We had a case of Tulip Poisoning

[Prairie Mom]

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Our Sulcata has free access to our whole backyard. I've been a good tortoise Mamma and have been busily researching to make sure that what is safe for us is safe for our beloved tortoise. I read on the tortoise table that tortoises shouldn't eat tulips quite a while ago...

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=361 -- "is said to cause severe skin and eye irritation and blistering."​

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The plants in my backyard are perfect for our sulcata. I decided to keep my tulips, but blocked her access and it has not been a problem. BUT I forgot that I have weird tulips growing up in the middle of my lilac bushes from before we bought the house. I rarely notice them, because they don't bloom and are usually covered by last Autumn's leaves.

Well, darn it...Mavis found them and must have LOVED them, because she ate so much of them! Evil, sneaky TULIPS!!! I found her in the middle of eating them and felt really bad that I had forgotten about these. Her bad physical reaction was mostly noticeable the next morning. ​

I thought others might want to see it. I'm sorry that the photos don't really capture it well enough...

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By the next day, her eyelids were completely swollen and her scleras were red and irritated looking...

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The swelling started to reduce quickly over the days that followed. The redness in he scleras lasted longer than the swelling. She also developed some skin irritation.The following picture doesn't properly show it, but you can sort of make out the rash that developed around her beak on all sides. The skin looked red, chaffed, and like it may have been beginning to blister. She also laid around and looked a bit more sluggish than usual. Poor miserable tortoise!.

Poor baby!

Her bad reaction improved with each day and didn't take long for all signs to disappear on their own . Tulip poisoning won't kill your tortoise, but it sure isn't a happy event! I'm grateful she still ate and drank. It probably helped flush the "yuck" from her system faster. I'm guessing our frequent soaking may have helped too. We soak Mavis A LOT. She gets about 20 minutes every morning (she really likes it) and get's another 10-15min soak when she comes in for the day.

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SORRY MAVIS!!! I'm digging them out today!!!​

 

[Lyn W]

So sorry Mavis has been poorly, it's easily done especially with those plants that can't be seen amongst bushes, you have reminded me to do a thorough search so thanks for warning us. I do hope she is 100% again soon.

 

[stojanovski92113]

Oh wow!! I really don't know much about plants and flowers. I only feed certain ones. But I'm glad Mavis is alright! Poor fella. By the way what a nice looking tort too

 

[Prairie Mom]

Thanks @Lyn W and @stojanovski92113 All symptoms are gone now and she is completely recovered. It didn't take too long, but she was definitely uncomfortable. Happily, she is back to her usual self and enjoying munching on all the safe plants that are "waking up" from their winter sleep.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've always said that tortoises know what they can and can't eat. I guess this proves me wrong, doesn't it. So glad it turned out ok.

 

[Jodie]

Poor Mavis. I am sure glad she is ok. Thanks for sharing this with us. Definitely good to know. I kind of thought they wouldn't eat what they shouldn't too.

 

[Tom]

I've always said that tortoises know what they can and can't eat. I guess this proves me wrong, doesn't it. So glad it turned out ok.

You are an awesome human being for this post. I love you even more now.

 

[Tom]

Thank you for sharing this lesson Prairie Mom. I hope this post will help others to be more cautious.

I'm glad Mavis seems to be okay.

 

[teresaf]

Wow. I guess it also pays to search your yard periodically. I have volunteer tulips, daylilies, SUNFLOWERS brought in from the darn squirrels!

 

[Tom]

Wow. I guess it also pays to search your yard periodically. I have volunteer tulips, daylilies, SUNFLOWERS brought in from the darn squirrels!

I know sunflower leaves and plants are edible. I've grown those for mine many times. I think the day lillies are okay too, but verify that before you feed any.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Appreciate you comment, Yvonne. The funny thing is...she didn't just eat them--SHE LOVED THEM! Even after she was all puffy and red-faced, she went sniffing for the ones that I have blocked off. We'll see what the future has in store for the barricaded tulips.

 

[N2TORTS]

I wouldn't blame the Tulips just yet ......Yes, tulips are edible. The petals, if not treated with chemicals/pesticides, make good garnishes and have been eaten all over the world.
The Lilacea family includes both Hyacinths and Tulips and contain alkaloids and allergenic lactones. This is found concentrated in the “bulbs” as opposed to the leaves and flower and usually has to be eaten in a large amount. Hence , why we see dogs more with this "overdose" - getting a hold of that spring planting bulb sack and eating all of it .
Now I'm not saying feed your tortoise more tulips ..if it got sick - it got sick from them . Like me and milk - can't stand the stuff and gets me ill.
Just thought I'd shed a little light on the Tulip family ......I wish your tortoise well! .....

