Anyone who has ever visited a pet store's fish department will know there are a lot of items you can purchase, including several types of food.

You will notice color enhancing, growth formula, flakes, pellets, and much more. The main question most people will have when buying food and other fish-related items is what to get out of so many choices.

The back of any flakes or pellets will show an ingredient list; however, just because something is in fish food does not make it an appropriate nutrient.

You certainly want to read the fish food label to determine what nutrients are being provided to your fish and whether those nutrients are of high quality. For fish, they need a digestible source of nutrients that are different from mammals. A lot of the course has looked at mammals that we like to keep as pets, but the digestive system of a fish is different.

When assessing the ingredient list on fish flakes and pellets, make certain fish meals, shrimp meals, or spirulina meals are high on the list.

Herbivore flakes are usually made from spirulina meal. Some fish food brands try to make up the ingredients with carbohydrates, such as rice, corn, and cereal. These ingredients are not essential for fish. In fact, your fish could have a difficult time digesting them. Most fish food manufacturers use these ingredients as binders, but some put the list of ingredients higher on the label. It turns the food from healthy to not-so-healthy.

Basic Nutrients

Thousands of different types of fish are sold at fish pet stores all over the world.

Some stores specialize in exotic fish, while others sell fish species you could find in a river running through your own back garden. Tetras, neons, and freshwater angel fish are highly common.

With a variety of fish species available, you need to understand there is no one-size-fits-all nutritional answer for what a fish is going to need.

Even within your own tank, you may have to buy multiple types of food. Some fish will even eat other fish you purchase. Still, other fish might feed on the algae and waste of fish, which helps you keep your tank clean.

There are some basic nutrients you will see listed on most fish food containers. Other micro-nutrients, such as vitamins C and B, may not be listed on all brands, but they can be important for certain types of fish.

Since a short guide cannot cover every detail and species of fish, you may still need to refer to a fish expert to make certain you are getting the right food.

Protein

For any animal or organism in the world, protein is pretty high on the list of nutrients required to stay alive. Protein is a necessary element of a fish's diet. Herbivores require 25-40% protein in their diet. Carnivorous fish require closer to 40-50% of protein. The age of the fish will also determine how much protein it requires. A baby fish needs more protein to grow into a healthy adult. Breeding fish also require a higher amount of protein in their food in order to sustain the reproductive cycle of making eggs. Males require protein to help them grow flashy fins with brilliant colors used in courtship. However, males require less protein than breeding females.

Fiber

Fiber is helpful to fish for digestion. Carnivorous fish require less fiber than herbivores since it is easier to digest meat. You should see about 4% or less fiber content in food designed for carnivorous fish. Herbivore food usually has 5-10%. Plant material tends to be more difficult for a fish to digest.

Fat

Too much fat is very dangerous to a fish. It is unhealthy and will cause diseases such as heart disease. You want any food designed for herbivores to have less than 3% fat in the flakes or pellets. For carnivores, 8% or less is a good option. Any more than these named percentages, and your fish could have a very short life span. Growing fish can handle a little more fat than fully grown fish, as they are still growing.

Moisture

Moisture is not a nutrient, of course, but it is a part of the source of nutrients and is important for fish food. Moisture is mentioned on some pet food labels, but it is not necessary at all. Your fish is getting all the water it needs from the environment it lives in. Furthermore, the food can be too soft for your fish as soon as it hits the water. Most fish do not like food that becomes too soft and will let it fall to the bottom, creating a dirtier tank.

Phosphorous

Phosphorus is another nutrient that is often found on food labels but is not a necessary nutrient for your pet fish. Individuals with reef tanks need to be very careful of too much phosphorus. Phosphorous algae can be a leading cause of algae, so for fish that consume algae, it is an option, but you want most flakes to have a low content percentage.

Overall, when it comes to nutrients, your fish needs protein to sustain its life. They also need certain vitamins. Most fish require a dose of vitamins A, B complex, C, D, and K.

Vitamin A is helpful for the growth of bones and scales in fish, particularly in saltwater fish. Greens and crustaceans can provide vitamin A.

Vitamin B complex helps with proper growth, digestion of protein, and protection of the slime coat. It helps keep the nervous system functioning properly. Greens, eggs, and other fish can provide the vitamin B complex.

