My tort isn't drinking.

[Fe-2470]

In the eight months I've had her i have never seen her drink, even when i bath her. I think this is where she mainly only eats cucumber. Is this normal? Is cucumber good for her?

 

[JoesMum]

In the eight months I've had her i have never seen her drink, even when i bath her. I think this is where she mainly only eats cucumber. Is this normal? Is cucumber good for her?

As long as those soaks are for at least 20 minutes every day, your tort will be getting the hydration she needs even though you're not aware of her drinking.

Cucumber is not good food. You need to wean her onto healthier foods with more nutrients and fibre.

This may mean a period of hunger strike... in fact it will mean a hunger strike... but you have to be strong minded and keep going (and make the soaks 30 minutes minimum while eating is refused)

To wean you tort onto the weedy greens she needs:
- chop the foods she will eat really small and wet them
- chop a tiny amount of new food really small and mix it with the other food. The water will stick it together so she can't pick it out.
- If she eats the mixture, at the next feed, increase the new food very slightly and decrease the less healthy stuff slightly.
- If she refuses then leave it there for 24 hours; it doesn't matter if it goes limp. Soak for 30 minutes first thing in the morning then present a fresh mix in exactly the same proportions as the day before.

She will give in and eat the good stuff, but you have to take it very slowly. She will not come to any harm if she refuses for several days as long as she is soaked.

Look up the greens that you can buy and those that grow around you on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

In the winter months, supplementing with a pelleted food is probably unavoidable

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I like http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
for food advice, the ones in bold are best.
When you soak your tortoise it will drink a little and also absorb water through the cloaca.You can sprinkle water on food to help, as well.

 

[Fe-2470]

What foods do you recommend? I give her tortoise food which contains d3 and various vitamins

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a list of suitable greens

Look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database if you're not sure what they look like.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

 

[RosemaryDW]

What foods do you recommend? I give her tortoise food which contains d3 and various vitamins

There are many good foods to choose from! JoesMum has listed some really good ones already but there are many other options.

It sounds like you might be feeding her mostly a prepared diet? If so, you'll want to round that out with some fresh foods, more than just cucumber. Knowing where you live can help us make the best suggestions about available foods. Where do you live? Some place out in the country with lots of weeds? In the city? Some place cold?

There won't be one "best" food. Tortoises do best when they have a varied diet of many different foods. But for right now we'll just figure out what you can get your hands on easily.

 

[JoesMum]

What foods do you recommend? I give her tortoise food which contains d3 and various vitamins

I gave you a list of stuff, but the message is to make life easy for yourself by doing some research on what you can buy and what grows around you. We all live in geographic areas with different shops and different plants growing in our yards and gardens.

Look up the greens that you can buy and those that grow around you on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

 

[zovick]

In the eight months I've had her i have never seen her drink, even when i bath her. I think this is where she mainly only eats cucumber. Is this normal? Is cucumber good for her?

What kind of a tortoise do you have? Certain species hardly ever drink water. Additionally you mentioned her eating mainly cucumber which is about 95% water and has little food value (though some tortoises really like it). Your tortoise may be getting all the water she needs from eating the cucumbers. If you want to find out if that could be the case, you could stop feeding the cucumbers for a week or two and see if doing so increases her desire to drink water.

 

[Fe-2470]

WOW! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.