Question for the knowledgeable. Can anyone think of a risk in feeding tortoises a probiotic diet supplement after having treated them with medication for worms? My tortoise stools were notably softer after medication than before.
That is going to take additional reads over a few days. So far I think I see that some gut flora can help a turtle grow faster, and/or promote/inhibit "bad" flora. It seems like a 'tortoise' study would be in-order as they don't swim in their feces quite the same as aquatics.Interesting research article on this topic. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0147859
AgreedThat is going to take additional reads over a few days. So far I think I see that some gut flora can help a turtle grow faster, and/or promote/inhibit "bad" flora. It seems like a 'tortoise' study would be in-order as they don't swim in their feces quite the same as aquatics.
I've been thinking about this light degradation, and it makes much sense that it happens. However I don't think light will penetrate the pellets much beyond a few cells of plant matter deep into the pellet. Temperature of storage will also play a role. I looked at the bottles these two foods come in (ZooMed Forest and Grassland) and they have expiration dates on them. I'd guess that date is mostly for the shelf life of the probiotics?Spoke to my mother, who is a doctor, this morning. Her view is that any heat stable probiotic that is exposed to light will quickly dissipate. So, while it is possible that some organisms may still be alive once purchased, it's unlikely and becomes unlikelier everyday. Those probiotics with the special caps that I spoke of earlier are actually in black uv resistant bottles and caps.
The feces isn't a bad idea though Many of the organisms we consume through probiotics or "live" foods (yogurt, buttermilk) are actually isolated from human feces. Sorry if you're eating yogurt or pancakes as you read this
I've been thinking about this light degradation, and it makes much sense that it happens. However I don't think light will penetrate the pellets much beyond a few cells of plant matter deep into the pellet. Temperature of storage will also play a role. I looked at the bottles these two foods come in (ZooMed Forest and Grassland) and they have expiration dates on them. I'd guess that date is mostly for the shelf life of the probiotics?