I am after getting Ed a food supplement to increase his calcium intake. Is Nutrabol (from Vetark) a good option?

Does anyone have any (better)suggestions of food supplements for Ed?

Thanks,
Imfromwales

Hi,

Nutrobal is the recommended supplement, and do follow the instructions for dosage (I think it's a pinch per kg). How old is Ed? For young tortoises you can give Nutrobal every day or every other day -- it has calcium and vitamins in it. Another source of calcium is limestone flour, which is available from horse feed suppliers and from various sources on the internet. And you can also leave a piece of cuttlebone (the thing that they sell in pet shops for birds) in Ed's enclosure, and he can nibble it when he feels like it.

Nina

thanks for the info! I do not know his weight, he is 2 years old...ive just bought some scales on the internet which increment in 0.1g so il weigh him when they turn up :)

should i give him both Nutrobal and the limestone flour daily/every other day or just one or the other?

Thanks,
Antonio

Hi as he is quite young, its best to give him Nutrobal at least four/five times a week, and on the days you dont give him Nutrobal give him limestone flour instead, so there is one of the supplements on each day.

Regards Vivienne

Il do that! ive ordered some Nutrobal, where can i get the limestone flour from?

I said i would let you know how heavy he is - 27.5g - he is 2 years and 2 months old.

Thanks,
Antonio

Hi Antonio,

Would you please double-check your measurements?  27.5gs seems rather light for a 2 year old.

Jo

I dont know where i got 27.5 from, he is 29.4g. What weight should a 2 year old herman be roughly?

I am feeding him on Hawk's-beard, Hawkbit and clover.

Hi Antonio,

May I ask how long have you had the tortoise please?

We recommend a weight gain of 1-3 grams a month for hatchlings/juveniles, the lower end of the scale for smaller tortoises. So even at a 1 gram increment per month it’s quite light. In captivity we usually make the mistake of overfeeding our tortoises and so they are usually heavier than they would be in the wild.

Cheers
Darren

I have had him since mid september. I understand the monthly gain in weight should be approzimatley 1-3grams. When i give Ed food, he devours it so maybe he is not getting enough food?

There is usually some food left over after he has finished eating so i know i am feeding him untill he is full, which confuses me as to his weight issue.

how heavy should a 2 year and 2 month old be?

Thanks,
Antonio

Hi Antonio,

There is no hard and fast rule about how heavy a two-year old should be, because they grow at different rates -- just like people, but 29g seems a bit light.

How long is he (if you put him on the floor on a piece of paper, with the edge of the paper up against the wall, gently shove him against the wall until his head is retracted and his shell is touching the wall, and then make a mark on the paper at the other end, at the back of his shell, and then measure the distance from the front of the paper to you mark in millimetres).

Can you remind me again what species Ed is? Are you absolutely sure of his date of birth (if you got him from a private breeder then you can be sure, but if you got him from a pet shop, garden centre, or internet the dates could be way out)?

Nina

Ed is 48mm. Ed is a Herman.

I got him from a breeder, i have the relevant paperwork which states his DOB is 20/09/2006.

Hi Antonia,

I would be inclined to purchase a good set of scales that measures to a 10th of a gram, to ensure they are accurate, and weigh & record his weight weekly aiming for appx 1 gram/month weight gain and take it from there. At 29g this is light for a 2+ year old, but not a problem if he is gaining weight steadily and he is healthy.

I would be interested in the name of the breeder and the date you got him, you're welcome to mail me privately. I'm not saying there's a problem with the paperwork, it's just very unusual for a UK CB tortoise to be this small, though we do all stress how important it is to achieve a slow steady weight gain:-)

Kindest Regards
Darren
darren@tortoise-protection-group.org.uk

Ive mailed you...

Il keep an eye on his weight and record this.

Ive been reading on Tortoise Friends (Yahoo group) that calcium carbonate is also advisable for tortoises.

Has anyone else heard this or is this not true?

Thanks,
Antonio

Yes Antonio this is correct.

In Northern climates a mineral and vitamin supplement such as Nutrobal or Reptavite should be offered to all growing tortoises on a daily basis for the first 3-4 years of life and after this it can be offered three times a week. This should be lightly sprinkled on the tortoise’s food.

In addition all tortoises, whatever their age, will benefit by some calcium supplementation in the form of limestone flour (or another form of pure calcium carbonate) and this can be sprinkled lightly on to the daily feed. Limestone flour is available from most equestrian stockists and is recommended due to its high calcium content and the fact that it is easily digested.

A cuttlefish bone, the type that you buy from a pet shop for birds can be left in the enclosure. This is also a form of calcium and it does help to keep the tortoise's beak in trim.

HTH
Helen