He's being picky :(

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Meggers

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Well he's being picky. I give him kale, collard greens, and a small amount of squash and broccoli. All he's eating is the squash and broccoli. And it's a small amount so I'd think he'd be hunger, but doesn't eat the greens. What can I do to stop his pickiness?
 

Jacqui

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Use the squash to sorta coat the greens, you do want him to start eating. Is he warm enough and active enough to have a good appetite?
 

Meggers

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Jacqui said:
Use the squash to sorta coat the greens, you do want him to start eating. Is he warm enough and active enough to have a good appetite?

He sits under the lamp like all day, so he'd have to be. He's been less active since this noneating thing so……
 

Mgridgaway

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I've had some success mashing foods the tort likes together with foods he doesn't like. Make a kinda slurry and see how he does with that. If it's really thick, you could even add a little water to get some extra moisture in him!
 

harris

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A food processor does wonders for mixing their food into a nice mash. That's how I've gotten many a hatchlings and picky eaters started.
 

JoesMum

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Start out by double checking the temperatures in your enclosure. There are 4 important ones: Under the basking lamp, warm end, cool end and overnight minimum. It doesn't take much change in temperature to stop a tortoise eating. Report the temperatures back here along with telling us what type of tort you have... different tort need different conditions.

Next, you must soak your tort for a good 20 minutes every day while it is not eating properly. A tort that is not eating properly doesn't always take enough water and a dehydrated tort won't eat properly. My soaking tips are here

Tortoises can be very picky eaters. They do settle on things they like most and refuse to eat anything else. As a keeper you have to compare this with a child refusing dinner and holding out for candy. The best way to change this behaviour (having made sure that dehydration and/or temps are not the cause first) is 'tough love'.

A healthy tort can last a couple of weeks or more without food (but not water hence the soaking). Basically you feed the food he can have, remove it when it's manky and don't introduce any of the stuff he's hooked on. A hungry tort will eat... you have to be strong and he will give in. You will feel it far worse than he does. Good luck!
 

Meggers

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JoesMum said:
Start out by double checking the temperatures in your enclosure. There are 4 important ones: Under the basking lamp, warm end, cool end and overnight minimum. It doesn't take much change in temperature to stop a tortoise eating. Report the temperatures back here along with telling us what type of tort you have... different tort need different conditions.

Next, you must soak your tort for a good 20 minutes every day while it is not eating properly. A tort that is not eating properly doesn't always take enough water and a dehydrated tort won't eat properly. My soaking tips are here

Tortoises can be very picky eaters. They do settle on things they like most and refuse to eat anything else. As a keeper you have to compare this with a child refusing dinner and holding out for candy. The best way to change this behaviour (having made sure that dehydration and/or temps are not the cause first) is 'tough love'.

A healthy tort can last a couple of weeks or more without food (but not water hence the soaking). Basically you feed the food he can have, remove it when it's manky and don't introduce any of the stuff he's hooked on. A hungry tort will eat... you have to be strong and he will give in. You will feel it far worse than he does. Good luck!

He's a Russain tortoise. Under basking lamp-95 degrees, warm end-80 degrees, cool end-70, night min.- below 70.

Today was a soaking day (Mon. Wed. Fri.), I'll give him a soak everyday for now. He was active for a half hour then hide. :(

I have been giving him some tough love (giving him squash every other day) on the days he doesn't get squash he eat a little for the kale and turnip greens. I have also started to give clovers (which he eats when there is no squash). :( :tort:
 

JoesMum

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Tough love means no squash at all. He can go a couple of weeks not eating and be fine.

Be strong. No squash. No broccoli. Just healthy leaves and weeds. He will get hungry. He will eat.
 
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