 

[teresaf]

Yeah, @Tom, I was just saying you just don't know what the pesky 'wild' animals are going to bring onto your property for safe keeping. I know daylillies are all right but didn't know about the sunflowers thanks! I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT TULIPS! thanks prairie mom!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Wow. I guess it also pays to search your yard periodically. I have volunteer tulips, daylilies, SUNFLOWERS brought in from the darn squirrels!

Thank you for sharing this lesson Prairie Mom. I hope this post will help others to be more cautious.

I'm glad Mavis seems to be okay.

Thanks for the well wishes for Mavis. She's all good now I agree with Tom's remarks regarding the flowers. Sunflowers are fine and I researched Daylillies a bit as well and spoke with lochroma about them. I mentioned my concerns and findings in this post about flowers I made a while ago...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...ls-cold-hardy-perennials.110773/#post-1030304

 

[Prairie Mom]

I wouldn't blame the Tulips just yet ......Yes, tulips are edible. The petals, if not treated with chemicals/pesticides, make good garnishes and have been eaten all over the world.
The Lilacea family includes both Hyacinths and Tulips and contain alkaloids and allergenic lactones. This is found concentrated in the “bulbs” as opposed to the leaves and flower and usually has to be eaten in a large amount. Hence , why we see dogs more with this "overdose" - getting a hold of that spring planting bulb sack and eating all of it .
Now I'm not saying feed your tortoise more tulips ..if it got sick - it got sick from them . Like me and milk - can't stand the stuff and gets me ill.
Just thought I'd shed a little light on the Tulip family ......I wish your tortoise well! .....

Yes! N2TORTS! I loved your post, because I am very interested in edible flowers and you shared some things that I know to be true. Nice! My family actually eats tulips all the time I just mentioned it in the off topic garden chat today and have brought this up often. I also feed tulips to the deer that frequent my yard and throw them into the squirrels if I happen to have one in my care. You are exactly right that the toxic part of the plant for humans and mammals is a specific part of the bulb. People in Holland even removed the toxic part of the bulb and baked the bulbs into loaves during parts of history when food has been scarce. However, I do believe this appears to be an instance when the tortoise table is correct and can only guess that our tortoises react badly to it. Thanks so much for your post. Please share any time!

 

[Prairie Mom]

I will tell everyone that happens to read this that I am positively convinced that the Tulips caused the reaction. My entire backyard is an edible project. Everything growing back there has been painstakingly researched and grown organically for the possibility of fresh human consumption and knowing full well that young children will be picking and eating the flowers, vegetation, berries, veg--everything without washing them as they should. I've been in touch with Maddocks organic edible flower farm, research the web all the time, cook with edible flowers and weeds, pick minds here on the forum, and have spent a lot of free time looking into this. Now that I am a tortoise owner, I've spent HUGE AMOUNTS of time double checking everything -seriously: everything!- that I have in my yard and have been eagerly sharing what I learn on the forum and asking questions. I am positively convinced it was the tulips that I caught her eating. She also didn't eat just one. I'm embarrassed to say that I left quite a few growing inside the lilac bushes that encircle my yard and my beloved tortoise had a feast.

I know nothing about tortoise biology but strongly suspect this is one of those times when something we can eat can be mildly toxic to our tortoise. She was never in danger. She was just really uncomfortable. Her symptoms may not even have been so bad if she had only eaten a little bit. I'm usually picky and don't trust everything the Tortoise Table says (for example: my tortoise and I LOVE Purslane. I'm growing it from seed and allow my tortoise to eat it more than I've seen recommended there). In this case, my amateur understanding completely believes the Tortoise Table. The T.T. says "This plant contains the glycoside tuliposide which is said to cause severe skin and eye irritation and blistering."---Look at the photos above...that is exactly what happened! In this specific instance the Tortoise Table was correct to the letter!

If your tortoise gets into Tulips. It's not going to die. Don't panic. Soak often and try to keep them away from Tulips in the future. Meanwhile, I'll be adding them to my green salad to show off when company comes over

 

[ShannonC]

I've always said that tortoises know what they can and can't eat. I guess this proves me wrong, doesn't it. So glad it turned out ok.

I have always WONDERED if they knew what they could and could not eat.......I wonder no more!! I will definitely be more vigilant, especially since this is the very first year having torts in my yard!

 

[ShannonC]

@Prairie Mom ....I am so glad Mavis is good to go!!

 

[Momof4]

I had no idea! I haven't been on much today. So glad Mavis is better now!!

She is a very pretty girl!!

 

[Falcon70]

I've always said that tortoises know what they can and can't eat. I guess this proves me wrong, doesn't it. So glad it turned out ok.

I found that out one day when mine got into some groundsel. Fortunately, I caught her before she had a chance to get a second bite