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what is wrong with ice berg lettace?

Nothing is wrong with Ice burg lettuce... it's just pointless. For reptiles it tends to be too watery and leads to runny stools, and it basically has no nutritional value. It would be like if you ate wet cardboard... it does nothing for you.
 
Well, it's because iceberg lettuce is basically only cellulose and water. It has nothing to offer nutritionally.

Now, if you want to facilitate bowel movements and hydration, a little iceberg included in the salad will do that. But if you want to provide some actual nutrition stick to DARK LEAFY greens. Top on the list should be Collards, Mustard greens, Dandelion greens, alfalfa leaves, escarole, water cress, small amounts of many leafy flavoring herbs like cilantro and basil, edible flowers, green beans and peas. Many common garden and lawn "weeds" have a great deal of nutrition to offer like chickweed, goosefoot, curly/sour dock. Before you can harvest them for use you MUST be certain that they are free of herbicide, pesticide and petroleum contaminates. The best part of most other lettuces are the dark green outer leaves that usually get thrown away. Avoid spinach, parsley, chard, cabbage, kale.
 
When looking at vegetables for reptiles like iguanas, high calcium is needed. Iceberg letuce does not provide that. I have seen Igs fed just iceberg develop MBD, there are x-rays on the internet of Igs that have only eaten iceberg and those with the proper diet. The bone density of the iceberf fed Igs was so light that their bones barely showed up on the x-ray. Those Igs given a proper diet, as MF stated, bones showed up on the x-ray very strong and solid.
 
I love ice berg. But never feed it to them more then once a week. Mostly for hydration. Or as filler in larger meals. You should always supplement accordingly.
 
Why would you want to use "filler" when they could be filling up with things that are GOOD for them?
 
The water and fiber is way good for them. Im talking redfooted torts. Not iggys or beardies. I dont know if it is good for them in any amount. Its pretty much a seasonal thing from the local gardens. I also feed them alot of bannana tree stalks and leaves. for the same reason.
 
I've only fed it to them for a week when i first got them. I coud'nt get out to the store, i was very busy. So when someone told me iceberg lettuce was bad for reptiles i posted this thread 'cause i did'nt no if my lizards would get sick or not.
 
If you're too busy to buy the proper food for your animals, you probably shouldn't have them, IMO. Pets of ANY kind are a responsibility, and should only by kept if you are able to do so properly.
 
That's a big myth that ice burg is "un"healthy. If it is fed exclusively over long periods of time w/ out supplements it could cause heath problems.
 
Vince

Vince said:
That's a big myth that ice burg is "un"healthy. If it is fed exclusively over long periods of time w/ out supplements it could cause heath problems.
Click to expand...

In and of itself, iceberg lettuce is not "unhealthy". I agree with you on this. Still, no single plant can be relied upon as an exclusive diet staple. Even those at the top of the reccomended list.

However, it is not a myth that no amount of supplementation can ever make nutritionally inadequate foodstuffs wholesome and complete. This is particularly true when discussing food plants.

Within plants there are hundreds, if not thousands of different phytochemical nutrients. Even at the level of science we have today, we can't even say how many or even how most of them work. Thus far only a tiny portion of these nutrients have been isolated and manufactured into supplements. One thing that nutrition science has figured out is that a great many of these phytochemical nutrients are only effective when present in tandem with certain others. Thus producing isolated supplement agents is pointless.
 
Iceberg vs. Collard Greens

Here are a couple links to compare the nutritional value of collard greens vs. iceberg. You can draw your own conclusions, but it would seem to support the "iceberg only every now and then" theory, as it has virtually no calcium or protein.

Iceberg Contents Collard Contents
 
Those links aren't working correctly, but you can search from that page for any food item you want
 
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