Vitamin C is essential in disease prevention, digestion, healing, and formation of the skeleton. It can be attained from greens, fish, eggs, and algae.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium and phosphorus to be metabolized, which is imperative for the development of scales and bones. Snails, earthworms, and shrimps can provide vitamin D to certain species of fish.

Vitamin K helps with blood coagulation in fish. It is derived from water fleas, liver, and greens but can also be found in commercial fish food products.

Types Of Food

There are typically five types of food that are on sale at pet stores for you to choose from.

Each type of food will be examined for its use.

Flakes are highly common. It is a blend of ingredients such as those listed above that have been dried and broken into tiny flakes. Flakes are a good staple diet and best for small to medium-sized fish. Most flakes will have a balanced nutritional content to ensure a healthy fish.

There are three types of flake formulas: herbivore, growth, and color enhancing. Herbivore flakes are high in algae and plant matter. This is the flake you want to have spirulina meal as a main ingredient.

The growth formula has more protein to help young fish.

Color-enhancing flakes are also highly common. These flakes are meant to help increase the red, orange, and yellow colors of fish because there is a high dose of beta-carotene and other ingredients. Shrimps/prawns are also known to enhance the color of most fish.

Pellets are like flakes in terms of balanced nutrition; however, they take on the form of a more solid food. Pellets tend to be better for larger fish because they are more filling than the tiny flakes. Cichlid food, for example, is sold in pellet form. Few manufacturers sell tiny or miniature pellets for smaller fish.

Frozen food may be a necessity based on the type of fish species you have. Frozen food includes brine or mysid shrimp, which is cubed and frozen. The food has to be refrigerated and tends to be expensive. This type of food is best for breeding fish or those who need a high-protein diet. Frozen food can be used as a treat for your fish. Most people do not find it cost-effective as a main diet because of the expense.

Freeze-dried food is another option. This is the least processed type of food. All of the ingredients were live before freeze-drying and packaging occurred. There is also less nutritional loss than with other foods. You can keep freeze-dried food around for longer, and you do not have to worry as much about parasites or diseases that can be found in live food.

Wafers are another type of food, typically designed for bottom-feeding fish. Algae is often a main ingredient in this type of food. Corries, loaches, and catfish tend to eat algae and feed off the bottom.

When choosing food, you want to select a fish food bottle that is the right size for the amount of fish you are going to be feeding. Fish flakes and other types of food lose their nutrients, particularly vitamins, after four months. The vitamins deteriorate after the package is opened. Even if the package is not open, after a year or more, the container can lose its nutrient content. If you are going to prolong the shelf life of any food, store it in the fridge. You can also alternate the types of food you feed as a way to enhance the nutrient contents and keep your fish happy.

95% of tropical fish mortality results from improper housing and nutrition. Source: peteducation.com

Regulating The Tank

A part of keeping your fish alive is about providing the right tank.

Fresh water tanks are the easiest to maintain because you can use tap or purified water to refill the tank after you have cleaned it. You need to regulate light, temperature, and chemicals in the tank. If the light, chemicals, or temperature is off, you may end up killing your fish very quickly. You want to make sure you buy fish that live in the same type of conditions. Some fish live in warm water rivers and lakes, versus other fish that live in colder climates.

Saltwater fish are difficult because you need to get the right salt content in the water, plus maintain the proper temperature and lighting. Additionally, there are fish that are used to living in the deeper zones, with little light and heat, versus fish that spend a lot of time in warm, tropical waters.

Before you purchase any fish, speak with a professional about the types of species that go well together. Some carnivorous fish can turn on their tank mates, thus the reason for ensuring symbiotic relationships among the species you purchase.

Cleaning The Tank

Cleaning the tank should be done at least once a month, if not more frequently.

It will depend on the type of fish you purchase. If you have algae eaters and other bottom feeders that keep the tank clean of fish waste, you may not have to clean quite as often.

The best way to determine if cleaning is needed is to test the water for its chemical properties.

Is the water's pH level too high or too low? Does the water look dirty? Are you maintaining the proper temperature?

You can often see if there is a problem, and you should have a thermometer on or in the tank to keep track of the temperature. When you clean the tank, you will need to remove the fish to avoid harming them. The water should be completely changed. You may decide to get a cleaning system that allows you to empty the water and clean the rocks, all while keeping the equipment and decor in the tank. Other individuals will simply take everything out of the kitchen sink and wash the tank. However you decide to clean, make sure you are catching all the areas and setting up the tank with clean, properly regulated water before you put the fish back in. Fish can die after cleaning or when they are first brought home because of improper tank issues. To avoid losing fish, maintain the tank properly on every level.

