THANK YOU, Tortoise Forum!

Ink

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I don't post alot, but I do read most posts. My newest tortoise, Miss. Dexter Persimmons was not doing so well. He is about 4 or 5 years old but I have only had him about 1.5 months. He started to slow down, not eating as much and his tounge didn't look as pink.

Before I got him I picked up carrot baby food just incase I needed it. Because it is posted alot to soak them with carrot food when they aren't doing so well. He didn't have bubbles coming out of his nose no wheezing but different. I have never needed carrot soaks before with my other two. I decided to give him the carrot soaks about 5 or 6 days ago. And today his tounge is pink again and he is waking up and eating more. So thank you experts! I love my tortoises. Whether I have had them for 12 years, 3 years or just a little over 1 month. Thanks again!
 

ZEROPILOT

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Because most tortoises do take in water while they're soaking, adding some carrot or sweet potato baby food to the water can ad some nutrition to an animal that is otherwise not eating. And sometimes it's just enough to keep the animal strong enough to fight off whatever the issue is.
I'm not sure who "invented" doing that. But is IS very helpful.
 

Beasty_Artemis

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Well....! I am totally going to grab some carrot food next time I'm at the grocery store! Just in case of emergency!
 
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Maggie3fan

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Because most tortoises do take in water while they're soaking, adding some carrot or sweet potato baby food to the water can ad some nutrition to an animal that is otherwise not eating. And sometimes it's just enough to keep the animal strong enough to fight off whatever the issue is.
I'm not sure who "invented" doing that. But is IS very helpful.
The first time I ever hear of baby food soaks was from Yvonne...probably 15-20 years ago...I believe it was her...but @Yvonne...did you learn that from someone else?
 
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Yvonne G

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Many years ago when I first started amassing a tortoise collection I visited a small family run pet store in an adjacent town. The owner had an aquarium of hatchling desert tortoises and they were eating some sort of green mush.She said the way she started them eating was with baby food.

At that time I also subscribed to The Carapace, the monthly newsletter of the National Turtle and Tortoise Society, based in Arizona. In one of the articles Dr. Jartchow mentioned that tortoises absorb nutrients through the thin skin on their throats, and around the cloaca.

I don't remember if the carrot/squash soak for vitamin A was my own idea or if it was mentioned in that article, but if you want to give me credit for it, I'll take it!?. Maggie is the one who told me carrots have the highest vitamin A content.
 

Ink

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I shall give Yvonne the credit because I can! LOL. Miss. Dexter Persimmons even has even started new growth. Thanks again!
 
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LasTortugasNinja

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Sadly, it doesn't work for humans... when I tried lying nekkid in a bath of carrot pulp, my wife just rolled her eyes, shrugged, and called the lawyer to prepare papers... just in case... ;) ?

Absorption works on many reptiles. I nursed a sick wild-caught dehydrated savannah monitor back to health soaking him in unsalted homemade chicken stock (my mother was NOT happy with my use at the time!). He refused to drink it, but the level of the liquid dropped over an inch while he was soaking, and it wasn't evaporation. Never tried it on snakes, but lots of reptiles that are soakers seem to use it as a two way street.
 

Ink

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Thank goodness your emoji ID picture is a tortoise and not a person. LOL
 
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LasTortugasNinja

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Thank goodness your emoji ID picture is a tortoise and not a person. LOL
Oooooh... I COULD post a picture, but Yvonne would permanently ban me, and that would crush my delicate wallflower ego. ?
Besides... the imagination works better than any picture... If you've seen Breaking Bad, I'm Walter White with lasik. ?
 

OkAdiza

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So happy for you! Glad he’s finally getting better.
 
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