Mazuri and Calcium-MultVitamin Supplements

[Nobody]

If I feed Mazuri Tortoise Diet to my tortoises almost everyday,do I still have to give them a Calcium and Multi-Vitamin supplement?
Thanks.

 

[John]

Good question, this something I've been pondering myself. for now I hve stopped the supplements and I am feeding mazuri for breakfast and optunia for dinner, I may or may not supplement once or twice aweek, but right now I'm thinking its not needed.

 

[DocNezzy]

If the body is getting too much of a vitamin, doesn't it just get rid of the excess via urine? If so, it would take a very large overdose of vitamins/minerals to do harm. I'm just going off of humans. Somebody correct me!

 

[HLogic]

If the body is getting too much of a vitamin, doesn't it just get rid of the excess via urine? If so, it would take a very large overdose of vitamins/minerals to do harm. I'm just going off of humans. Somebody correct me!

Not necessarily... With most water soluble vitamins (e.g. B-Complex, C), the above statement is partly true. However, lipid soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K, etc.) are stored in the liver and other lipid-rich tissues and can accumulate to problematic levels.

All vitamins are subject to overdose levels leading to serious issues although the quantities needed to do so in some cases could only be attained intentionally. Additionally, the form or chemical compound (vitiamins are usually a group of similar compounds) used as a supplement may dictate or alter the levels needed to cause problems. Hypervitaminosis A & hypervitaminosis D are not uncommon issues.

 

[yagyujubei]

I feed mazuri, and I only supplement with calcium carbonate.

 

[stells]

If feeding a complete diet like Mazuri... you don't need to use a multi vitamins... it contains everything the tortoise needs... extra calcium sources can be left in the enclosure so the tortoise can eat at will...

 

[GBtortoises]

I've only started using Mazuri within the past two years and I only feed it once a week, mixed with greens. Before that, for 20+ years, I fed only greens (80-85%) with rest being vegetables. Calcium carbonate has always been available to them 24/7 in the form of either powder, cuttlebone or both to consume as needed. I have never coated their food with calcium and I have never used any type of vitamin supplement, ever.

 

[Madkins007]

Mazuri should be considered as about a 90% complete diet- that is, it is about as good as we can make it, but we don't know everything. I like a feeding plan that calls for roughly 1/2 Mazuri and 1/2 general tortoise salad mix. Fresh Mazuri probably contains everything they need, but some fresh food will help ensure that, as well as providing variety and interest.

Fresh Mazuri probably has all the vitamins they need, but on the low, safe side. A little, occasional supplementation would not generally be a problem... but HLogic is right about overdoses.

There is a guide to calcium, vitamins A, D, and E, and some other stuff at http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/nutguide.html