13.2 Birds

Bird species vary with regard to what is legal to have as a pet.

Numerous species are brought into various countries around the world that are not sanctioned. These species are taken from their homes to be sold as pets for an extremely high profit because of demand. Other species, like falcons and owls, are taken from their natural habitat, caged, and considered as pets when they are still wild birds of prey.

You should purchase your pet bird and all of their nutritional needs from a reputable pet store, ensuring that the laws in your area allow you to have the type of pet bird you are about to buy.

It is also extremely important to read up on bird nutrition because there is a huge distinction between the dietary needs of bird species you can legally own.

Many pet birds die because of an unbalanced diet.

Malnutrition is highly common in birds, from a lack of feeding to a lack of proper nutrients. It is never too late to prevent health and behavioral problems in your bird, as long as you care and take notice before your bird ends up on its toes.

Dietary Differences Among Birds

The most important thing to recognize about your pet bird is that each bird has its own dietary needs in relation to species.

A North American chickadee's diet varies from a woodpecker, the same way a parrot varies from a parakeet. You have to provide a normal diet for the bird species you have decided to own.

To help show this, the following bird diets will be assessed:

• Florivore

• Granivore

• Frugivore

• Omnivore

• Nectarivore

Psittacines, which are members of the parrot family, are very common pets. These birds are folivores, meaning they typically get their nutrients from seeds, nuts, fruits, bark, berries, and roots. Other florivores are blue and gold macaws, military macaws, and red-faced parrots.

Granivores eat grains and seeds. This type of diet is typical of the cockatiel, budgerigar, and hyacinth macaw.

Frugivores eat fruits, flowers, and some seeds and nuts. The blue-throated macaw and green-winged macaw are two types of birds that are frugivores.

Omnivores, of course, eat plants and animals. For birds, this means eating fruits, seeds, invertebrates, and insects. The red-tailed amazon and sulfur-crested cockatoo are two types of omnivores.

Nectarivores eat nectar, pollen, and occasionally seeds and insects. The lorikeet and lory are two prime examples of nectarivores.

To get a better handle on a bird's diet, it is often a good idea to examine what these particular species eat when in the wild and try to provide the same types of fruits, nuts, seeds, and other dietary sources for your birds.

Birds typically need certain vitamins and minerals. While not all are going to be listed here, you will be given a good idea of what you should be supplying to your bird for their long and healthy life.

Thiamine is often found in fish. For omnivores who need high protein diets, feeding fish or water that has thawed fish can help keep your bird healthy. If you do not supply enough thiamine, your bird could develop a vitamin B deficiency. This is in birds that tend to eat fish as part of their natural diet.

Vitamin E is also extremely important for a bird's wings.

A deficiency in this vitamin leads to problems such as weakness or the inability to hold the wings at normal posture or even stand. It is due to muscle weakness that occurs due to deficiency. You can help bring your bird back from this problem by supplying supplements or the proper balanced nutritional meal.

In other birds, you want to have a protein level of at least 5%. Certain birds, like African Grey parrots, need up to 15% protein in their diet.

Protein helps keep your bird healthy, as well as helps them maintain their feathers.

Fatty acids and linoleic acid can be provided for growing birds or allow for birds to expend a lot of energy. You want to avoid a high-fat diet for birds that do not fly often, as it can lead to obesity.

Vitamin A and carotenoids help with a bird's vision, immune system, growth, reproduction, gastrointestinal, renal tissues, and respiratory system. Vitamin D is also important to help with the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in most birds. Birds with a lack of vitamin D can suffer, lose their color, and have trouble with their bones.

Vitamin D deficiencies are common in gray or darker locations.

Seed Eating Birds

For those who have seed-eating birds, you need to understand that seeds alone are not a complete, balanced diet, even for birds.

Seeds do provide nutrients, such as vitamins and some protein. Still, they are often not at a high enough ratio to be a complete source of nutrition.

Caged birds tend to require less energy than when they are in the wild. Most birds are caged for the majority of their life, with clipped wings, so your bird does not need the high caloric intake seeds provide. Seed-eating birds should be given a well-rounded diet that offers fewer calories.

