picky eater 2

[John]

so my youngest was not eating well so i experimented because of where he came from i figured he was used too lettuce and that was the case, so i made a mash of mazuri optunia dandalion and turnip green with a little butternut and enough lettuce too get him lookin day 2 hes eatin well im scared too ask but ive read arguments for and against lettuce ive chosen not too use it at all but again corton states that small quantities may be beneficial thanks john

 

[yagyujubei]

Well, it's not like the lettuce is poisonous. I think, that if it takes a little to entice your youngest to eat a better diet, in this case, it's actually a good thing. If you can use romaine rather than iceburg, it would be much better. You can gradually lessen the amounts daily until it's not needed anymore. Keep the lettuce in mind also if you have to medicate. A pill rolled in a lettuce leaf, or a lettuce leaf smeared with panacur is easier than the alternatives. Remember though, that a tablespoon of food that's half lettuce is only the equivalent of a half tablespoon of food.

 

[Greg T]

Lettuce isn't all bad. Some like iceberg have little nutritional value. Most feed a mix of spring mix lettuce and some other like mazuri or other vegetables. I usually provide a daily portion of spring mix, green leaf lettuce and either mazuri, dry grasses, or cactus pad. Then they go graze in the yard if they are still hungry.

 

[Neal]

Greg said it pretty clearly for you.
I feed mine lettuce every now and again. Usually it's when we have more in the refridgerator than we can use ourselves. Fife suggests the nitrates romaine produces creates an anitbacterial effect powerful enough to kil E-Coli. So there's something to be said in favor of eating lettuce. But along with what's been said I don't recommend it too often.

 

[Yvonne G]

I use escarole, endive, green/red leaf and sometimes romaine. I have occasionally tossed them a head of iceburg lettuce if I have it on hand and I'm not going to be able to use it before it goes bad. Its not poison, just not very nutritious. I once read a line that said something like...if you want to lose weight, you eat lettuce. That has always stuck with me.

A few months ago a lady gave me all her box turtles. Along with the turtles, she gave me all her supplies and food. The food included a couple or three heads of ice burg lettuce. I have never fed lettuce to my box turtles before, but I thought, what the heck, and I broke up the heads and tossed them into the pen. You would have thought I was feeding them chateau briand! They went after that lettuce like they were starving to death! Surprised the heck out of me.

So, bottom line...As part of a varied diet, lettuce is ok.

 

[John]

thank you all for responding i missed the fife thing ill go back and reread corton also has written the e-coli thing when i say lettuce i dont mean iceberg if i use any its romaine or leaf same for my iguana thanks again john