Anorexic Tortoise

[Sarah_Marie]

What do people do to help encourage a tortoise to eat?

 

[wellington]

First make sure all temps and humidity is correct using reliable thermometers and gauges. Basking temp needs to be 95-100 in order to properly digest their food. Also, that they are acting normal in every other way, making sure they are not acting sick.
Then take their favorite food, even if it's not that good for them and chop it up small along with the stuff it should be eating and spritz with water and mix it up. They have to keep the good stuff to get to their fave food. As they eat this, then decrease the fave food and increase the better foods. Also be sure your giving a wide variety of foods.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Redfoot tortoises (If that is a Redfoot) Love red foods. How about strawberry or red hibiscus flowers? (Mine are most active between 80-88 degrees. Especially if it is also raining!)
Also, they can NOT resist Mazuri. And when they eat wetted Mazuri, you can add some other chopped up food in it.
The avatar does not look Redfoot, but the posting is under Yellow/Redfoot.

 

[Sarah_Marie]

My avatar is definitely not a red foot. I have two myself but I'm hoping to give some additional advice to a client. You know how sensitive these creatures can be, so I'm not anticipating her to eat while she is with us in hospital. But even at home she is not herself. I thought I could see what others do to coax their torts and relay the info.

 

[Yvonne G]

Since this is posted in the Redfoot section, I'm assuming we're trying to get a redfooted tortoise's appetite improved? Try something that wiggles. Place a night crawler in front of the tortoise. You can also offer scrambled egg or a bit of moistened dry cat food. The idea of moistened Mazuri Tortoise Diet was a good suggestion. My RF tortoises love Mazuri.

Just make sure the habitat is warm enough. A cool tortoise won't eat.

You can also start with things that we don't normally feed. Things like iceburg lettuce. Anything to get the tortoise started eating. Then once it's eating, you can start adding the more healthful foods to the not so healthful food.

 

[TerrapinStation]

My RF goes nuts for really ripe/juicy mango, papaya, strawberry, kiwi, raspberry....

+1 on the good temps and humidity (rain) that is when my RF is most active/hungry as well.

If they are really worried about the not eating, maybe a soak in carrot puree/warm water bath?

Good luck, hope everything is OK.

 

[dmmj]

my red foot loves mango hibiscus flowers and goes absolutely bonkers for snails and slugs.

 

[Sarah_Marie]

Just to clarify, my pic is a Galapagos that that I fell In love with. I do not own one (as much as I might like to). I own two female red foots and I also work in a specialty hospital. I thought I would tap into the brains of tortoise enthusiasts that have been caring for torts longer than I. My girls have never had a problem eating and will eat almost everything I offer to them. I have a client with 2 red foots and one had a coeliotomy a few months ago and just hasn't been as vibrant since. She will only eat bok choy and watermelon. We are encouraging the owner to gradually change the greens to healthier choices but she remains quiet and inappetant. Hibiscus is a good thought. Mine love them. Wiggly things may help too. Just looking to get her back Into her normal groove.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Redfoot are very tough tortoises.
I had one that had multiple issues and was very ill for almost a year. At one point she hadn't eaten in seven months. She eventually had to be fed via an esophagostomy tube.
The fact that she DOES it is actually very good news. I'll bet she'll come around.
I'd smear some of that watermelon on something else. Like maybe Romaine.

 

[Sarah_Marie]

Redfoot are very tough tortoises.
I had one that had multiple issues and was very ill for almost a year. At one point she hadn't eaten in seven months. She eventually had to be fed via an esophagostomy tube.
The fact that she DOES it is actually very good news. I'll bet she'll come around.
I'd smear some of that watermelon on something else. Like maybe Romaine.

Did your girl do better after the e-tube? We are placing one today. It's good to know there's hope for long term anorexia.