Be sure not to over-feed your bird to the point of making them overweight. Eating less is not always the answer, as this can lead to a deficiency in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Seed mixes can also be an issue with your bird because sometimes birds can be picky. Like most animals, your bird knows exactly what it does not like. A seed mix might seem to provide everything your bird needs, but you will see some seeds or foods are always left in the bowl. It is because your bird is selectively eating what it likes, not necessarily what it needs.

Formulated diets are usually best for seed-eating birds.

Formulated diet food is a pellet made of vegetables, a little fruit, and a few treats. These diets are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals that your bird needs to maintain a healthy yet mainly sedentary life. A combination of grains, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and proteins is designed to go in the formulated diet, baked, and turned into a nugget, crumble, or pellet. You do want to make certain the food is not high in fat. Some manufacturers use foods high in fat to get a higher calorie count, but this can actually harm your bird.

A high-protein, low-fat diet is usually good for cockatoos and amazons. Macaws tend to need specialized diets. Pellet food should be 65-80% of what they eat, and vegetables should make up 15-30% of the diet. The rest of the diet should consist of seeds and fruits. Fruits are high in moisture and sugar. Too much sugar is dangerous for your bird. There are snack sticks that have seeds, fruits, and other treats. Placing one of these in the cage is good for a short while, but you should not leave it in there to let your bird eat off it all day or for too many consecutive days.

There are almost as many pet birds as there are cats and dogs in the US. Source: birds.about.com

Non-Seed Eating Birds

Non-seed-eating birds typically have two types of foods: dry food or moistened food.

Some birds will need a nectar formula, like hummingbirds that eat sweet water. Nectar usually needs to be replaced often, several times a day, such as every four hours in hot weather.

Non-seed-eating birds also require fruits. A list of fruits includes apples, papaya, pomegranates, grapes, cantaloupe, figs, pineapple, and kiwi.

You can also feed corn on the cob, pollen, pansies, roses, nasturtiums, marigolds, hibiscus, and dandelions.

If you are supplementing foods as listed, you will need to speak with a vet about the proper amounts of these various foods to ensure you are not going to over-feed your bird.

Switching Diets

If you have let your young bird eat a seed-based diet since you brought it home, you may need to change the diet.

A younger bird is easier to deal with when changing their diet than an older bird that has been on seeds for their entire life.

Often, when switching diets, it is about the entertainment value your pet is going to find in their food. Sometimes, it can be more fun to try to get food off a corn cob than to eat the dried variety in their dish.

Hanging food allows the bird to play and eat at the same time. This can help provide mental and physical stimulation. It also ensures your bird is finding more than one reason to try this new food that is providing the nutrients they require.

Once the conversion occurs, you can start to leave pellets and other foods in their cage to help increase their nutrient levels.

Supplements

Supplements should not be necessary for your bird.

Unless your vet recommends supplements for a specific problem, try to focus on providing the proper sources of nutrients from the foods mentioned in each category above. Most commercial formulas for seed and non-seed-eating birds have the correct minerals and vitamins your bird requires. Providing supplements could lead to an overdose of vitamins and harm your bird.

Foods to Avoid For Your Bird

Each pet has a list of certain types of foods you should never give to them.

These foods for birds include the following:

• Mushrooms

• Onions

• Apple seeds

• Tablet salt

• Fruit pits

• Persimmons

• Alcohol/Caffeine

• Avocado

• Chocolate

• High-fat foods

Each of these foods has nutrients your bird does not need.

Furthermore, some can be toxic to your pet or lead to an early death. You do not want your bird to die early or have health issues that make it uncomfortable. The best way to make sure this does not happen is to feed an appropriate diet based on products that are organic and prepared for you.

Supplying Food to Your Bird

Providing a never-ending food bowl can actually be dangerous to your bird. It can lead to overeating, as well as take away from the mental and physical stimulation your bird should be getting.

You want to stick with natural feeding times when it comes to providing food. Birds tend to eat a half hour after sunrise and again at about 5pm or 6pm.

The evening meal is the best time to offer vegetables. If you feel your bird might not receive a proper meal based on natural meal times, you can leave foraging toys and snacks for entertainment in the cage. Foraging toys allow your bird to get the nutrients they need, but they have to work at it.

Never put too much food in the toys or in the cage.

