Having a correct diet, supplementation and feeding schedules for your reptile or another exotic pet is one of the most important aspects of a well-being of your pet. In this guide, you will find out about feeding reptiles and exotic pets, supplements, mistakes to avoid, essential tips and more.
Important feeding rules for reptiles & other exotic pets
Rule 1: No insects for herbivores
If your reptile or another exotic pet is herbivorous (vegetarian), such as iguana, uromastyx etc., please do not feed it any feeder insects. Feeding insects to herbivores will lead to health issues, including kidney problems and a seriously shortened lifespan.
Higher protein veggies/other foods such as beans, bee pollen, peas etc. can be offered occasionally. These have to be mixed with other staples.
Rule 2: Food portions and schedules
To know how much to feed your pet, make decisions mainly based on your pet’s age and weight. Read guidelines, and make sure to weigh your pet once in 2-4 weeks to make sure it’s growing/keeping stable weight.
Rule 3: Moisture is important
Never feed your pet (that needs to get moisture from food) only dry foods, such as lentils, commercial pellets, pollen and so on. This will make your pet dehydrated and can cause constipation and strain kidneys and other internal organs.
This is especially true for pets that don’t drink much or any water from a bowl. They need to get most of their moisture from food. Dry pellets must be moist, but if dry, only fed occasionally to supplement and diversify the main diet.
Rule 4: Ca:P ratio in a diet is very important
If your pet consumes feeder insects and possibly vegetables/greens, always think about Calcium:Phosphorus ratio. Calcium ratio in a diet must be higher than phosphorus by at least 2 times, preferably 3 and more (2:1).
To do this, you need to gut-load feeder insects for at least 24 hours in a container, by feeding them nutritious foods. Most feeder insects (apart from Phoenix worms) are low in calcium and need to be gut-loaded and dusted with supplements (varying schedules) before feeding to your pet. Read about gut-loading insects here (new tab).
Vegetables and greens should also be chosen depending on their Ca:P ratio, goitrogen and oxalate levels. Choose staples to feed daily, and add some other lower nutritional value foods occasionally.
Rule 5: Don’t forget about UVB lighting
UVB lighting is important for most exotic pets. Some pets that come from hot arid places will need more UVB – 10-14%, while others – only 2-5%. UVB is important as it helps produce vitamin D3 in the skin. It is also crucial for calcium absorption.
Without vitamin D3, your pet will develop calcium deficiency and a Metabolic bone disease, which can cause irreversible damage and even death.
However, not all pets will require UVB. Some nocturnal species will not require any UVB, but you might still consider getting a 2% bulb/tube for some exposure. Most pets that don’t need UVB will get enough vitamin D3 from their diet or with supplements that you should provide.
UVB is the best in a form of a tube, rather than a bulb, for a better exposure. It should cover around 50-65% of the cage (if a tube), and replaced every 6-12 months (tubes often last longer than bulbs, but this can vary).
Rule 6: Supplements
Most exotic pets will require supplements added to their food and/or feeder insects. Some pets that consume full prey items, such as snakes, might not require any supplements at all. But even they can still benefit from rare dustings.
As discussed previously, calcium is the most important mineral that you should provide, so you would need to get a separate pure calcium (without phosphorus) supplement and a separate multivitamin.
You would need to alternate days or calcium and multivitamin supplementation. Often, supplementation of up to few times a week with calcium and once in 7-14 days with multivitamin is optimal.
You might choose a multivitamin without vitamin D3, but if choosing with, make sure that amounts are not too high. It should not be higher than 45,000-50,000 IU/kg of vitamin D3. Only use a pinch of supplement to dust the feeder insects!
Few of the best vitamins for reptiles/exotics are:
- Repti-Calcium, pure calcium, like this
- Herpivite multivitamin like this
- Nutrobal multivitamin like this
- Repashy calcium, multivitamins
Rule 8: Goitrogenic and oxalic foods should be limited
Other groups of foods that you should limit in your pet’s diet are goitrogenic and oxalic foods. These are found in vegetables, greens, fruits/berries.
Goitrogenic foods in big quantities will interfere with your pet organism’s ability to absorb iodine, causing thyroid issues over time. Foods high in oxalates block calcium absorption, and frequent consumption can lead to calcium deficiency over a long period.
Goitrogenic foods include Bok Choy, broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, radishes, rutabaga, turnips and more. Oxalic foods include Swiss chard, spinach, beet greens, blueberries, figs and many more.
Find a full chart here (new tab).
Rule 7: Learn about toxic foods
One of the important things to keep your pet healthy & safe is to know which foods you cannot offer to it. Some foods can cause negative effects, some can be mildly toxic, and some are lethally toxic.
Citrus and acidic foods, such as grapefruits,lemon, oranges, pineapple, tomatoes and more, cause digestive upsets, runny stool and other side effects. So, you should avoid feeding any of those foods.
Toxic foods can include various veggies (such as avocado, leeks, aubergines, onions and many more) to plants and flowers (daffodils, buttercup and many more), and bugs (lubber grasshoppers etc.). Even fruit seeds can be toxic (apple, peach etc.)
You can find a big list of toxic foods here.
Rule 8: Food sizes are important
Food sizes are important to note as well. Feeding very small portions (for example to snakes) might leave them hungry and stunt their growth. And feeding foods too big can lead to choking, impaction and even paralysis.
When feeding bugs, for example, general rule is that they should not be bigger than the width between your pet’s eyes or width of head. Some pet types might take larger items, but always be careful with food sizes. Weighing your pet and measuring it always helps determine right food sizes.
Rule 9: Hydration is key
Never forget about water. Unless your pet doesn’t drink water (some will absorb it through their skin so water quality is also important), you need to provide fresh drinking water at all times.
Water can harbor bacteria, especially if food and feces are left in there for too long. Make sure to refresh water as soon as it’s soiled. For pets that don’t drink water, make sure to offer enough fresh vegetables and greens.
Rule 10: Heating is crucial to digest food
Reptiles, amphibians and other exotic pets require external heat to stay warm, as they are cold-blooded. They also require enough heat to aid with digestion.
It cannot be stressed enough how important heating is for their digestion. Without heat, food be won’t digested, causing constipation, poor appetite and digestive organ issues.
Your pet will be refusing to eat and it will also stunt its growth. Always make sure that the cage is warm enough, has a temperature gradient (warm and cool sides), and use thermometers and thermostats to control temperatures.
It’s also best to avoid handling your pet after it has eaten, otherwise it can disrupt digestion. Allow your pet to digest food – snakes for example might need few days to digest before you can handle them.