Just a question
 

I know that you don’t have to give a snake any vitamins but has anyone ever tried? I was thinking people take vitamins and we also need to give them to lizards. So why wouldn’t you give some to a snake. And if you did would that snake grow faster or bigger or would it be healthier? Any thoughts.


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And by the way you all can trash talk this I don’t have feelings lol


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I have a Calcium and Mineral Supplement Made specifically for reptiles, that I give every 4th feeding. Basically that figures out to once every month and a half or so. It's a powder, you just sprinkle a bit on the mouse.

I can't say if it makes the snake grow bigger or faster or anything like that. But it certainly does not hurt the snake either.

This was recommended to me many many years ago, and it's just something I continue to do to this day. I would say most people do not give supplements to their snakes, and their snakes seem to do fine too.

I don't at this time actually use any vitamins. But to be honest, I have not found any for snakes.

I was just wondering about this. I have calcium and a reptivite powder for my little girls bearded dragon. I was thinking about maybe doing this with two hatchlings. One with and one without to see if there is any difference in growth.


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I've been using Nature Zone products for many years. I got a gift set of essential vitamins, essential probiotics, and calcium for Christmas one year. They are in 3 oz containers, but last a long time. I mix them together and dust the mice with them lightly on every third feeding. I can't say whether the vitamins have an effect on growth, but I do use them more frequently at breeding time. I saw the essential vitamins on the WalMart website, which surprised me. Some of my friends never give supplements, and their snakes seem to thrive anyway, but I want my snakes in top condition, so I use the products.

I have calcium and reptile vitamin powder. I only use them for females recovering from laying eggs, if they seem to need an extra boost.

Personally, I think a varied diet (including quail, chicks, etc) is better, in general than adding vitamin supplements for them.

Given a balanced diet, proper living conditions and the absence of any underlying illness or genetic defects, no creature needs to supplement vitamin and mineral intake. This includes humans. The vitamin and mineral supplements we take usually do nothing more than make expensive urine.
That said, we commonly give Calcium with or without D3 to diurnal reptiles and amphibians because we usually keep them in the absence of UVB producing sunlight that they would have access to in their natural environment. Vitamin products designed specifically for reptiles are used because we don't feed a varied diet. Most captive insectivores are fed a single prey item like crickets or meal worms. Adding insult, these food items are rarely gut loaded with anything of substance leading to lousy nutritional values. Tally this up and we need to supplement their diets with additional vitamins and minerals. Keep in mind that these same necessary additives can have terrible effects when over prescribed. Care must be taken when doling out the supplements.
Corn snakes are obligate carnivores. Feeding whole prey items like mice, rats, chickens, quail, lizards etc., give them everything they need, as long as the food items are of quality. If we were to feed say, only chicken breast fillets then the animal would probably suffer health issues over time because they aren't getting the nutrients found in the bones, skin, gut (and contents) and organ meat. We are lucky as snake keepers that mice and rats are so easy to get and store. They make such a complete meal for our pets with no additional supplements needed.

Terri

:iagree:
Well put!
I couldn't agree more.

Also, it is so nice to read someone's input in perfect grammar and spelling. :)

I'm not going to assume everyone thinks that the mice we buy in bulk frozen are of "Optimum Quality and Nutritional Value." LOL.... I certainly don't.

I'm not a gambling man, but if I was, I'd be willing to bet they range way over on the "Poor" side of the scale.

It's a known fact That Calcium in particular, and other nutrients are affected by many other influences. Older people lose Calcium, it actually leeches from our bodies as we get older, regardless of how "Healthy you think you are." Smoking and Drinking diminish Calcium levels. Calcium is directly linked to Vitamin D, and the 2 must be in proper balance. Vitamin D can only be obtained if you spend time in the sun or take a pill or a shot. The fact that the Mice are dead and frozen for who knows how long, also affect the nutritional value.

While it's true Vitamins and Nutrient Supplements would not be necessary if our snakes are fed properly, but who can be sure the stuff they are feeding their snakes is of Nutritional value.

You certainly can't expect Mice raised in a Lab or a "Mouse Mill" to be of same nutritional value of a wild mouse a snake might encounter on its own.

We have no idea who raises the mice or the conditions they are raised in. We have no idea how they are fed. If it's an adult mouse, you have no idea how old it is. You have no idea how long it's been stuck in a deep freeze (3 weeks? 6 months? 2 years? Longer?)

Unless you are catching your own wild mice, your own quail, your own lizards and so forth, your snake (and mine) are probably not getting the proper nutrition.

I know some of you do catch your own food items. Good for you. I don't myself, so I supplement, as stated before every 4th feeding. I have always done this going back 42 years, even in the days when Frozen mice were not available and all I could do was go to a pet shop, but a White Rat, take it home, whap its head against a table to stun it and toss it to my boas. It was suggested to me way back then to supplement because you can't expect a caged Rat in a Pet shop to be of optimum quality.

I would imagine these bulk Mice producers are no different than the Bulk "Dog Producers" (puppy mills) and the main interest is sales and obtaining your money, and not necessarily whether your snake is healthy or not.

Bulk producers feed quality lab blocks from Purina and Mazuri which are designed to keep rodents in optimum health, a necessity for proper research. They're generally very inexpensive and easy to buy and feed in large quantities.