Should I be concerned about Turbo's weight loss?

[erdavis]

I used to feed Turbo mostly spring mix, and then let him out to graze. And I admit I was feeding him a LOT of spring mix, probably over feeding him. But he would eat EVERY bit of it.
Turbo has slight pyramiding and I've been trying to improve it. For the last couple months he is getting daily soakings, squirtings, and his cage glass is always foggy and dewy but it doesnt seem to be improving. Decided I wanted to start growing him kinda slow, which I heard can help. Also decided on starting him on a more grassy diet.
I now feed about 1/3 of the amound of Spring Mix I used to give him. I let him mostly graze, then I mix the spring mix with mostly grass, chopping it all up and mixing it. He will deffinitely eat some, but never all of it.
He was about 150g and in a week and a half time span dropped to 135. Now he's picking back up to about 140.
Is this okay? Slightly worried I'm being mean by not feeding enough or not giving him as much spring mix. He has plenty of grass, clover and weeds out there to graze on for hours.

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Oh I was also wondering if your torts prefer longer grass or shorter? When I mow the lawn around Turbo's enclosure, I always wonder if I should mow inside of it or let it all grow.

 

[Tom]

Look for over all trends in the weight over the weeks or months. They can lose 15 grams with a single good pee and poop. The new diet is better for him, but you might want to transition to it a little slower. Offer the spring mix as a big filling meal a couple of times a week or so instead of every day. Or use it as a vitamin or calcium supplement delivery tool. The slow growth thing is a relic from the past. If conditions are right they do not pyramid regardless of the growth rate. It is possible to stunt them if you do not feed them enough. I know. I have done it. My big boys grew up out in the CA sunshine in big pens, but I fed them lightly in a futile failed attempt to prevent pyramiding. They are now almost 14 years old and somewhere around 60 pounds. Your indoor conditions sound good and your outdoor climate really couldn't be better, so I would feed that growing boy as much as he wants. Make sure to supplement calcium around twice a week and you should be golden. It takes a long time to see results when you are attempting to stop pyramiding that is already in progress. Be patient. Don't give up. It will come around.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Tall grass is starchy and tastes yucky. Short grass tastes sweeter...I THINK that's how it goes...

 

[ascott]

The slow growth thing is a relic from the past

, Tom...you know I have nothing but love for ya However, this statement always gets me to reply in some way or another...and with the greatest respect of course.

I do believe that you should let your tort graze as much as possible and should not limit their grazing intake...they absolutely can not eat too much by self grazing, as far as I am concerned....however, I do believe that one can absolutely over feed with store bought produce and as a result-- other issues may evolve....store produce is not high enough in fiber to offer the speed of food moving through their system...produce digests slower, and therefore in my opinion, and settles in the gut and lingers longer than if your tort was allowed to graze on better foods....also, the fatty feeder type tortoise lacks the same head muscles, neck muscles and they have a lack luster for getting off their butts and move...when a tortoise has to seek out food while grazing they are getting exercise which helps with digestion, muscle tone and an apparent general sense of well being...

I believe (I)... that when we turn a tortoise into a fatty and allow them to rely on us too much then we absolutely are doing a disservice to them and the awesome machine that evolution has designed....

Their shell hides so much from the naked eye that there is no way to know how our "fast food" type feedings will affect them in the long run...and I know some folks think that if they don't feed all of the time we are being mean...I do not agree....

Again, free grazing should not be limited...fast food type feedings should only be a minor part of their diet...and in the winter months most of us do this type of feeding due to the lack of options in the cold/freezing months....I believe in slow and steady growth---not starving a tort but let the tort do the majority of work to seek out the food and walk doing it....and I have found that some old relics are absolutely priceless....