Chitlin problems and cure?

[Arachnobrian]

Ok, so I recently read in a thread somewhere that excessive chitlin is a bad thing. My little green anole "Iggy" started refusing crickets and would only eat meal worms, now I read that meal worms are only good as a treat and not as a staple diet. Iggy has been on a meal worm diet for the past year and has been doing fine, just recently I have noticed a problem, an undigested meal worm passed, which from what I understand is an excess of chitlin in the digestive system?

My question is can this be reversed by simple change of diet? (Wax worms, Butterworms, Crickets with no legs?)

Is Iggy doomed?

Any added information, or clarification on the "chitlin" thing would be helpful.
thanks

Ottawaherp

 

[AR-Tarantula]

Can't tell you anything about your topic, but it is "chitin" not chitlin.

 

[Arachnobrian]

I stand corrected, chitin

thanks

 

[Beardo]

Chitlins give me indigestion. Maybe its all the hot sauce.

 

[BLS Blondi]

The worms do not have enough nutrients either for a reptile. They lack the protein and calcium amounts that crickets have. It is important to vary the diets, but keep the crickets the staple. In addition to my zillion T's, I also have 4 leopard geckos and an alligator, and i always vary the diet. I have found that the leopard geckos like carpenter ants and nightcrawlers. Hope that helps.

 

[Beardo]

I have raised many, many Leopard Geckos on an almost strictly-mealworm diet with great success.

 

[Stylopidae]

i'm kinda wondering the same thing with my horned frog (C. Ornata)

I just fed him a cicada not too long ago and I'm worried about impaction

 

[Thoth]

Mealworms with proper supplementation is a fine staple diet, IME. But since I also always have crikets on hand I'd occasionally feed them a few.

What you have to watch out for are "older" mealworms, ones that are about to molt, they have the darker exoskeleton. Those are the ones reported to cause the problems with impaction, supposedly they have thicker exoskeletons.


Chitlins, though, I probably wouldn't feed to my leos, though depending on how they are prepared are (to borrow a line from my favorite TV chef) Good Eats.

 

[MysticKigh]

Ok, so I recently read in a thread somewhere that excessive chitlin is a bad thing. My little green anole "Iggy" started refusing crickets and would only eat meal worms, now I read that meal worms are only good as a treat and not as a staple diet. Iggy has been on a meal worm diet for the past year and has been doing fine, just recently I have noticed a problem, an undigested meal worm passed, which from what I understand is an excess of chitlin in the digestive system?

My question is can this be reversed by simple change of diet? (Wax worms, Butterworms, Crickets with no legs?)

Is Iggy doomed?

Any added information, or clarification on the "chitlin" thing would be helpful.
thanks

Ottawaherp

If he's still 'processing' I would assume that the diet change would be succesful. I don't have anoles so am hesitant to give any advice, but you might look in to mini meal worms (www.minimealworms.com) My baby dragon loves them. They are superactive. These are not the standard mini's that are actually just small mealworms, they're another breed entirely with a softer body and less chitin. (Chitin is the undigestible exoskeleton of hard bodied insects etc that has little to no nutritional value ie:crab shells, beetle shells)
(geez, I sound like a commercial )

 

[Arachnobrian]

The little anole appears to be doing fine, his diet has been changed to waxworms for the past week, and smaller crickets will be added to the menu soon.

Thanks for all replies,


(Minimealworms available in Canada? will start checking)

 

[Shelob]

i'm kinda wondering the same thing with my horned frog (C. Ornata)

I just fed him a cicada not too long ago and I'm worried about impaction

Stick with crickets until he ignores them (if he isnt full grown already) and once adult I feed mine a variety of nightcrawlers and fuzzy mice (frozen).

 

[Stylopidae]

He ignores crickets by now so I feed him a variety of goldfish, pinkies and adult mice, as well as the VERY occasional WC insect.