Help! My tort was only fed chow now he doesn't want anything else

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i bought a year old red foot for my husband for Father's Day. We both have always wanted a tort and I wanted to surprise him. The breeder I got him from fed him tortoise chow primarily so I'm having a hard time transitioning him to greens for the major part of his diet. Any information helping to transition him would be great. I realize he needs some sort of protein once a week(from what I've read) but I also read too much protein is bad. Thanks for all your input IMG_1742.JPG
 

wellington

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Hello and Welcome. Tuff love. Take a little chow and soak with water. Smash up the food into tiny bits and add much more water then is needed. Pour a some of the water over the other foods you are trying to get him to eat, letting a little of the chow go onto it too. Do this daily, using less and less watered chow until he is eating just the other foods.
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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Hello and Welcome. Tuff love. Take a little chow and soak with water. Smash up the food into tiny bits and add much more water then is needed. Pour a some of the water over the other foods you are trying to get him to eat, letting a little of the chow go onto it too. Do this daily, using less and less watered chow until he is eating just the other foods.
I agree with Wellington! But I feel every tort owner should have a coffee grinder : I would wet the greens real well and sprinkle the powder food on them the only way your tort will get what he wants is to eat the greens ! Don't forget torts are like kids some times you have to be strong and make them eat what's good for them !! Good luck it's tough !
 

Tom

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I describe it a little differently, but same concept as the other posters.

Soak some Mazuri in a cup or bowl with enough water to make it mushy. Then finely chop up a tiny amount of the new stuff and mix it all in with the pile of mushy Mazuri. Only use a very small amount of the new leafy greens at first. Over time add more and more of the greens with less and less Mazrui. The process might take weeks or months. Be patient and no need to rush. Hunger is your friend in this endeavor. If the tortoise chooses to eat light or skip the food, it will be hungrier the next day. It would take weeks for your tortoise to starve to death, so don't panic over a day or two of pickiness.

It will help if you soak the tortoise several times a week during this process.
 
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I describe it a little differently, but same concept as the other posters.

Soak some Mazuri in a cup or bowl with enough water to make it mushy. Then finely chop up a tiny amount of the new stuff and mix it all in with the pile of mushy Mazuri. Only use a very small amount of the new leafy greens at first. Over time add more and more of the greens with less and less Mazrui. The process might take weeks or months. Be patient and no need to rush. Hunger is your friend in this endeavor. If the tortoise chooses to eat light or skip the food, it will be hungrier the next day. It would take weeks for your tortoise to starve to death, so don't panic over a day or two of pickiness.

It will help if you soak the tortoise several times a week during this process.
I live in Florida so I thought soaking wasn't necessary. How would this help the transition? Please enlighten me! I am a newbie at this! Thank you!
 

RosemaryDW

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I live in Florida so I thought soaking wasn't necessary. How would this help the transition? Please enlighten me! I am a newbie at this! Thank you!

Soaking is a good idea when a tortoise isn't eating because it helps make sure they remain hydrated. Tortoises get some of their water from their food so you want to make sure they are still getting access to water.

They can go a lot longer without eating than they can without drinking/soaking.
 

Tom

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I live in Florida so I thought soaking wasn't necessary. How would this help the transition? Please enlighten me! I am a newbie at this! Thank you!

Soaking and good hydration are beneficial regardless of the stat you live in.

Soaking also generally helps to get things moving in the GI tract and frequently stimulates appetite.
 

ZEROPILOT

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He won't starve to death. He'll eat.
I had 2 Redfoot that I "over Mazuried" too. It took a while to wean them off of it.
My herd still gets Mazuri semi regularly, today in fact. But they no longer turn their noses up at other foods looking for it. They eat everything I lay down.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I live in Florida so I thought soaking wasn't necessary. How would this help the transition? Please enlighten me! I am a newbie at this! Thank you!
I also live in Florida. South east Florida.
Does this tortoise live outdoors?
Can you provide an easy entrance, shallow pool?
My group self soaks almost everyday. They love to swim and cool off.
 

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I also live in Florida. South east Florida.
Does this tortoise live outdoors?
Can you provide an easy entrance, shallow pool?
My group self soaks almost everyday. They love to swim and cool off.
Yes he lives outside
It's a 6'x12' enclosure. Right now I only have an xl plant saucer with water in it. What do you suggest for a pool that he won't drown in?
 
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Soaking is a good idea when a tortoise isn't eating because it helps make sure they remain hydrated. Tortoises get some of their water from their food so you want to make sure they are still getting access to water.

They can go a lot longer without eating than they can without drinking/soaking.
Thank you! What is your method for soaking?
 

MPRC

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I use water heater drain pans for my tortoises, they are big and shallow.
 

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Even an upside down garbage can lid buried flush with the ground.
Anything that holds water and isn't super deep. You'll see him self soak.
It's rained here pretty much every day for the last 25 days. But my group are still always in the water.
You can either make one to fit your needs out of cement, or find an object and re-purpose it.
 

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