Missing Link?

[nat-v]

I work as a vet nurse and we carry a human product called The Missing Link which we give to animals to boost their immune system. It's a vegetarian superfood supplement, and I was wondering if anyone else has heard of it or given it to their crabs?

The ingredients are as follows:

Flaxseed, Blackstrap Molasses, Rice Bran, Nutritional Yeast, Sunflower Seed, Alfalfa, Carrot, Apple, Sesame Seed, Hesperidin, Licorice Root, Broccoli, Cherry, Parsley, Sprouted Green Barley, Spirulina, Nettle, Kelp, Vanilla Bean, Ginger Root, Sage, Rosemary, Garlic and Yucca Schidigera Extract.

I managed to check the safety of most of them on hermitcrabcuisine.com but some weren't listed.

Just wondering if any other more experienced crabbers would think this would be safe to use or not

Cheers!

[Wai]

Not sure, I've never heard of it. Since it is administered orally, I guess if it was safe for hermit crabs then it would be worth trying.

Just an interesting off topic thing I wanted to point out too, designing medications for hermit crabs is difficult since oral administration is the only option. Creams would have to be able to be absorbed through the exoskeleton (which is quite unlikely) and puncturing their exoskeleton with a syringe will only leave permanent damage until they moult. Injecting a drug into their abdomens would be very dangerous too since that soft body part of theirs is so fragile. Likewise, eye drops could work too if the exoskeleton layer covering their eyes was permeable to the drug.

[emmac350]

Rosemary and garlic are both unsafe for crabs.

[Wai]

Looks like the Missing Link is no good then.

[ladybug15057]

I'm not saying that the Missing link is safe or good for hermies, because I honestly do not know. But here is a little reading regarding garlic:

http://crabbywiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Garlic

And Rosemary bloom is on the list here. Has something changed since the article had been done, which means it would need updated?

[emmac350]

I know through some research that garlic is oftentimes used as a wormicide (vermicide?) for those with intestinal worms who also have drug allergies or sensitivities or who can't afford the drugs. The other thing to note is that raw garlic is really hard on your skin. I have a friend whose mother used it to treat a wart she had as a kid and now has a scar - her mom taped it on the wart and she had an open sore from the garlic that is a rather nasty-looking scar now.

As for the rosemary, I know that rosemary is on the Epicurean Hermit's unsafe foods list and a bit of research shows that it is pest-resistant (insect repelling).

[nat-v]

Hhmmm, all very interesting! Thanks guys!

I would imagine the amounts of both rosemary and garlic in the missing link would probably be fairly low, and it is freeze dried so I'm not sure if that would reduce it's potential as an insecticide or repellant. It's a shame though, because there are definately some things in there that I'm sure my crabs would love! But it's not worth the risk.

I did note that the canine version of missing link also contains garlic, which is toxic to them, but only in high doses, due to the thiosulphate in it. So, I guess that comes down to some things being safe in small doses. But what's considered a small dose in an animal as small as a hermit crab? It would be impossible to calculate!

On another note, I also have some dried cat treats. Do you think they would be safe to feed?
They are 100% dried bonito flakes and organic dried hoki fish. Plus I also have some 100% dried Roo meat.

[emmac350]

Those treats sound fantastic! My guys do love their bonito flakes. As long as there are no questionable ingredients, you'll be good to go with those. As for the Missing Link, you're welcome to try it with the crabs. But with the inability to get an autopsy if you do have a death to confirm the Missing Link as the cause of death, it's a crapshoot. I'd stay on the safe side and not give it to them. The other ingredients in it are good for them, so if you can, say, buy some spirulina (either pellets or powder), give it to them!

[nat-v]

Great, thanks!

The treats are definately just 100% meat, with no preservatives. I already have spirulina powder that I give them, so I think I'll stick with that. I'd feel so terrible if one of them died due to me experimenting!

Because I work in a vet clinic, I do have all the necessary equipment for an autosopy. But definately not the knowledge!

[Jedi_Sena]

You can always mix your own using the safe ingredients as a guide. Most of it sounds very nutritious!