Make certain that you are providing the proper amount of food and monitoring the amount your bird is eating. When a bird stops eating as much as they have in the past, it is a clear sign of illness. Illness can happen due to improper food, a genetic disorder, lack of certain nutrients, or poor hygiene in their living area.

You need to wash dishes daily to ensure contamination does not occur. You also do not want food to be in the cage for over 24 hours, as it could become contaminated by the bird's natural eliminations.

Water is essential for any pet. Your bird needs an unlimited source of water. When the water bottle is empty, make certain you fill it up. It is a good idea to provide water at meal times so that it is fresh. It is also a good habit for you to avoid your bird running out of water on hotter days. Get used to pulling the bottle, emptying it out, and giving your bird fresh water regardless of whether it is empty.

Water can also be a source of nutrients for your birds. Tap water is not always the healthiest option due to the chemicals used to keep it clean for drinking. However, you can purchase spring water that is not purified of all the minerals and nutrients water contains.

13.3 Reptiles

Reptiles are seemingly easy pets to take care of until you consider how their life in a cage needs to be modified to fit their delicate systems.

Reptiles, unlike small mammals, require appropriate husbandry to ensure they eat when food is supplied.

Reptile Husbandry and How It Impacts Eating

Husbandry refers to the management and care of animals by humans. It includes topics on photoperiod, humidity, temperature, substrate, and cage furniture.

Each one of these topics can directly affect your reptile's eating behavior.

In the wild, reptiles typically spend hours upon hours basking in the sun, absorbing the heat and the ultraviolet light. The light is necessary for reptiles' bodies to manufacture vitamin D3 and for calcium absorption.

Photoperiod is the phrase associated with providing light to your reptile using specific lighting that creates a day-and-night cycle for your pet.

Getting reptile lighting systems is extremely important for those who live in darker locations where it rains a lot, and the sky is cloudy more often than not.

Improper lighting can lead to a sick or dying reptile, and they may not be able to obtain proper nutrients from food.

Humidity and temperature gradients need to be created inside a cage to allow your reptile to select whether it wants to be in warm, dry, cool, or moist areas. You will need to have an area of the cage that is warmer than another, often under UV lighting, to ensure proper vitamin D3 creation and calcium absorption. Cooler spots are used by reptiles when they want to cool down or sometimes when they want to sleep. Some reptiles also enjoy being in ponds or at least in moist areas where it is "raining" inside the cage. Reptiles used to rainforest weather tend to need more moisture and need those "rainy" simulations.

The substrate and cage furniture you provide your reptile needs to match their natural habitat. It should be comfortable, cleaned fairly often, and provide plenty of hiding holes for reptiles.

Notice your reptile is not eating. There can be several reasons for it that also relate to the husbandry you provide.

Reptiles do not eat as frequently as mammals.

Digestion can take a significantly longer period. However, outside of their natural digestion time, the photoperiod, humidity, temperature, cage furniture, and substrate can adversely affect whether your animal is going to eat or ignore the food; therefore, it impacts the amount of nutrients they obtain from food.

You need to assess if there are any areas in the cage your reptile does not like. Determine if there are things you can add or take away that will simulate a natural environment better. Also, monitor the temperature, humidity, and amount of daylight your reptile is receiving. Make slow changes to avoid going too far in another direction.

If you have multiple reptiles in the same cage, this can also affect one or more of your pets. Competition for preferred sites, including feeding areas, may reduce the amount of nutrients your pet reptile is receiving. You have to supply more than one spot for warming, cooling, moisturizing, and eating. If there is a preferred eating spot for your reptiles, consider using visual barriers that might reduce the competition in one zone or another.

What Reptiles Eat

Most reptiles are carnivores.

Depending on where they live- rabbits, rats, and mice are typically the most common prey.

The size of the reptile will also determine the type of prey they eat.

For example, crocodiles and alligators are semi-aquatic. They feed on birds, small mammals, and fish. Crocodiles are also known to feed on large animals, such as lions, water buffalo, and antelope.

Most of the pet reptiles you will have feed on mice, rats, and rabbits. Turtles, although many confuse them with amphibians, are reptiles.

Turtles are the only reptiles that are herbivores, feeding on grass, shrubs, leaves, and fruit. Some turtles will eat larvae of aquatic invertebrates, caterpillars, and grubs.

