Hi folks

wonder if anyone has any advice for me, i have an 11 yr old horsfield who is obsessed with junk food, i am in the process of growing mallow, forget me nots, dandilions etc etc in the home of making him more healthy and in the mean time trying to feed him green stuff - spinach, fresh herbs, brocolli etc but he's not having any of it, i've tried chopping everything up small and putting a bits of toms, peppers finely chopped up to tempt him but he's still not playing, he's being really sulky and i'm close to giving in incase he just starves himself out of protest

any tips and advice would be much appreciated

metalchick x

Hi  to our site.

I think he is trying to tell you that he doesnt like the 'green stuff' you are trying to feed him, he's a very sensible tort too, as those foods you mention such as brocolli and spinach etc are not what we recommend you feed a tortoise!  Whilst you are awaiting for your plants to grow it would be best if you went and collected weeds, such as dandelion, sowthistle, deadnettle and plantains from parks or hedgrows, just make sure you wash them well. Do you add supplements to the foods such as nutrobal and limestone flour?

Out of interest how long have you had your horsfield, and what are the junk foods he likes? Is he eating ok otherwise? It would be great to see a pic of him, which you can add to the members gallery.

I rehomed a horsfield and his owners told me he was fed the odd chip and hob nob biscuits!!  I soon changed his diet!!

Let us know how you get on, any other questions please feel free to fire away!

Vivienne

Hi Vivienne

Thanks for your reply, i can go and find dandilions in the park i'm sure but not sure what sowthistle and plantain look like, would be worried i'd pick up the wrong things. I've tried giving him dandilions before but he's not keen. I've had ozzie 7 yrs n when i got him the place i got him from fed him tomatoes so i fed him them as it was the only thing he would eat, then i found out they've not good for him so i tried grass and weeds but he wouldn't eat em, he used to like brocolli but now doesn't like it now, he likes baby corn, cucumber and red/orange peppers. but now he won't eat these chopped up small with curly kale, spinach etc. So at the moment he's not eating anything even though i put new stuff out every day and put him near his food. He's very quite and sulky at the mo and its not like him. Yeah he has nutrobal and limestone flour on his food everyday.

i've tried to post a pic of him but it keeps saying error page not found?

thanks for yr advice

metalchick

Hiya

Try this downloadable guide to help you with weed identification: http://www.tlady.clara.net/id16.htm

Whilst he is not eating I should keep him bathed every day so that he is well hydrated.  Keep offering him the good stuff and you could smear a little cucumber juice on his food to try and tempt him.

When you try and upload a picture if it either too large in size and you need to reduce it or if it has an apostophe or and & in the title it won't upload.   If  you still can't manage it send it to me at helen@tortoise-protection-group.org.uk and I'll do t for you.

Helen

Hi there

If you visit the TLadys site and go to the edible weeds section, you will find photos and a description - see

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/Diet.htm#plantlist

I know lots of these weeds by sight, but dont know what they are called, and Im sure you will recognise them when you see the pics!

He really will be much better with a weed and wild flower diet, this is what he would be eating in the wild, although russian tortoises do not really eat grass.  Broccoli, spinach, corn, peppers etc have too much oxalic acid, protein and sugars and can upset a tortoises digestive system, and cause other problems, so are best avoided.  Tortoises can be quite stubborn when it comes to changing foods, but if your tortoise is not eating much of anything at the moment, there may be something else behind it.  Can you let us have a few details of his enclosure, lighting, temps etc?  You mention that he is a bit quiet, are there any other symptoms?

Sorry cant help with the photos, I am a bit of a technophobe, but hopefully Helen will step in and sort them out for you!

all the best

Arlene TPG

Looks as if we wrote at the same time lol.

Helen

hi helen

thanks for your help, i'll check out that site, last year i grew him some sedum and he liked that if i held it, but wouldn't go and eat it if left in his bowl. I think i hav added some pics, now but not sure, do u think i should just leave food out for him, what i want him to eat and when he's hungry enough he will eat it?

thanks rosie

hi arlene

thanks for the post, there's no other symptoms, he's been perky over the winter, but now i've changed his food, he's sluggish, sulky, hides in the corner and doesn't come out. I took him to the vet and she checked his muth as he had a bacterial infect last year and that was fine. I am waiting for the results of a poo sample, he's not had blood tests or xrays or anything else. He has a 4 foot vivarium, which has the doors open constantly which leads out onto a four/3.5 foot run. The viv has a ceramic heater in it and in the door theres a combined uv and heat lamp, its about 75degrees at one end and 100degrees at the other end in the day and goes to about 60degrees and 70 degrees, the run has things for him to climb on/under and has a heat lamp, clipped on the side. The viv is full of chipoings and straw pellets, shall i keep trying to feed him weeds etc till he gets hungry?

thanks for yr help

rosie

The tough love approach does work if you can sit it out.  I find cucumber juice smeared on the good stuff helps quite a bit. 

Looking at your guy if you don't mind me saying, it looks as if he could do with a bit of a tidy up .  I should be tempted to take him along to your vet and let him give your torty a really good beak trim.  You may find that the reason he is not eating much is that he is haveing some difficulty as his beak is quite overgrown.  Do you have an exotics vet near you that could see him for you?

Helen

hi helen

thanks for the advice, yeah i'll sit it out, just don't like not seeing him eat, and him being so grumpy with me. This is an old pic of him, he had his beak trimmed at the vets last week, he goes every few months as it tends to grow quick, the vet is a reptile specialist

i'll keep trying

thanks rosie

Hi Rosie

Try putting his food on a slate, rock or tile and putting a cuttlefish bone in his enclosure and that may help keep his beak in trim for you.  Providing you are happy that your tortoise is not ill and you have the right heating and lighting for him sitting it out won't do him any harm at all.  It gives us the stress and not the torts.

Did you know in the horsfield's natural habitat in the wild they only eat for 2 six week periods in the year?  Research studies have found that of this twelve week period of eating if you timed each time the tortoise ate and the length of time it ate for then you would find that the horsfield only eats for 15 full hours each year.  Amazing fact, but this goes to show that the tough love approach will not do him any harm at all.  Just make sure he is bathed in warm water for approx 20 mins daily to keep him hydrated until he starts eating again for you.

Helen

hi helen

thanks for your info, he does have his food in a stone bowl and he has a cuttlefish bone in his run but doesn't pay it any attention, i'll wipe some tasty juice on it i think, he did have one bite of a dandelion leaf with cucumber juice on it yesterday but not much, i don't think he's ill... i hope and his heating etc is ok, took his lights to the vet to get them checked and they were good, guess i will sit it out

thanks rosie