2 year old redfoot not eating

[Tedler06]

Hi, my 2 year old male redfoot is not eating much lately. I have been giving him a dry food which you add water to since it had calcium and other nutrients added to it for redfoots. I usually add real lettuce in but have not for the last week and a half.

I have a uvb light which is on during the day only and a heat lamp on 3/4 of the cage with his "bed" under the cool area of the cage (though he moves it around since its plastic and easily moveable.)

He walks around and drinks and soaks it's just the eating that is bothering me.

Thanks

 

[bigred]

Hi, my 2 year old male redfoot is not eating much lately. I have been giving him a dry food which you add water to since it had calcium and other nutrients added to it for redfoots. I usually add real lettuce in but have not for the last week and a half.

I have a uvb light which is on during the day only and a heat lamp on 3/4 of the cage with his "bed" under the cool area of the cage (though he moves it around since its plastic and easily moveable.)

He walks around and drinks and soaks it's just the eating that is bothering me.

Thanks

Dont know what part of the world you are in but the temps have dropped in most areas and maybe that is part of the problem. You should try to offer him some different types of food and FRUIT. Maybe some food that wiggles like worms or pinky mice. Keep him warm and moist and humid

 

[RedfootsRule]

Give him REAL food (fruits, veggies, greens). Odds are, any "dry foods" out there (besides maybe mazuri) are NOT nutritionally sufficient. Start offering leafy greens, a variety of fruits, and get a reading on your temps. Could be to cool, could be to warm.

 

[jax7271]

Yes, try giving him real foods as suggested above...I give mine fresh greens; collard, romaine, escarole etc and real fruits like berries, mango and pineapple etc......one of mine will not eat pelleted food at all; the othere eats a little bit of it, but they both prefer fresh, real food

 

[Redstrike]

A comprehensive list of good food choices can be found from the website linked below:

http://tortoiselibrary.com/ - see "Nutrition" --> "Good and Bad Food Choices" on the left menu bar. It's possible your tort is simply bored with the current feeding regime. I offer Mazuri and Zoo Med Forest Tortoise Diet as supplements, thus the torts see them as treats (offered 1/week or two). If things get worse, you may want to schedule a vet appointment. We have a list of good vets by state on the forum. This may be helpful depending on where you are in the world...

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forum-126.html

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Wild weeds are better than grocery store greens in my opinion. They're free, contain excellent amounts of fiber and nutrition, and are stimulating for the tortoise to try and eat. Good database found here: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

I can only collect weeds outside for ~8 months out of the year. You can collect seeds (again, for free) and grow them indoors year round - another bonus!

 

[Redfoot Rancher]

Hi, my 2 year old male redfoot is not eating much lately. I have been giving him a dry food which you add water to since it had calcium and other nutrients added to it for redfoots. I usually add real lettuce in but have not for the last week and a half.

I have a uvb light which is on during the day only and a heat lamp on 3/4 of the cage with his "bed" under the cool area of the cage (though he moves it around since its plastic and easily moveable.)

He walks around and drinks and soaks it's just the eating that is bothering me.

Thanks

I think the other suggestions are spot-on. If I can add anything to them, it's that sometimes it is a combination factors... not just one. Tortoises, like other cold blooded animals, can't digest food unless their bodies are warm. Try a warm water soak (not hot) then feeding immediately afterward. Make sure the room that you are in is also warm, so that the tortoise does not get a chill from coming out of the water. Additionally, try warm food (again, not hot). Food right from the refrigerator can be a turn off to a tortoise that is already feeling cold. Lastly, the best lamps that money can buy don't replace natural sunlight. If you are in a cold place, try the warm water soak and the warm food in front of a window that gets a lot of sunlight. Good luck!

 

[Redstrike]

My cool end doesn't dip below 80ºF, warm end is near 85ºF, and the basking spots are 90-93ºF. Definitely agree with Big Red and Rancher about the temps too - it's rarely one root cause.

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

He needs a varied diet not just lettuce and mazuri. Try fresh spring mix, kale and collards, and pepper. He needs a varied diet.

 

[moderndoubt]

If you wanna keep it cheep and easy grow some grass in a cute pot inside. Redfoots love fresh yummy grass clippings. Once it starts growing you'll have a ready healthy meal always waiting. Throw in alittle spring mix & orchard grass hay and BAM!
Happy little redfoot always ready to eat.
A bag of spring mix last me 10 day. So good 4$ investment.
But he's prob tired of eating the same thing every day.

 

[Tedler06]

He's eating now I guess I just jumped to conclusions about him not eating since i'm used to my snake and geckos which clean their bowls, so to speak, and he doesn't.

I have thermometers in there and his coolest area never drops below 80F