Tortoise Diet from a Reptile Vet - Russian Tortoise

[Oxalis]

Just thought I'd attach this PDF (1 page) of a tortoise diet copied for me from a vet in Canton, Michigan for my Russian tortoise. It looks like it's from a tortoise veterinary textbook but I haven't searched for it in a while. Thought it may be helpful to someone, maybe new owners? I'll probably use it to make a master list over the winter (ideas for my spring garden!).

 

[Tom]

I don't think this is a very good one. The very first sentence says feed adults a minimum of three times a week. I don't agree. They should be fed every day. It then says to dust every feeding with calcium powder. This is a mistake. Too much calcium everyday will interfere with the absorption of other important nutrients and minerals. Then it goes on to list all the grocery store greens that they should be fed... It does list a few good things too, but I would not recommend you or anyone else follow the advice on this sheet. Also, this sheet seems to be a "general" tortoise diet sheet, not specifically for russians.

This is exactly the kind of thing that I have brought up many times in the past. Most vets have very little actual tortoise experience. For questions they don't know the answer too, they really do go into the back and read out of a text book just like this one. Then they come back into the exam room and give you their "expert" advice that they just read out of some outdated incorrect textbook. THEN they give you a big bill for the "knowledge" they have bestowed upon you.

Good tortoise vets are few and far between. When you find a good one, treat them right and give them your business and referrals.

I appreciate your effort to share info, but I don't think following this advice is going to help tortoises.

 

[Kirin]

Tom it's just a thought, but maybe you need to write a book so that the vets have an up to date tortoise care book. That might change some people's way of taking care of these beautiful animals. Like I said, just a thought.

 

[Oxalis]

Tom it's just a thought, but maybe you need to write a book so that the vets have an up to date tortoise care book. That might change some people's way of taking care of these beautiful animals.

Yes, I agree! It sounds like you have some great info to share! I'll be searching through your posts to make sure I have all the best plants in my garden next spring!

 

[Oxalis]

Most vets have very little actual tortoise experience. For questions they don't know the answer too, they really do go into the back and read out of a text book just like this one. Then they come back into the exam room and give you their "expert" advice that they just read out of some outdated incorrect textbook. THEN they give you a big bill for the "knowledge" they have bestowed upon you.

Good tortoise vets are few and far between. When you find a good one, treat them right and give them your business and referrals.

Speaking of which, can you recommend a better vet or where I could look for one? This one was apparently specifically for reptiles and exotic pets; and a small, family-owned exotic pet shop had recommended this vet to me (although I know money talks). Since joining this website, I know now that I don't need to visit that pet shop anymore, especially since I received much better information from this forum than I did from the store owners. So now I'm wondering: Do I even need to take my tortoise to a vet? They did recommend that medicine to help keep the worms' numbers in his feces down, so they said. Should I only worry about a vet for when he may appear to be ill? I'd rather have a phone number already on hand in case something does go wrong.

...I do see the same address for the vet on the list here: http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-29688.html but not the vet I took him to. I suppose I could try the other two vets named on the thread?

 

[hunterk997]

The vet I took my russian tortoise to seemed very knowledgable. I don't know if he was getting it from a textbook, but he seemed to know more than I do. He was up to date with his information, didn't try vitamin shots, all seemed good. He is a reptile specialist and apparently he is really good with tortoises because it mentions it on their website. He actually talked as if he owned one himself. Not sure.
Anyway, isn't the zoo med grassland formula good though?

 

[wellington]

The vet list on this forum is just that, a list. Not a list of reptile vets that anyone recommended. So, just because they are listed here, does not mean they will be any better then the one you already seen. Your going to have to take your chances on them, unless one is actually recommended. As for taking them to a vet. I don't. If one would get sick, I would. Other then that I won't. Some vets will recommend this, or that, because they have too. If they don't own the practice themselves, they are obligated to push all they can. My recommendation is to learn all you can from here, so when you go to a vet, you know,what is right and what isn't. At least for the more common problems.

 

[Tom]

I don't know any MI vets good or bad. From what I have heard the farther north a person goes the fewer good tortoise vets one will find. This is of course a great big generality, and you might have a great one five minutes from you. Or there might not be a halfway decent one within 500 miles.

If you have a captive bred Russian that has not been exposed to all sorts of stuff, I wouldn't take it to a vet unless something was wrong. If you bought a pet store import, then its a judgement call. This is just how I feel about the matter. Others might feel differently.

 

[Oxalis]

Awesome! Thank you all again for your wonderful help!