Picky Torroise

Lori1911

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My Herman’s tortoise, Tortellini, is a great eater, but if I put vitamins on his greens (even the smallest amount) he down right refuses to eat. I have tried putting his vitamins on his favorite foods, but he doesn’t care… he won’t touch them. We believe he is 5-10 years old, but he was a surrender to a pet store that we adopted. He has been ver checked and is in good health. What can I do to ensure he his getting everything he needs? Any tips from anyone who has dealt with a similar issue?
 

Lyn W

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Thankfully he only needs a small pinch of supplements a couple of times a week and if you wet the leaves and mix in the calcium/nutrient powder rather than add it on top, he may not notice it.
 

Ink

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What kind of vitamins or is it calcium?
 

TeamZissou

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I would avoid ZooMed Reptivite due to its high pre-synthesized vitamin A content. This product contains about 100,000 IU/lb of retinyl acetate, which is a very high amount and can cause a vitamin A overdose over time. Tortoises get more than enough vitamin A carotenoids (like beta carotene) from the greens that they eat and can synthesize all they need. Pre-synthesized vitamin A overwhelms the stores in the liver and causes problems elsewhere like the eyes and skin.

I do not know if this is why your tortoise refuses to eat it.

The best product on the market for a tortoise supplement is RepCal Herptivite. It does not contain pre-vitamin A like retinyl acetate. Rather, it has beta carotene which does not cause vitamin A overdose. You can buy another pure calcium supplement either with or without D3. I usually alternate the calcium and vitamin supplements, one each per week. The Herptivite has also been given daily to tortoises without any problems.

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Lori1911

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I would avoid ZooMed Reptivite due to its high pre-synthesized vitamin A content. This product contains about 100,000 IU/lb of retinyl acetate, which is a very high amount and can cause a vitamin A overdose over time. Tortoises get more than enough vitamin A carotenoids (like beta carotene) from the greens that they eat and can synthesize all they need. Pre-synthesized vitamin A overwhelms the stores in the liver and causes problems elsewhere like the eyes and skin.

I do not know if this is why your tortoise refuses to eat it.

The best product on the market for a tortoise supplement is RepCal Herptivite. It does not contain pre-vitamin A like retinyl acetate. Rather, it has beta carotene which does not cause vitamin A overdose. You can buy another pure calcium supplement either with or without D3. I usually alternate the calcium and vitamin supplements, one each per week. The Herptivite has also been given daily to tortoises without any problems.

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Thank you! This is great information. Just trying my best to make sure he is a happy, healthy tortoise. I will definitely replace his current vitamin with what you recommend. Another question, because you seem knowledgeable, how often should I be feeding him? He “begs” for food and will scratch around his food dish if it is empty. I give him a small handful of mixed greens (kale, dandelion, and mustard mixed with a very small amount of shredded carrot, zucchini and bell pepper) 3 times per day- the total amount I feed him is about the size of his shell (which is the amount I was told he should be eating , but not sure if that’s accurate). I appreciate any info or if you could direct me to a good care sheet, it would be appreciated.
 

TeamZissou

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Welcome to the forum!

Tortoises are grazers, so they need to be given a big pile of food that they can eat whenever they want. Best to give a big pile in the morning. The rule of the thumb is if the food is all gone then you need to give more. They do not benefit from vegetables like carrot, bell pepper, and zucchini, so no need to feed those.

Here's a great care sheet. It talks about raising these species, but since conditions needed are the same, all the info applies to adults. There's a section on feeding. Focus on weeds and greens, and use flowers like dandelion and hibiscus as treats rather than any fruit or vegetables.

 

TammyJ

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Team Zissou knows his stuff. And I totally agree that your tortoise, if he is getting all the right stuff to eat in his diet, he needs NO supplements at all. It seems that the tortoise knows this too and is trying to let you know it!
 

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