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Fuzzies vs. Calc-Dusted Pinkies?

R

Roy Munson

New member
The 'search' functions on this forum, and google, usually eliminate my need to post question threads, but I've struck out on this one.

My two early '05s are ready to move to fuzzies. Currently, at every other feeding, I dust the back-end of all my snakes' prey items with a half/half mixture of ReptoCal Calcium/D3 and Rep-Cal Herptivite.

My problem is that I have A LOT of frozen pinkies (big and small), but no frozen fuzzies. Is my current supplement regimen sufficient to make up the nutritional difference between pinks and fuzzies, especially in terms of calcium? If not, will increasing supplementation be appropriate? I don't really want to end up with a bunch of unneeded pinks quietly freezer-burning, or place a separate high-cost online order just for fuzzies if I can avoid it.

(Note: there are plenty of supplement vs. non-supplement threads; I'd like to limit this one to my specific situation. Thanks.)
 
to dust or not to dust...

I'd like to know this to as it is probably one question i have'nt asked yet!Would dusting with nutrabal take away the scent of the mouse?And another one,what do you do when tour snake won't eat and you don't have any small lizards close at hand?My babies fine,but want to know for future reference in case this happens.Cheers!P.S I would probably dust one, leave the next and so forth.I might be wrong tho.
 
not 100%, im sure you wouldnt be able to overdose a snake with calcium, however i dont know if the difference between a pinky and fuzzy is soley the calcium content, i'd imagine there are other reasons along with the calcium difference that makes fuzzies more nutritional to a snake.
 
Fuzzies are also higher in fat than pinkies. It's one of a the reasons why they make such a jump in growth rate once they finally get on to fuzzies. The calcium differences between the two are not that great, but fuzzies do contain a higher calcium content than pinkies. I don't think there is any harm in feeding multiple pinkies until they are gone, but I would be willing to bet they'll grow slower than they would on fuzzies (not that this is a bad thing). Pinkies are more or less the Adkin's diet. Not much fat, except what's in that milk band, mostly protein. Fuzzies are little powerballs, higher fat content to give more energy in a compact form. I have fed half fuzzies (cut length-wise, gross huh?) to bump them up over the hump from pinkies to fuzzies and they just seem to take off once they start getting them.

For more information on nutrient content of pinkies vs. fuzzies, you may check out this website:

http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp

Scroll down for multiple tables on the different nutrients. I like that they've split mouse into pinky, fuzzy, and adult, since they vary considerably in nutritive value.
 
Thanks for the responses.

Hurley: I checked the Rodentpro link you provided, and the data confirms your advice. I'll probably bite the bullet and order the fuzzies. After all, I've never seen a fat supplement. I'll probably throw in a few multiple-pinky meals here and there to use up my surplus. I've actually got eight July '05 hatchlings, so maybe there won't be much of a surplus when all is said and done. Thanks for the advice.

-Dean
 
No problem. There aren't many commercial fat supplements, but a dip of the tooshie in butter or vegetable oil would increase fat content some. What I would do in your situation is switch them out, alternating fuzzy / pinkies to not let them go to waste. Although, like you said, you've got some more that'll probably find them quite tasty.
 
Hurley said:
There aren't many commercial fat supplements, but a dip of the tooshie in butter or vegetable oil would increase fat content some.
Click to expand...

Maybe I need to pick up a tub of "I Can't Believe It's Not Mouse-Fat" in my grocer's dairy section.
 
A while ago I had a huge surplus of pinks and only 3 youngsters to feed so I fed 3 pinks at a time to snakes that could have been on fuzzies. Didn't do them any harm!

I also calcium dust occasionally. I'm not too religeous about it so it only gets done every 4-5 feeds!
 
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