The Role of Gut-loading Feeder Insects to Enhance Reptile Health

Gut-loading is particularly helpful for adding calcium to your pet’s diet, which is critical for strong bones. Organic fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens offer calcium and other nutrients like vitamins A and D. Organic produce also increases dietary fiber for healthier digestion. Good options for the gut load include:

Always check with your veterinarian or research new foods before including them. You can also consider commercial gut-loaded food, but these products can be inconsistent in their nutritional content. Some commercial products also have particle sizes that are too large for the insects, so they don’t consume the nutrients your pet needs.

Gut-loading insects is different from regular feeding. The primary diet of your insects will also affect their nutritional content, whether they receive a commercial diet or a mixture of fresh produce. Daily feeding also gives you insight into the foods your insects readily eat so you will know what will work best in the gut-load diet.

Gut-loading takes place prior to feeding the insects to your reptile. The length of time for a gut load will vary based on the type of insect. Time the gut load so the insect has consumed the food and has the nutrients in its system when you feed the insect to your pet. For crickets, this usually takes 24-48 hours. Roaches can take up to three days. Feed the insects to your pet immediately after gut-loading to ensure they have not expelled any nutrients.

Fresh foods are usually best for gut-loading feeder insects. The insects should have access to the food throughout the gut-loading process to ensure nutrients remain in their system until given to your reptile. Keep a close eye on your insect tubs and remove molding foods immediately, replacing them with fresh ones. Also, keep excess moisture and dead insects out of the tubs since healthy insects mean a healthier reptile.

Hydration is as critical as the foods you provide since a dehydrated insect can dehydrate your reptile. Water gels, a soaked paper towel, or a shallow dish of clean water will keep your insects hydrated during the gut-load process. If you use a dish, include accessible escape routes to prevent insects from drowning and change the water regularly to avoid bacteria buildup.

Gut-loading insects isn’t the only way to add nutrients to your reptile’s diet. Other options include:

Dusting

Some reptile owners and breeders also dust insects before feeding. This process coats the insect in a nutrient-packed powder your pet will consume. Dusting is not the most consistent supplementation process since insects may groom much of the dust off before you feed them to your reptile. You can also dust the gut-load food to get the nutrients into the insect’s digestive tract, where your reptile may benefit more.

Premium and Variety Feeders

Another feeding option is to add live Vita-Bug Crickets, Calciworms, and other live food to your pet’s diet. Vita-Bug Crickets are raised on food that more closely models the diets of insects in the wild. These nutrient-rich crickets are supplemented with vitamins E and A, beta-carotene, omega-6, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Calciworms are naturally high in calcium and receive a scientifically formulated diet that makes them a beneficial supplement for reptiles and eliminates the need for dusting. You can further enhance your pet’s diet by including waxworms for extra fat and hornworms for additional hydration.

Frozen Prey Options

Some larger lizards, such as bearded dragons, can eat frozen mice. Even larger geckos might enjoy the occasional pinky mouse if the feeder isn’t larger than your pet’s mouth. Adding frozen feeders to a reptile’s diet can help maintain its ideal weight.   

Your reptile’s health begins with proper nutrition. Always purchase food from a reputable source like RodentPro.com® to ensure the highest quality and safest options. In addition to offering your pet a variety of live foods and possibly frozen feeders, find ways to supplement their diet with premium feeder insects like Vita-Bug Crickets or by dusting and gut-loading. A nutrient-packed diet will help your exotic pet stay healthy and thrive.