Blue-tongue skinks are omnivores. While they have a varied diet and can eat about anything, reptile owners may be wondering if dog foods are suitable or edible for blue-tongue skinks.
This article will guide you on which is the best canned dog food for blue tongue skinks.
Contents
Can Blue Tongue Skinks Eat Canned Dog Food?
Yes, blue-tongue skinks can eat canned dog food. They can consume beef- or chicken-flavored ones with extra calcium powder. Generally, all skinks can eat dog food.
For your pet skink, super-premium dog food may be a good source of protein and veggies. Consider checking the ingredients of the dog food by looking at the presence of natural ingredients.
They usually contain lean meat such as chicken. that contain lean meat. Please note that dry food must be moistened before you put them inside the enclosure.
Is Canned Dog Food Good For Skinks?
Many of today’s leading herpetologists feed their skinks’ dog food.
It has been shown to produce more positive results in skinks than any other diet, and partly because it has been extensively researched to create balanced, nutritional diets for dogs, which are also omnivore vertebrates with similar dietary needs as skinks.
Blue-tongue skinks are more robust, reproduce more freely, have larger and more sizable liters, and survive longer when given dog chow as a mainstay.
When Should You Feed Skinks Canned Dog Food?
Because of its high protein content, cat food is great for young skinks, but once your skink reaches the age of a year, it is time to transition to dog food.
Dog food is higher in veggies and less prone to induce obesity in dogs.
How Much Should You Feed Your Skink?
Because skinks are omnivores, providing them with a wide range of meals is crucial to their general good health.
However, 1-2 Tbsp is a good starting point in terms of serving size (about the same size as their head).
Feed infants (up to 3 months) daily or every other day. Feed them as much as they can consume in a single sitting. Adult blue-tongue skinks should be fed every two to three days.
What Happens If Your Skink Eat Canned Dog Food Too Much?
If your blue-tongue ate too much canned dog food, they are predisposed to toxicity and are overweight.
Because dog food is rich in a good source of protein, consuming an excess of it is often retained as fat, but excess amino acids are eliminated.
This can contribute to weight gain in the long run, especially if your pet skink eats too many calories while trying to boost protein consumption.
How To Choose Canned Dog Food For Blue Tongue Skinks
When purchasing dog or cat food, make sure it meets the following requirements:
- Must be grain-free because blue-tongues cannot easily digest carbohydrates
- Premium elements (such as bones, connective tissue, cartilage, and other connective tissue) must be included – this is crucial for calcium absorption and to imitate a natural diet.
- Only lean meat products must be used
- Free from vegetables such as potatoes, spinach, wheat, maize, or dairy as they are bad for your pet
- Free from fish and eggs ingredients
- Does not contain red meat
- Artificial colors and preservatives are not used
- Ash content is low (a few percent only)
- Must contain as much meat, bones, and organs as possible
5 Best Canned Dog Food For Blue Tongue Skinks
Diversifying a blue tongue skink’s diet with high-quality dog chow can be quite beneficial.
This is because dog food with high quality includes animal byproducts that blue-tongue skinks eat in the wild, as well as vegetables, fruits, important vitamins, and minerals.
There are five canned dog foods considered as best for blue-tongue skinks.
Merrick Chunky and BBQ Grain-Free Canned Wet Dog Food
The source of this dog food is real whole foods which provide good taste and optimum nutrition.
Merrick Chunky and BBQ Grain Free Canned Wet Dog Food
- Twelve (12) 12.7 oz Cans - Merrick Chunky Grain Free Wet Dog Food, Colossal Chicken Dinner Canned Dog Food
- Real, wholesome USDA-inspected deboned chicken is always the first ingredient in this grain free dog food recipe
- Merrick dog wet food recipes are made without artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or by-products
- Healthy dog food with vegetables like hand-stuffed peas and carrots and big chunks of chicken, prepared in a savory dog food gravy for added moisture
- Natural dog food packaged in a convenient pull-tab can for easy serving of this can dog food wet recipe
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Its healthy features include leading levels of glucosamine and chondroitin and high levels of omegas. Its most important ingredient is boneless fish, meat or poultry with high quality protein.
Zignature Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
This dog food is grain-free and made with high-quality multiprotein ingredients that are high in protein. It also has a hypoallergenic formula that takes pet food allergies into account.
Zignature Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
- Made with high-quality Multiprotein ingredient which is high in protein.
- Limited ingredient formula
- Rotational diet designed to allow your dog to switch between select Zignature formuals with ease.
- At Zignature, our mission is to make the very best food for your pup. So, we do that by using high-quality meats first and pairing that with a limited ingredient list of healthy and wholesome ingredients. In fact, all of our Zignature Formulas are what we call “Physiologically Tuned”, meaning they’re made to meet the nutritional needs of your pup and satisfy all of their instinctual cravings.