Several reptiles are also insect eaters, such as lizards that eat crickets, spiders, and beetles. Crickets, mealworms, and kingworms are considered invertebrate prey, which you can feed most reptiles while also feeding them vertebrate prey like small mammals.

Deciding How and What to Feed Your Reptile

To ensure your reptile is obtaining the proper source of nutrients, it is best to provide a mixture of prey options for your pet.

The Merck Vet Manual recommends that you feed vertebrate and invertebrate prey to your reptiles, particularly those who are carnivores or omnivores. Each type of prey can have different nutrient levels that will be absorbed by your reptile. For example, you might feed a mouse to your snake, but that mouse could be deficient in vitamin A. By feeding a secondary food source that is also rich in vitamin A, you can ensure any accidental deficiency from other prey is not adversely affecting your pet.

Vertebrate prey needs to have nutritionally complete diets. However, the place that is taking care of these dietary rodents may not be feeding proper food. Since the nutrients absorbed by the prey are then absorbed by the reptile, you have to ensure appropriate storage and feeding of the prey. This also goes for feeding insects and other invertebrate prey.

Commercial pet stores and pet food locations have a range of products that will provide the needed nutrients to your pet reptile.

You have many options to choose from, such as live, dead, frozen, herbivore reptile pellets, freeze-dried, canned, extruded, and sausage forms of prey.

Extruded prey is a type of food where the nutrients have been forced out of the prey and turned into a canned or shredded style of food for your reptiles.

The Merck Vet Manual recommends that you feed dead prey over any live prey to your reptile. With plenty of choices of nutrient sources for dead or extruded prey, it will not be difficult to find something; however, it may be difficult to get your reptile used to a dead meal.

Reptiles are often used to eating live prey, even at the pet store, before they go home with you. In some cases, not eating live prey could cause your reptile to starve. Suppose the dead prey remains in the cage, and they are not eating it.

In that case, they are probably unwilling to adapt to their new environment, and you might want to consider feeding them live prey.

The reason dead prey is recommended is for the safety of your reptile. Cages are smaller than the habitat most reptiles are used to. It is very easy for your reptile to become injured when chasing the live prey. Prey can also defend themselves with bites and scratches. An injury to your pet could turn deadly. In the wild, it is expected that a reptile might be injured in the course of getting food. Still, for a domesticated species, it is not really acceptable to place a pet in harm's way. Even more importantly, it is also less humane for the prey.

Besides serving up dead prey, you want to ensure you are feeding more than one type of prey to your reptile.

Already, you have learned that having a variety of options is best for proper nutrient sources. It also keeps your reptile from gaining a dependency on certain prey that may be hard to get at certain times. Sometimes, a pet store may not have mice, rats, or insects because they did not order enough or due to an outbreak of some illness at their usual supplier. Mice and rats are known carriers of many diseases, which can affect a supplier's ability to provide healthy batches of prey.

Snakes are more difficult. Many pet owners tend to see a frequent dependency on one type of prey or food item. They are unable to get their snake to eat anything else.

Herbivore reptiles can be fed pellets. The pellets are designed to provide proper nutrient sources that are found in plants, insects, and fruits. For some individuals, it is easier to feed pellets over trying to figure out the proper nutrients that should be fed through multiple sources of food.

Reptiles are among the longest-lived species on the planet. Source: reptileknowledge.com

Feeding Amounts and Nutrients Required

For herbivores, at least 25-50% of their diet should consist of pellets.

You want to make certain reptiles are being fed 1-4% of their body weight with dry matter foods, including pellets, grass, and vegetables. Vegetables provide oxalate, which is important for your reptiles. Oxalate prevents kidney stones, even in reptiles.

You also want to make certain no more than 50% of the diet is fresh greens, vegetables, and fruits. Fruits should not exceed 5% because they are high in sugar. Herbs and dandelions are considered common foods for herbivore reptiles. Most European markets have these options, as do other plants.

Carnivorous reptiles should have 30-50% protein in their diet. Whether this is obtained from dead, frozen, live, or canned mice, rabbits, or rats is up to you. Reptiles, unless they are omnivores or herbivores, will not need fat or crude fiber to be a part of their diet.

Minerals and vitamins are required to be anywhere from 0.15-1%. These include arginine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, cysteine, threonine, tryptophan, and linoleic acid. Additionally, your reptile needs calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, and copper in their diet. These levels are fairly low, from about 0.04-1.1 %, based on the size of the reptile.

