# i want to boost my moniters protein



## cueball (May 24, 2005)

heres the smallest thang of dog food i could find

its turkey flavour


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

how do you like it? is it good?


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

i guess i cut it up into cubes ,, kinda tast like cooked turkey guts though


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

well i gues you would know because that is what you eat....jk


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

I know that's not a particularly high quality dog food to begin with, so it's probably not the best for your monitor, no. I know it gave one of my dogs stomach issues at one point. (Used to feed it as an ocassional treat.) Research better quality foods and go with one of those if you MUST feed some type of dog food... There are probably better ways to get your monitor protein though.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

wouldn't a high quality wet cat food contain more protein?

i just know that we usually used wet cat food to feed insectivore baby birds we wildlife-rehabbed, because of its high protein content (similar to an insectivore diet).


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Good call, Tink.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

ill see about wet cat food tomarrow than,, never thought of that


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

yea kitty food is high! in proteen!


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

I've never fed dog or cat food, but too much protein isn't good for monitors, it's leads to fatty liver deposits and will shorten the life of the animal, plus most commercial dog and especially cat foods contain too much phosphorus and ash for a reptiles digestive system. Savs in the wild eat insects, snakes, worms, eggs, baby birds and small mammals but the primary diet found from necropsies is insect based. You should start a colony of roaches, the easiest being Blaberus discoidalis, a medium-large non-flying roach that can't climb glass.
I have used the "San Diego Zoo Diet with good results, though. 10 pounds ground turkey, 90 grams steamed bonemeal and 2 Centrum vitamin tabs, ground up and put into ice cube trays and frozen, then I thaw it and feed it that way.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

this isnt a all the time diet ,, ive just had him on a diet and wanta boost him back..... i gave him half the fancy feast that should be good,,, hes not a new pet ive had him for going on 10 years,,,, but over time he got over weight,, savanhas seem to do that,,, how long do thay live anyways?


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

Well, nobody really knows due to all the variables involved what an actual life span in captivity is. A sav fed properly and given ultimate care might be able to live 15-20 years but just like people, diet and care mean a lot. One of the biggest problems with monitors is most are fed diets that are too high in fat and protein, leading to fat deposits around the liver. What happens then is they go off feed which leads to hepatic lipidosis, poisoning their blood stream. Once a monitor gets fat, it's like people going on a diet, they don't lose the fat, they lose muscle mass but unlike people monitors don't exercise to build muscle or do cardio to burn fat so the fat just stays in the system. Feeding a low fat/ lower protein diet that your monitor has to work to get, either by feeding fast live food like roaches and crickets or burying food to make him burrow for it or putting food up high to make him climb/struggle to get it is the best way to keep it healthy. Just putting food in a bowl so a monitor just has to trudge over to get it and them trudge back to a hot spot and flop down leads to a fat bored monitor. Monitors in the wild are dynamic animals with a large foraging range and lots of stimulation and are never fat.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

bbut you can most time judge the fat buy the base of his tail right


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

Bawb2u said:


> Well, nobody really knows due to all the variables involved what an actual life span in captivity is. A sav fed properly and given ultimate care might be able to live 15-20 years but just like people, diet and care mean a lot. One of the biggest problems with monitors is most are fed diets that are too high in fat and protein, leading to fat deposits around the liver. What happens then is they go off feed which leads to hepatic lipidosis, poisoning their blood stream. Once a monitor gets fat, it's like people going on a diet, they don't lose the fat, they lose muscle mass but unlike people monitors don't exercise to build muscle or do cardio to burn fat so the fat just stays in the system. Feeding a low fat/ lower protein diet that your monitor has to work to get, either by feeding fast live food like roaches and crickets or burying food to make him burrow for it or putting food up high to make him climb/struggle to get it is the best way to keep it healthy. Just putting food in a bowl so a monitor just has to trudge over to get it and them trudge back to a hot spot and flop down leads to a fat bored monitor. Monitors in the wild are dynamic animals with a large foraging range and lots of stimulation and are never fat.


well i take mine out for a run every day soon when she get' big she gona go the the park and i will let her run in the field i don't now because of the big birds! but soon i will!


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

cueball said:


> bbut you can most time judge the fat buy the base of his tail right


The tail is mostly muscle. While they do carry some fat reserves there, think of it like filling a fish tank. It only holds a certain amount, if you keep putting more into it it has to go someplace, generally into pockets of fat around the intestines, that's were the problem comes in. Most savannahs in captivity when they're picked up feel flabby, like a frog, when they should have a solid body that doesn't feel "squishy".
If when your monitor walks, it's belly drags on the ground or when it lays down it looks like a flat pancake, it's got more fat than muscle.


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

Bawb2u said:


> bbut you can most time judge the fat buy the base of his tail right


The tail is mostly muscle. While they do carry some fat reserves there, think of it like filling a fish tank. It only holds a certain amount, if you keep putting more into it it has to go someplace, generally into pockets of fat around the intestines, that's were the problem comes in. Most savannahs in captivity when they're picked up feel flabby, like a frog, when they should have a solid body that doesn't feel "squishy".
If when your monitor walks, it's belly drags on the ground or when it lays down it looks like a flat pancake, it's got more fat than muscle.
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o crap! mine is ringkly and has lump's on her stumic but are soft to the touch could this mean she is fat?

and she has not been eatin as much anymore! she used to go crazy now she take's a wile to get interested! i feed her shrimp meal worms all type's of fish and some beef but seem's to be not interested no more! why do you think she is like this?

ok i have a idea why ever since i gave her a smelt she has not been the same when i pick her up she not normal! i think she is sick! what can i do to help her?

she let's me pat her head before she never let me now it's like she can't move and she doesin't drink as much before i used to have to refill her water everyday! now she doesin't touch it what can it be?


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