stubborn tortoise, need advice

[stinax182]

my 2 year old leopard tortoise refuses anything but mazuri. i introduced it to her before summer and only offered it to her when i brought her inside at night or on days the weather forced her to stay inside. since she's been inside more because fall is here, she won't touch greens. I've diced them and mixed it with mazuri, I've coated the greens with it, I've given her nothing for 5 days and then offered greens and still she just stares at me. she will eat snacks like cucumber, zucchini and strawberries (of course)

so my question is, should i try another food strike or just give in? i suppose i could mix the mazuri with zoomed pellet food (which i think is better for her) so her diet isn't entirely mazuri. any advice would be appreciated!

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[wellington]

Cut out the strawberries, they shouldn't really have fruit. I would keep trying and do not give in. Just Mazuri is not a proper diet. Try putting some of the soak water of the Mazuri on the chopped greens. Also, try some other greens or better yet, can you get any hibiscus flowers or leaves, try optunia cactus pads, my leopard loves Christmas cactus, try that, feed it sparingly. Try to find other greens and natural foods that you can try. But keep trying. Check out thetortoisetable.org for more edible food ideas.

 

[Yvonne G]

Look for a thread that shows the recipe for making tortoise lasagna. I think you can get him to eat greens using that method. Use the Google custom search box up in the right corner of each page and search for tortoise lasagna.

 

[stinax182]

Re: RE: stubborn tortoise, need advice

Cut out the strawberries, they shouldn't really have fruit. I would keep trying and do not give in. Just Mazuri is not a proper diet. Try putting some of the soak water of the Mazuri on the chopped greens. Also, try some other greens or better yet, can you get any hibiscus flowers or leaves, try optunia cactus pads, my leopard loves Christmas cactus, try that, feed it sparingly. Try to find other greens and natural foods that you can try. But keep trying. Check out thetortoisetable.org for more edible food ideas.

i only feed her fruit/veggies twice a month, that hasn't changed with her being stubborn, i was just letting everyone know that she'll still eat her favorite treats, but not what's good for her!

and for the year I've had her, I've tried to get her to eat cactus, aloe, rose of Sharon flowers/leaves, rose petals/leaves and couple different flowers, to no avail. i have them plentiful in my garden. she would eat mulberry leaves, clover, plantain and dandelion greens fresh from my yard, but never a flower (even dandelion and clover flowers) her diet consists of the listed greens above, which are all homegrown. store bought greens including collard, mustard, turnip, endive, escarole, frisbee, fancy lettuces, romaine, red leaf, spring mix, radicchio, and water cress. and i have tried her favorites and ones i don't use so often. if i mix the mazuri with any green, she won't touch any of it.

thank you, i will definitely not give up! it's just.......you guys must know how hard it is to see your tort hungry! she comes to my hand and begs basically! I'm such a push over, haha!

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Look for a thread that shows the recipe for making tortoise lasagna. I think you can get him to eat greens using that method. Use the Google custom search box up in the right corner of each page and search for tortoise lasagna.

oh, man, i forgot about this! i read this thread awhile ago, before my tort ate anything BUT greens. thank you for reminding me! i will give it a try! usually if she sees anything but "brown pellets" she doesn't even go over to the dish.

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