Reptiles also need iodine, selenium, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, vitamin B12, choline, biotin, folacin, thiamine, pyridoxine, vitamins A, D3 and E. The amounts are going to differ from carnivorous reptiles to omnivores. It is best to examine a bag of food or canned food that you are going to feed your reptile to determine if it has the appropriate amount of nutrients for your type of reptile. The percentages mentioned above are for most reptiles. Still, you should realize that size, weight, and species will have some variations.

Furthermore, reptiles can undergo various life changes, such as shedding snakes to those laying eggs. Thus, nutrient amounts need to accommodate life changes just like any other pet you might have.

Most reptiles will eat every two to three days.

This means if you feed a mouse to your snake, you will not have to feed it again until it has been 2 or 3 days. With snakes, it is easier to see the digestive process, particularly when you feed whole mice, as you will see the lump the prey creates in the snake until it has been digested. Given that most reptiles are not dependent on energy to stay warm like most pets, less energy consumption occurs. It is yet another reason for there to be a lower amount of calories required for a reptile to stay in good health. Reptiles are ectothermic, meaning they do not generate their own heat like endothermic mammals do. This is also why you have to provide warm places in the cage for your reptile to go when it wants to warm up or lay in the sun.

When your reptiles are not receiving enough nutrients, it can lead to certain diseases or illnesses.

A common issue in snakes and lizards is ulcerative stomatitis, which is related to a vitamin C deficiency. You can feed supplements to your reptiles; however, it is better to provide a meal that is high in vitamin C to account for any deficiency that may occur due to a lack of proper nutrients. Gout is another issue that can occur in reptiles, not just humans.

Gout is considered an issue with nitrogen, where an excess of nitrogen is found in the body. Most reptiles can urinate out the extra nitrogen, but when they have too much waste or proper food is not supplied, it can lead to gout, kidney crystals, and impaired renal function. The best way to ensure your reptile does not develop a health condition is to provide a well-balanced meal based on the appropriate caloric intake for the species of reptile you are raising.

Part 13 Summary

Fish might seem like the easiest pets you could purchase, but there is a lot that goes into their care.

You have to keep the tank they live in regulated appropriately, as well as clean, to ensure your fish are healthy.

Beyond a healthy habitat, you need to ensure the fish food you provide gives the appropriate nutrients for that type of fish.

Not all flakes and pellets are made equally, and some might help keep your fish brightly colored but lack essential nutrients.

Other food might work well for bottom feeders, but for those looking to eat at the top of the water tank, you need to supply flakes with plenty of nutrients.

Bird species have different dietary needs.

You must understand what types of foods are best for the species of bird you have. You may be feeding your bird an omnivore diet when it is a florivore.

A diet with proper nutrients ensures there is no worry over a vitamin deficiency. A proper diet also means you are not feeding foods you shouldn't or at least cause your bird to be obese.

Protein, certain vitamins such as B and D, and calcium can be helpful to your bird's growth and longevity.

To ensure your bird stays healthy, never feed it persimmons or fruit pits, among other foods.

Reptiles can be difficult to raise as pets due to their unique needs.

Animal husbandry is extremely important as an issue inside the cage, where temperature, humidity, and other factors can directly affect whether your reptile is eating enough or not. You also want to make certain you are feeding your reptile a well-balanced meal from various prey to account for any vitamin and nutrient deficiencies in one type of prey.

Keeping your reptile healthy is about a balance of nutrients and how their body is able to absorb those nutrients. For example, vitamin D is created from sunlight or UV lighting; thus, you must supply plenty of sunlight hours.

Premium Pet Nutrition: Treat Your Furry Friends to the Best

Ready to give your furry friend the best in nutrition? At Hot Diggity Dog Resort, we offer a curated selection of premium pet foods and homemade treats for dogs, cats, horses, and even humans! Whether you need high-quality kibble, delicious homemade snacks, or specialty diets, we've got you covered. Explore our full range of products and treat your pet to the health and happiness they deserve. Visit our Healthy Pet Foods page for premium options for dogs, cats, and horses, along with supplements for humans. Don't forget to check out our top homemade dog treat recipes—because your pet deserves the best, inside and out!

For more on pet nutrition, visit our Hot Diggity Dog Blog and explore other modules in this series.