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Their recipe is free of corn, wheat gluten, soy, dairy, and chicken.
Moreover, Zignature claims that their recipe is enhanced with the health benefits of supplements such as essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and a complete spectrum of vitamins and minerals.
Zignature Kangaroo Canned Dog Food Formula
This dog formula contains no saturated fat and has an excellent source of protein. It also contains iron, B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber.
Zignature Kangaroo Canned Dog Food Formula 12/13Oz
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It contains low-glycemic carbohydrates and no chicken, potato, grains, gluten, corn, and soy. It also has limited ingredients good for skinks with allergies.
Zignature Grain Free Duck Dry Dog Food
This has a limited ingredient which is good for skinks with allergies. It is also grain-, gluten-, and potato-free.
Zignature Grain Free Duck Dry Dog Food (27lb)
- Limited Ingredient
- Grain & Potato Free
- With Antioxidants from Fruits
- Gluten Free
- With added healthy vegetables
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It is packed with antioxidants from fruits and healthy vegetables. People generally choose this product because it is considered “good” for their pets.
Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
This dog food is cooked with America’s best and most natural ingredients. It contains superior quality protein providing your pet with blended flavors of pork, beef and lamb.
Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Dry Dog Food
- One (1) 25 lb Bag - Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Dog Food, Pork, Beef and Lamb Recipe, Dry Dog Food
- The first ingredient in this natural dog food Whole Earth Farms recipe is high-quality protein, made with a blend of pork, beef and lamb and contains no corn, soy or wheat ingredients
- This pork, beef and lamb dog food Whole Earth Farms recipe is crafted with a Wholesome Harvest Blend that provides omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat and antioxidants for a healthy immune system
- Developed with veterinarian and nutrition experts, this natural dry food for dogs contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy joints
- Serve your dog dry food with field grown vegetables that add fiber for healthy digestion as well as vitamins and minerals for a balanced diet with this grain free dry dog food
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It is also rich in vitamins, nutrients and minerals that promote easy digestibility and healthy and less-shedding of skin.
It is free from grains, corn, soy, wheat, artificial flavors and colors, poultry by-products and preservatives. This product is often purchased because of its complete and balanced nutrition.
Best and Worst Food for Blue Tongue Skink
The best foods recommended for blue-tongue skinks are fruits, vegetables, and protein. However, there are also ones that they cannot eat.
The following are the food recommendations for your pet blue-tongue skink:
Best Food for Blue Tongue Skink
A healthy and balanced diet of vegetables, fruits and proteins must be provided to your blue-tongue skink.
Specifically, you can offer them collard and dandelion greens, green beans, arugula, and endiva. Fruits such as berries, apples, and papaya are also great!
For protein, give lean meats such as chicken, rabbit, and bugs such as crickets, roaches, and locusts.
Worst Food for Blue Tongue Skink
Although you can give your blue-tongue skink some fruits, it is best not to give them any citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes.
You cannot give them avocado as well because it contains persin that is toxic to lizards. Corn is also not advisable because they are very high in phosphorus.
They cannot eat seafood as well because they are usually high in sodium and dietary fat. They can also contain parasites and heavy metals that are harmful to the skink.
FAQs
What kind of dog food can a blue tongue skink eat?
Ideally, dog food should include as much of the entire animal as possible (meat, bones, and organs). Grain is okay as long as the formula is of good quality and does not contain excessive carbs.
Dog food consisting of meat, bones and organs must be included in your dog food diet. Grains that are free from excessive carbs can also be eaten by your pet.
The idea that grain-free dog food is the best is mainly unfounded, and it may even be detrimental, though this is currently being explored.
What do you feed a picky blue tongue skink?
Maintain a straightforward approach. Feed canned dog food and cut greens, as advised by others. When she’s hungry, she will eat it.
To provide the reptile with the most nutrients, consider adding chopped collard greens and tomato chunks to the cat food.
Can blue tongue skinks eat cat food?
Most keepers of these pets recommend cat and dog food. When combined with veggies, it provides a nutritious meal.
Avoid formulas with artificial colors/flavors or fish, and stick to canned food rather than kibble (though kibble is fine on occasion if water is added). Cat food is great for baby blue-tongue skinks.
Wrapping Up
Blue-tongue skinks are omnivores. Both plants and animals are required for them to stay healthy. The skinks’ dietary requirements fluctuate as they develop, much as humans’.
Because skinks are omnivores, providing them with a wide range of meals is crucial to their success.
However, 1-2 Tbsp is a good starting point in terms of serving size (about the same size as their head).
Hope this article helped decide which dog food to get for your pet skink!