Axolotls are worm lovers, and most axolotl keepers make the mistake of feeding all kinds of worms to their pets, including mealworms. Mealworms are regular yummy worms for some pets that can chew as they love how it slides into their mouth. Still, when it comes to axolotls, it becomes an occasional treat for them as mealworms possess a hard exoskeleton, and their teeth are not designed for chewing as well as their digestive system are not structured to digest hard food.
Let’s check out other things that are related to this to know how safe the consumption of mealworms is for your pet.
Can Axolotls Eat Mealworms?
Yes, they can, but they must be fed moderately. Other worms are easy to consume and digest and more nutritious as mealworms possess a hard exoskeleton and are not as healthy as other worms or food being consumed by Axolotls.
Can Axolotls Feed on Mealworms Every day?
No, your axolotl shouldn’t feed on mealworms every day as it can bring about digestive problems due to the eating mode and rigid structure of the mealworm.
Axolotls teeth are structured in a way to grip food alone and not chew, they rather suck, swallow, and digest their food as a whole, and this could affect their digestive system if mealworms are being fed to them every day as it takes a long time for axolotls to get its food digested. Besides, it takes a longer time to get mealworms digested as they possess a hard exoskeleton.
To live a life free of health complications, you should feed your axolotls mealworms moderately, giving it 3 to 5 mealworms per week depending on how frequently your axolotls are feed per week.
How Best Do I Feed Mealworms To My Axolotls?
The first thing you need to know is never to feed an axolotls mealworm without full supervision, as they are known to cause damage to their host digestive system by biting the organs from the stomach back to the mouth.
The best way and time to feed your axolotl with mealworm is immediately after their molting stage as their skin splits out, making them soft and white. This will prevent your axolotl from experiencing health complications that might arise from undigested mealworms or choking the axolotls.
They can also be fed crushed mealworms as this will speed up the rate of the digestive process, and you can also be sure that nothing will bite your axolotl as these mealworms will be lifeless as a result of the crushing.
Can Axolotls Develop Digestive Issues from Feeding on Mealworms?
Yes, they can if mealworms are consumed in excess. Impaction is the only digestive issue they develop from eating mealworms in excess. This occurs due to the hard skin of mealworms, which the creature might have difficulty digesting properly when in excess or have difficulty passing out waste.
Impactions are easily observed in Axilots as they refuse to take in food for several days and begin to bloat, though this can be resolved by fridging them as it will help them pass out the undigested food in their stomach. – Other health complications include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.
Can Axolotls Choke From Feeding on Mealworms?
Yes, they do, as they are not built to feed on anything hard, and they might even spit it out if the mealworm is too big for them to swallow or the axolotls are too young to be fed the mealworm.
If you are considering feeding your axolotls with mealworms, give them a smaller size, crush it, or remove the exoskeleton before feeding them with it.
Can Baby Axolotls Feed On Mealworms?
No, they shouldn’t feed on something hard like a mealworm, as their digestive system is too delicate to feed on. Besides, they will choke on it.
If you are short of worms to feed your baby axolotls on and mealworms seem to be the only ones available, it must be fed moderately with a soft mealworm or a crushed mealworm, but it must be based on your vet’s counsel.
I know you love to give your pet treats; yes, it is lovely, but do not consider giving them mealworms when it comes to baby axolotls. Rather, go for wax worms that are soft and more nutritious for your baby worms, as they are structured to feed on something soft and nutritious.
When Can Axolotls Start To Feed On Mealworms?
Although feeding axolotls with mealworms is not recommended, they can still be given moderately to axolotls of age 18 to 24 months ( the fifth stage of their life cycle) axolotls or a fully grown adult.
Can Axolotls Feed On Dry Mealworms?
No. One of the best ways to kill axolotls without going through any stress is to feed them with dry mealworms, but why will you want to kill a cute lovely pet? Dried mealworms do not have water in them and are harder than live mealworms, and this will hurt the digestive system of the axolotl as they will find difficulty in swallowing it, even if they do not choke on it.
How Many Nutrients Do My Axolotl Derive From Consuming Mealworm?
Mealworms provide a low amount of nutrients compared to axolotl’s nutrient requirements.
Axolotls require food rich in vitamins and minerals and take much time to digest food with high carbohydrate and fat content. Still, a live mealworm is made up of 20% protein, 2% fiber, 13% fat, and 62% moisture, while the dried mealworm is made out of 53% protein, 28% fat, 6% fiber, and 5% moisture which makes it difficult for mealworm to meet up to axolotls nutrient requirement.
It is not advisable to feed your axolotls with a meal that cannot supply them with the needed nutrient and can still pose a health threat to the creature. However, it can be fed to your axolotls as a treat.
Do Axolotls Eat Mealworm in the Wild?
No, axolotls are not lovers of mealworms as they do not like feeding on anything difficult to digest. Besides, there is plenty of yummy and nutritious food for axolotls to feed on in the wild.
What Other Kinds Of Worms Can My Axolotl Feed On?
The best type of r worms to feed to your Axolotls are called dendrobatid worms as they contain every needed nutrient an axolotl will need at each stage of its life cycle.
Other safe and healthy worms for axolotls consumption are earthworms, waxworms, frozen blood worms, and nightcrawlers though it is advisable to feed them with wax worms and blood worms at a young stage.
Conclusion
Consumption of mealworms for axolotls is risky as this might bring about health issues, especially when your pets feed on it in excess and without supervision.
You shouldn’t feed your pet with mealworms as they might end up being eaten from the inside out, especially if the jaws of the mealworms are not removed before giving your pet.
