Pumpkin

[remitort071312]

Hey everyone I keep reading about people giving and soaking their sulcatas in pumpkin, how do I go about doing this? We have pumpkins at our stores in Ohio for $4.00 so I'd like to get one, my best friend is also getting a hatchling tomorrow and I can't wait to meet her! So I figured we could share the pumpkin.

 

[Tom]

You cut a hole out of the top of the pumpkin then take out all the guts. Then put a little warm water in there and soak your tortoise in a pumpkin.

 

[remitort071312]

You cut a hole out of the top of the pumpkin then take out all the guts. Then put a little warm water in there and soak your tortoise in a pumpkin.

Thanks Tom

 

[Tom]

Sorry. I couldn't help myself... I was laughing out loud the whole time I was typing.

Okay, I'll be serious now. Sometimes when a tortoise is not doing well a soak in some pureed pumpkin, yam or carrot will help. Usually people just buy a jar of baby food and mix that with water for the soak.

Although, I guess in theory that you could ACTUALLY soak your tortoise IN a pumpkin, but I was just funnin'.

 

[remitort071312]

Sorry. I couldn't help myself... I was laughing out loud the whole time I was typing.

Okay, I'll be serious now. Sometimes when a tortoise is not doing well a soak in some pureed pumpkin, yam or carrot will help. Usually people just buy a jar of baby food and mix that with water for the soak.

Although, I guess in theory that you could ACTUALLY soak your tortoise IN a pumpkin, but I was just funnin'.

Harhar my head is so full of other knowledge about the human body that I think it makes me slow in other areas. I'm ordering seed packets, cactus and mazuri on fri. I'm just trying to give her a varied diet. It's going to be to cold to take her outside soon.

 

[richellesworld]

Sorry. I couldn't help myself... I was laughing out loud the whole time I was typing.

Okay, I'll be serious now. Sometimes when a tortoise is not doing well a soak in some pureed pumpkin, yam or carrot will help. Usually people just buy a jar of baby food and mix that with water for the soak.

Although, I guess in theory that you could ACTUALLY soak your tortoise IN a pumpkin, but I was just funnin'.

I LAUGHED SO HARD when you wrote the cutting the hole in the top part! Thanks for posting this though because I did not know you could add baby food and pumpkin to the water... Can you explain how that assists? I just want to understand the process and how the nutrients are getting into the TORTS.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Tom]

There has been a fair amount of debate on this and different studies show different things. The people who use this technique swear by it. It is really not known exactly how many ways tortoises take in water. There is evidence to suggest that in addition to drinking they can take water in through their cloaca and skin. So by having them sit in water infused with pureed veggies or fruit, your tortoise is absorbing some of the nutrients along with the water.

 

[kurmaraja12]

I'd like to know if pumpkins are safe too. I bought my little guy a pie pumpkin and gave him a small piece and he seemed to enjoy it.

 

[Tom]

Pumpkin is fine once in a while for most species. Pumpkin pie is processed and full of all sorts of other stuff. I wouldn't feed that.

For small tortoises I grate it up and mix it with greens. For my adult sulcatas, I just drop a whole pumpkin in with them and they make it disappear.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

You cut a hole out of the top of the pumpkin then take out all the guts. Then put a little warm water in there and soak your tortoise in a pumpkin.

When I read this I was like: "I didn't know thats how you do it?!"

 

[remitort071312]

When I read this I was like: "I didn't know thats how you do it?!"

Seemed strange to me but I am new to all this.

 

[Yvonne G]

Most of my tortoises are of the LARGE variety, so when pumpkin is plentiful, I buy a few to feed to them. I just wash off the outside, then raise the pumpkin up over my head and slam it down on the ground. This usually breaks it up into a few pieces and the tortoises can then get a bite-hold. They eat seeds and all.

The only time I actually soak my tortoise in something, it is baby tortoises or sick tortoises, and I use the red flavor baby food. Gerber strained carrots, sweet potatoes or squash. Actually, the carrots contains the most vitamin A, and I use that flavor the most. If you have a tortoise or box turtle with swollen eyes, the baby food soaks never fail to help the animal.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Most of my tortoises are of the LARGE variety, so when pumpkin is plentiful, I buy a few to feed to them. I just wash off the outside, then raise the pumpkin up over my head and slam it down on the ground. This usually breaks it up into a few pieces and the tortoises can then get a bite-hold. They eat seeds and all.

The only time I actually soak my tortoise in something, it is baby tortoises or sick tortoises, and I use the red flavor baby food. Gerber strained carrots, sweet potatoes or squash. Actually, the carrots contains the most vitamin A, and I use that flavor the most. If you have a tortoise or box turtle with swollen eyes, the baby food soaks never fail to help the animal.

I liked the part when you slammed it

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, its best to do this on a day when things are starting to get to you. Great aggression release.

 

[Alan RF]

Does this pumpkin and baby food soaking apply to all tortoises? Eg red doors?

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

You cut a hole out of the top of the pumpkin then take out all the guts. Then put a little warm water in there and soak your tortoise in a pumpkin.

 

[Xander]

Does this pumpkin and baby food soaking apply to all tortoises? Eg red doors?

Love it! Too funny.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Yes, its best to do this on a day when things are starting to get to you. Great aggression release.

Lol I bet!

 

[Alan RF]

Love it! Too funny.

I might be blonde but I'm genuinely checking this as it differs for each species of tortoise with food consumption so thinking it might be different for absorption ? So I'll ask the question again :L

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Does this pumpkin and baby food soaking apply to all tortoises? Eg red doors?

 

[LuckysGirl007]

When I read this I was like: "I didn't know thats how you do it?!"

Haha! I was like...WAIT! WHAT???? I thought it was purée pumpkin....glad you specified.....I was about to get a pumpkin! Thought maybe it help humidity better or something!!!! LMAO. Tom, you gotta be careful with some of us on here!