Picky Eater - Tough Love or...?

[MPRC]

Hello! I feel like I have a new inquiry every day lately.

My buddy Vern is being a little turd the last few days. He came to me from a home where he was fed whatever he was willing to eat. (When I picked him up he was enjoying canned peaches and a handful of dry pellets).

I tried offering a mixed up plate of yummy foods (Collared, Romaine, Turnip Greens, Mustard, Red Leaf, Carrot, Bell Pepper, Acorn Squash, Mazuri, cherry and raspberry) and he snubbed me. Today I tried laying things out separate to get an idea of what he might not like and he ate two raspberries, gave me the stink eye and then walked away.

My Question: What has worked best for you - tough love or weaning off of junk food and on to a healthy diet? Also how long can I let him hunger strike before I should be concerned?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I've always taken the tough love route. Eventually they eat the good stuff readily and I'm happy.
I'm not a fan of the gradual weaning process, which is why I've never bothered to try it!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I think my longest hunger strike was from an adult CDT. He was fed romaine lettuce only and I wanted him to graze on grass and yard weeds...I simply didn't offer the lettuce. 2 weeks later, he was grazing.

 

[MPRC]

Thanks for the input. Right now he's eating less than the 6oz tortoise that I've got and I'm being a worried new owner. I guess I'll just have to show him who is in charge.

 

[wellington]

I don't like the tuff love, it's easier, but I would rather add a little of the bad stuff that they will eat and mix it well with the stuff I want them to eat. Chop it all up together and in no time they are eating. As they do, gradually use less and less of the bad stuff till only good is left. Specially for real young ones, it's more important for them to eat then it is an older one.

 

[MPRC]

He's estimated to be about 7 years old, he's about 12 inches long. I'm more worried about him getting dehydrated from not eating right now since he doesn't like to soak of his own accord and I have never seen him drink. He's still getting forced soaks and today I tried smearing raspberry all over his greens to try to entice him a bit so we will see what happens.

 

[Alaskamike]

Your "baby' s not so much a baby at 12". It is amazing how long a tort can go without eating, especially when they are in a burrow or inactive, their systems slow way down. They also tend to reduce, sometimes even stop eating when there is a big change in their surroundings. Funny thing about biology though, we all eat when we are really hungry, whether it's something we "like" or not.

Necessity is the mother of invention. I find mine would eat almost exclusively damp mazari if I let them.... of course I don't and only put that out several times a week. The rest of the time it is grazing, or stuff I've cut for them. Funny when I watch them graze, they will take a bite of this and a bite of that.... probably an instinctual response to anything new. My sully puts his nose to a weed, smells it, and if it seems it might be okay, takes a nibble. If it's something he's had before he might eat the whole plant down, if new however, he seems to take a bite and move on. Makes me wonder if this is natures way of testing stuff out. My suspicion is that if the new plant gives him any discomfort, he won't take a bite of that again. I can't prove this of course.

Mine are almost exclusively herbivorous, so no matter how much they were used to it , I wouldn't give them a bunch of fruit, dog food, or canned peaches hahahaha. Like a child raised on McDonalds.... gotta break it sometime, and now is as good a time as any, no matter how much crying is involved.
good fortune to you and your "baby"

 

[MPRC]

I never claimed he was a baby...more like a big dumb puppy dog who just wants to sit at my feet. ...and hump everything. But I think that is for another thread.

He's poked at a couple of things today, but he's still not really excited about anything. I think the only reason he went over to his plate was because the cat was sniffing it and even if he's not going to eat it he's going to defend it from the furball.

 

[JoesMum]

I'm another one for tough love. Even after 45 years, Joe tries it on every now and then... It's like dealing with a toddler. There's nothing else, eat it or go hungry!

 

[Tom]

I tend to favor the gradual weaning methods, but hunger is your friend in this situation. Sometimes the gradual weaners try to hold off eating anything for a few days. I am a very stubborn person and much of my daily life centers around convincing animals to see things my way. If I wasn't good at it, I'd be broke. (I'm not broke...) I try to do it the "nice" way, but one way or the other we are going to do it "MY" way.

 

[Jodie]

I have had great success weaning off of bad foods. I live where weeds and grass are not an option for several months in winter. Every spring and fall I transition from grocery greens, Mazuri and grassland tortoise food to fresh weeds and grass. I have found gradually making the change causes a lot less problems.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

This is awesome. You get people from both sides of the fence...and there's nothing wrong with either side so try one and see which works for you. At least you know that either route will eventually get the job done.

 

[MPRC]

Looks like it is time for some experimentation. Whats the verdict on beets? I'm wondering if I could try dying his food red with beet juice since he always goes for the bright colors.

 

[Ariza]

I'm more worried about him getting dehydrated from not eating right now since he doesn't like to soak of his own accord and I have never seen him drink. He's still getting forced soaks

Mine hates soaks too. So, I got one of those large plastic sweater containers where she can walk around (don't like using the bathtub for that purpose). I put stuff in the water that she likes like aloe vera leaves and flowers and other leaves and while she's busy trying to eat them she forgets the water and I get 15 minutes soaking time without her stressing too much.

I'm in the gradual weaning camp, it's less stressful to them and kinder.

 

[MPRC]

Yesterday he was drinking at least. I've been soaking him in a utility sink. My little tort (3in) will eat and drink and frolic in there and he just sits and stares longingly at the sky.
This might be progress or it might just be disgusting, but I had to wrestle a cat turd away from him yesterday. He was excited about THAT. Ugh. At least that implies to me that he's probably not having mouth issues and is just being a stubborn butthead.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

A tough love keeper isn't unkind

 

[JoesMum]

Yesterday he was drinking at least. I've been soaking him in a utility sink. My little tort (3in) will eat and drink and frolic in there and he just sits and stares longingly at the sky.
This might be progress or it might just be disgusting, but I had to wrestle a cat turd away from him yesterday. He was excited about THAT. Ugh. At least that implies to me that he's probably not having mouth issues and is just being a stubborn butthead.

Sounds like entirely normal, if unattractive, behaviour. Poop eating is one of their less pleasant habits. The main side effect is worms... do keep an eye open for them.

 

[naturalman91]

i see in your pic it's a red foot/cherry head i'd go tough love give it a day or two and he'll eat anything you put down

yes they love poop it's quite disturbing actually lol

 

[MPRC]

@naturalman91 - My Avatar is Ruby, she eats anything I put in front of her. Vern is also a redfoot, but he's more of a pain in the butt.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/members/naturalman91.37188/

 

[MPRC]

I'm a weak person. He was good and ate like 3 mouthfuls of greens so I relented and let him chew on a snack for a few minutes. He ate a few bites, peed on my floor and then tried to make love to the rind. I think I need to send him off to be a stud!