Rocky was sold by a pet store, he looked healthy. His new owner had him for a month and he wouldn't eat. His owner tried dandelion, kale, turnip greens and nothing was to his liking. They tried Zoomed and Mazuri and he turned up his nose. The owner brought him back frustrated.
I took the tortoise from the customer to see what I could do. I put him in an outdoor enclosure and he started eating the native weeds on day two.
By the end of the week he was eating dandelion, mustard greens, and kale in addition to weeds. I don't know if it was the natural light, the weeds, or what. Rocky went back to her owner and after a deworming he is doing great.
The reason I post this is to educate people about buying imported Russian. They are frequently not accustomed to eating store bought greens and those fruity pebble style tortoise chow sold by pet shops. Also most have a large parasite load.
If you buy one make sure it's eating and get it dewormed asap.
I took the tortoise from the customer to see what I could do. I put him in an outdoor enclosure and he started eating the native weeds on day two.
By the end of the week he was eating dandelion, mustard greens, and kale in addition to weeds. I don't know if it was the natural light, the weeds, or what. Rocky went back to her owner and after a deworming he is doing great.
The reason I post this is to educate people about buying imported Russian. They are frequently not accustomed to eating store bought greens and those fruity pebble style tortoise chow sold by pet shops. Also most have a large parasite load.
If you buy one make sure it's eating and get it dewormed asap.
