supplementation??

[mom03]

Ok so I failed my last little guy by not supplementing and giving it the correct diet, so now I have my new little one and want to know if I should be sprinkling the spring mix with the calcium+D3 everyday, or just a couple times a week. I know that you can over do it so what is a good amount??

 

[Yvonne G]

Three times a week would be good. You should also try to find some dandelion greens and other broad-leaf weeds in your yard to add to the spring mix. I've been chopping up my greens in pretty small bites for my hatchlings. If you notice that your new little guy has trouble biting off pieces, then you should chop it up for a while until he gets stronger.

 

[Madkins007]

Supplementation should be treated like insurance. Ideally, we are offering everything they need in the diet or other cares, but adding a little supplement just to make sure.

It is important to realize that some things can be over-supplemented. Vitamins A, D, and E, for example, build up in the tissues and can actually poison the animal in large enough doses.

let's look at three parts of typical supplements.

CALCIUM is generally safe to use often. Be smart, however, and only add small amounts (a tiny pinch is all it takes usually) and make sure the tortoise is properly hydrated as dehydration will contribute to bladder stones and other problems.

VITAMIN D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin and stored in the tissues. If your tortoise has access to unfiltered sunlight for about an hour a day (possibly even as little as a few 5 minute sessions a week), or a good UVB bulb, it really does not need the vitamin supplements. If there is NO sunlight or UVB bulbs, then a very small amount a week or so is probably helpful- but most experts think that light-based UVB is more helpful.

OTHER- offering a small amount of a multi-vitamin with minerals once a week is probably safe and may be helpful. Cheap brand-name human multi-vitamins are usually a cost-effective solution. Many of them also include calcium and vitamin D.

REMEMBER:
1. Aim to provide as much of the needed nutrients in the diet as possible.
2. Use supplements only as an insurance policy and in small doses.
3. More is not better and can cause problems. Use them lightly.

 

[spikethebest]

anyone know why mom03 is unregistered?

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Do you (other experienced keepers) recommend an all in one type vitamins (ones that say they have calcium, D3, and other vitamins)?

 

[Yvonne G]

anyone know why mom03 is unregistered?

Read the last couple'a posts here:

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-11773-post-103433.html#pid103433

 

[Madkins007]

Do you (other experienced keepers) recommend an all in one type vitamins (ones that say they have calcium, D3, and other vitamins)?

My own practice is to use 'one-a-day' type vitamins for humans, crushed and lightly sprinkled. They have calcium and vitamin D in them, as well as pretty much anything else you could want. I use them about once every week or two (or three) in the winter and less often when they are outside in the summer.

I also use a small dash of plain calcium about every 2-3 times I use bagged lettuce or other low-calcium meals. (I also alternate low-calcium greens with high calcium greens when I use low-calcium stuff.)

 

[Tom]

Do you (other experienced keepers) recommend an all in one type vitamins (ones that say they have calcium, D3, and other vitamins)?

I use three different supplements and only in moderation. They all have their purpose so I would not want an all in one.

I use Rep-cal WITHOUT D3, Rep-cal WITH D3 and Reptivite or some other reptile multi-vitamin.

I only use a small amount of Reptivite once a week or so to make sure they are getting all their trace elements, minerals and what not.

If they are getting lots of sunshine I use a small amount of Rep-cal WITHOUT D3, twice a week.

During the winter, if they go more than a few days with out sunshine, I'll start using the Rep-cal WITH D3 instead, until I start getting them back out in the sun.

Once my biggun's move outside permanently, I no longer supplement their D3 at all. Only plain Rep-cal and occasional Reptivite.

 

[Candy]

Be careful Madkins as your "One a Day Vitamin" has fillers in it. I would give them Whole Food Vitamins if giving them at all.

 

[GBtortoises]

I do not use any type of vitamins at all, ever. I feed a good quality, varied diet consisting of 80% greens and 20% vegetables.

The only "supplement" I use is calcium carbonate in the form of cuttlebone and powder which is offered seperately from their food. This is offered because their foods, even in nature, do not contain enough calcium, especially for young tortoises and egg laying females.

 

[Madkins007]

Be careful Madkins as your "One a Day Vitamin" has fillers in it. I would give them Whole Food Vitamins if giving them at all.

Thanks, Candy, but pretty much all tablet and powdered vitamins have fillers and other materials in them- the best predictor of the potential risk of the filler is the cost of the vitamin- the more expensive it is, within reason, the better the filler and the more bio-available the ingredients are.

Even when labeled 'natural' or 'organic', the cheaper brands tend to use nastier stuff as the filler agent.

However, in the very small and infrequent doses I use, I am not real worried about this. Most of the fillers sound worse then they are- sawdust is a common example. Sounds terrible, but big whoop. Torts eat lots worse than that in the wild.



In an ideal world, I would not offer vitamins or supplements at all. If I could offer my torts great graze, dirt-fresh greens and vegetables, etc.- I would not bother with anything but a bit of non-D3 calcium once in a while. But- I have to use supermarket greens and such in the winter and this stuff has lost so much of its original moisture and nutrient levels that I feel safer offering A LITTLE insurance.

I wish I had access to fresher stuff in the winter, like GB seems to have.

 

[GBtortoises]

I wish I had access to fresher stuff in the winter, like GB seems to have.

I buy grocery store greens from early November to early March. That's as "fresh" as it gets in upstate New York in the winter!

When outdoors mine are fed whatever weeds grow here. They also get fed excess from our garden, which isn't much. But I don't buy any grocery store food for them at all from late March to late October.

I still have never added supplemental vitamins, ever. I've never seen a need to when feeding them a good variety of quality foods.

 

[Starry night]

I use TNT from Carolina pet supply about twice a week. I use calcium without D3 everday and about once a week with D3. I use a high uvb bulb, Reptisun 10.0 for my stars. Yeah I know, let the fighting start. Many will say that is way too strong but after speaking with someone who has been doing this for over 30 years and many vets suggest that even the strongest bulb can not compare to what the sun gives to them. I have not noticed any problems from the lights. I did however notice problems when I first used those damn Mercury vapor bulbs.