Feeding pinkie rats/mice

Hi,

Just curious to know, has anyone ever tried feeding their axolotyls baby pinkie mice or rats? As they are carnivorous and if the axolotyls are big enough, I would think this would be a good way to give them extra calcium and stuff, with minimal fat, as pinkie rats/mice are newborn and not yet developed sufficient fat supplies etc...

I'm curious to know if anyone has tried feeding them to their axolotyls and what kind of results people have had, as I feel it would be a more complete food source/diet than chunks of mince/steak/heart/liver etc. And what other random alternative foods people feed their axolotyls...

I only really thought about this when I noticed one of my beardies has signs/symptoms of MBD and tried to get it extra calcium by feeding it a pinkie rat dusted in calcium... (doing this once a week in conjunction with dusted crickets daily, I'm hoping will fix the problem). Made me wonder if it would be any good etc for axolotyls too...

I feed my axolotls pinkies but only one pinkie every six weeks. Some people fear that the bones will cause issues but I have yet to have any problems.

I too feed my axolotl pinkies...about once a month and have been doing so for four years with no problems.

I wouldn't use them as a staple, just as a treat here and there for additional variety/supplementation.

In my opinion, i would not advise on it. I prefer recommending treats such as blackworms, bloodworms, bits of fish and prawns.

Despite being newborn, pinkies are still caloric dense and high fat in composition. Furthermore, because they are consumed in entirety (viscera and all) in raw form, active enzymes and high concentrates of micronutrients are present, particularly in the offal (liver, guts etc). Even though these nutrients are needed in small amounts, i feel that pinkies are still too rich a food source for an axie's diet. Too much micronutrients can be toxic (ie vitamin A poisoning).

Another aspect to consider is that terrestrial species harbour very different microflora and pathogens (bacteria, fungus, parasites, viruses) compared to aquatic species. Feeding terrestrial sourced meat to axies can introduce these different microorganisms to an environment that otherwise would not have them. Axies may not have the innate immunity to effectively deal with these potential pathogens. Offal and intestinal tract matter can be a source of zoonosis and cross contamination as well. Salmonella, klebsiella and campylobacter for example can sometimes be found in the intestinal tract.

That said, I have not fed my axies pinkies before and cannot make a thorough assessment.

There is a thread on this in the Foods section (here). Basically, nobody can say it is really harmful once in awhile, like eating an entire turkey by yourself at Christmas, but they can be harmful if fed with frequently.

-Eva