cicil

Dlamonda

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hi everyone havent been here in awhile. My little guy is doing fantastic. Jams around his tank, eats like a little pig. Basks under his light. Just great seeing him do so good. Was so stressful when I first got him. Now food! So I was reading an article on food not safe, such as zuchini, cabbage, green beans. Then i looked at an article about good foods and they list those very items so confused. What is true. My guy eats so well i don't want to go backwards?????
 

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Hamiltondood

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i wouldnt feed any cabbage. zucchini/cucumber can be fed sometimes.
here's a list of safe foods (from Tom's russian caresheet)

Diet:
Russian tortoises need broadleaf weeds. You will need to learn about the weeds near you and which ones are okay to feed or not. Pics can be posted here on the forum in the "Plant ID" section, or you can take samples to a local nursery. Look for dandelion, sow thistle, mallow, filaree, hawksbit, and many more. If you are not 100% sure that your source is free of pesticides and other chemicals, don't feed anything from there.
You can grow your own food too. Here is one of my favorites: http://www.tortoisesupply.com/TestudoMix
I also get lots of seeds here: http://www.groworganic.com
If you must use grocery store foods I like to favor spring mix, endive and escarole heavily. Also add in carrot tops, cilantro, mustard, turnip and collard greens, and lots of other leafy greens.
It is a good idea to add a product called "Salad Style" to grocery store greens to add some fiber: http://www.tortoisesupply.com/salad-style-food-topper/
This is a new food topper and I like it a lot so far: http://www.tortoisesupply.com/HerbalHay
You can also feed them grape, mulberry and hibiscus leaves, tender young spineless opuntia cactus pads, Mazuri tortoise chow and ZooMed Grassland tortoise food. Alternating and mixing up any of these foods will give your russian a good diet and meet its nutritional needs.

here's the link in case you need it

avoid fruit since it's WAY too sugary and could cause parasite blooms.
you could also look at this caresheet if you need an idea for safe foods
 

Dlamonda

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Grants Pass
Thank you
He gets a very wide variety of green leaf salads. I have a greenhouse and will be starting a tortoise garden in there soon. He loves everything i give him. Im so thankful he has survived
 

Dlamonda

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Question reading posts that say olive oil or coconut oil is safe to treat shells. Now although I would do this I want to make sure my Russian tort isn't going to be harmed by doing so. However, the reason I'm reading these posts is his shell is looking bleek. Dull and bumpy. So first is it supposed to? He gets all his dark leafy greens he gets calcium fresh water baths, has brand new UVA UVB lamp and heat lamp. His habitat stays around 90 daytime drops to around 60 at night. Since his sickness he has been very active feeling pretty good. Now yesterday and today not eating sleeping almost all day under heat lamp. We are going to have rain this weekend. What is your opinion
 

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Hamiltondood

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Question reading posts that say olive oil or coconut oil is safe to treat shells. Now although I would do this I want to make sure my Russian tort isn't going to be harmed by doing so. However, the reason I'm reading these posts is his shell is looking bleek. Dull and bumpy. So first is it supposed to? He gets all his dark leafy greens he gets calcium fresh water baths, has brand new UVA UVB lamp and heat lamp. His habitat stays around 90 daytime drops to around 60 at night. Since his sickness he has been very active feeling pretty good. Now yesterday and today not eating sleeping almost all day under heat lamp. We are going to have rain this weekend. What is your opinion
looks normal to me
all youve got to do is take some coconut/olive oil and use the slightest amount, just rub it on and then wipe some of the "residue" off. 60 degrees MIGHT be a bit too cold. if you can bump it up to 75-80 degrees, thatd be better.
 

Tom

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hi everyone havent been here in awhile. My little guy is doing fantastic. Jams around his tank, eats like a little pig. Basks under his light. Just great seeing him do so good. Was so stressful when I first got him. Now food! So I was reading an article on food not safe, such as zuchini, cabbage, green beans. Then i looked at an article about good foods and they list those very items so confused. What is true. My guy eats so well i don't want to go backwards?????
Those food are fine in moderation, but grocery store foods should not be the bulk of his diet. If they are, you need to favor the right ones and add amendments to them. Read it all here:

If he's under the lamp all day, that means things are too cool. Add a Ceramic Heating Element set on a thermostat to increase the ambient temperatures during the day. Run the thermostat on a timer, and the ambient heat can stay off at night so he can cool down.

The carapace looks normal and fine.
 

Dlamonda

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Thats what i have. I actually have 2 ceramic heat lamps one lower which is the one he lays under that maintains 85-90 all day the opposite side had the other ceramic which i have higher in the tank to keep cooler not cold. So that side sits around 80
 

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Dlamonda

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ok cicil has made an incredible recovery and doing great. Eats his food i leave the pellets for him always he does like them. Now big question, when I put his food out he won't touch it until he gets his nice warm bath and relieves himself then its game on. Now we are leaving for 4 days and he won't be getting a bath or fresh food. His heat lamps are on all ways set two different Temps. One side cooler then other and UVB UVA are on timers. Is he going to be ok alone for 4 days without fresh food? He has Tim's hay, and dried flowers n herbs scattered about.
 

KarenSoCal

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He'll be just fine!

I would suggest that you take his water dish out while you're gone. You don't want him relieving himself in it, then having to get in it and drink it for 4 days. He's better off without water than drinking it fouled. Just soak him really well the day you leave, or the day before if necessary. And soak as soon as you get home.

Another thing you may want to consider in the future is installing a wifi camera in his enclosure. You can check on him any time you want to on your phone. Instead of having someone come in every day to check/care for him, you can have someone "on call" to go in if/when you see a need. It helps with peace of mind.
 

Dlamonda

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Another question
Cicil since he has gotten well eats like a little pig. Now 2 days not seeming to want anything to do with his veggies all he does is sleep mostly under heat lamp. It's not cold in his habitat. Consistently 90 ish
 
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