this may seem like a silly question to be asking but we got cuttlefish today for nutter and he/she is going at it like theres no tomorrow we only bought a small piece because it wasntin his/her enclosure in the petshop so wasnt sure if it would go down well but it seems to have hit the spot for nutter so because nutter has eaten so much of the cuttlefish will the calcium powder still be needed nutter has the nutrobal  with food and now the cuttlefish so do we still give the calcium powder aswell? its confused us alittle as to our understanding the cuttlefish is a good source of calcium for torts.

Hi Angel
Keya has times when she really gnaws on her cuttlefish, but I never stop putting the nutrabol on her food every day. They cannot have too much calcium, as their body will just pass through what is not needed. Also the cuttlefish is good at keeping the beak trimmed. I have on occasion taken the cuttlefish away from her for a little while for her to calm down abit and then put it back in later.
Hope that helps
Jane, Keya & Molly

I give my Teddy Nutrobal every other day and limestone flour on the other days. Just a sprinkle on their food. The cuttlefish, How long does it last? when should I change it?

Hi Claire,

With my little ones I tend to break a few bits off and discard it when I change the sustrate. To be honest I never change the cuttlefish for my larger torts - I leave it lying around in the greenhouse and tortoise house until it's gone.

TC
Darren

Hi Jane,

Tortoises can suffer from calicification if given too much. Best to sprinkle a little on their food and have the cuttlefish so they can take on the extra cuttlefish when they need it. It's not as easily digested as limestone flour - but they can at least monitor their own intake this way

HTH
Darren

Hi Angel,

It could be he/she has been calcium deficient. They tend to eat it as an when required. Gravid females will consume massive amounts of cuttlefish when they are gravid (forming their eggs).
HTH
Darren

Thanks Darren, wasn't aware of that. Would calcification look like lumpy shell?

Jane

Hi Jane,

To be honest it wasn't that long ago when it was common reading that excess calcium merely passed through a tortoise.

Calcification affects the soft tissue, can cause hypercalcemia (high calcium levels in the blood), can aid the formation of bladder stones and can result in a weakening of the bones etc. Getting the balance 100% correct isn't easy. A thin sprinkling of limestone flour may not be sufficient, this is why we recommend cuttlefish be added so a tortoise can monitor it's own calcium levels and be given the opportunity to take extra calcium on when required.

HTH
Darren

Thanks Darren, I thought I had read that when I was doing a course a while back. This is a continual learning path isn't it.. I love it though. Had an interesting conversation with a vet about hibernation? one of those topics that can open a mine field
Jane