to choose from I never really saw the point. I'll save the pinkies for my baby corn snakes.

 

[leezard]

For those that can stomach it I see no issues with pinkies for leos, but for those that can't I think we now have enough options, so they are not necessary.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

For those that can stomach it I see no issues with pinkies for leos, but for those that can't I think we now have enough options, so they are not necessary.

I couldn't agree more. I was completely traumatized the first time I fed a pinky to one of my adult females, and will never again feed ANYTHING live (other than bugs) to one of my reptiles unless they will starve to death otherwise. Of course, everyone knows I am a total WUSS about this kind of stuff...

 

[leezard]

I couldn't agree more. I was completely traumatized the first time I fed a pinky to one of my adult females, and will never again feed ANYTHING live (other than bugs) to one of my reptiles unless they will starve to death otherwise. Of course, everyone knows I am a total WUSS about this kind of stuff...

I had a Savannah and the one time my thumping of the mouse didn't fully knock it out did it for me... that is when I got out of live (mammal) feeding.

The good thing out of that situation was I found a Veterinarian that wanted a female Savannah for a breeder. I still miss my sweetheart of a Savannah but she had a much better life than I could ultimately give her.

 

[marauderhex]

I had to feed two females pinkies last year when we bought them. They were both ridiculously underweight, and gravid. One weighed around 17 grams, the other 20, and they were laying clutches of eggs about every other week.