Treating a scrape/cut on a super shy rescued sulcata?

[Tom]

Are these pellets also good for my Russian?

What about the red foots? The red foots seem to really like any tortoise pellets I get for them, would they like the hay pellets as well?

And one last question if I could, does it matter if it's alfalfa timothy, timothy, or orchard grass?
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/hay pellets?These are what I found on Tractor supply when I searched. I don't know if Alfafa is as good for torts? I think I remember reading somewhere that it's not?

The purpose of the pellets is to add fiber to grocery store greens that don't have enough. The pellets are good for any species. I don't know that any species will "like" them at first, but all tortoises will accept them in time with the proper introduction.

Alfalfa is okay in moderation. It is too high in protein to use as an every day food for my liking, though I know of one breeder who does use it as a main food source every day. Orchard grass hay is my favorite. Timothy hay works well for this application because it is all ground up.

 

[nootnootbu]

It also attracts ants, bees and other problematic insects and everything sticks to it. Not good for an animal living on the ground.

He is inside and safe right now, and he gets daily soaks to wash it off again. He isn't outside yet. It's recommended for use on indoor reptile wounds, and he's showing good progress so far, so I probably won't apply it again tomorrow.

I did not want to risk even something like diluted iodine as the wound is close to his mouth.

 

[nootnootbu]

The purpose of the pellets is to add fiber to grocery store greens that don't have enough. The pellets are good for any species. I don't know that any species will "like" them at first, but all tortoises will accept them in time with the proper introduction.

Alfalfa is okay in moderation. It is too high in protein to use as an every day food for my liking, though I know of one breeder who does use it as a main food source every day. Orchard grass hay is my favorite. Timothy hay works well for this application because it is all ground up.

I will see what they have available in store and go for either orchard grass or pure timothy without the added alfafa, though the one blend one says it's blended for low protein and low sugar, so I wonder if the blend of the alfafa and timothy together would be acceptable and possibly provide more variation to the diet?

 

[Tom]

I will see what they have available in store and go for either orchard grass or pure timothy without the added alfafa, though the one blend one says it's blended for low protein and low sugar, so I wonder if the blend of the alfafa and timothy together would be acceptable and possibly provide more variation to the diet?

I think the blend, as long as there are not other additives, would be a fine addition to a varied diet. I grow fresh alfalfa for my tortoises and mix in some to their food prep buckets once or twice a week. It makes up a very small percentage of their over all diet, but I think it is good for them in periodic small amounts. If you were to use a handful of those soaked pellets a couple of times a week to add fiber and variety, I think it would be great.

 

[henrietta60]

I wouldn't soak in anything, especially since you aren't sure what it is. Just a regular soak with some light spraying should do it. They are pretty sturdy.

Also, sulcatas shouldn't be fed fruit. Their long GI tract doesn't handle sugary fruits well.

i give my 60 year old desert tortoise slices of apple and mango every now and then. is that okay?

 

[Tom]

i give my 60 year old desert tortoise slices of apple and mango every now and then. is that okay?

No. Not at all. Very bad for them. In most cases it won't kill them, but it causes terrible digestive upset.

 

[Anna Westphal]

I just checked Tractor Supply for "horse hay pellets" and got a result of Timothy grass pellets, alfalfa/ Timothy pellets, orchard grass pellets and beet pulp pellets, among others. Which ones are you recommending? I am always looking for more choices for my Sulcata's diet, and Timothy hay doesn't seem to be a favorite. Muzuri is well liked but when I look at the ingredients I don't feel that good about feeding it.

 

[Tom]

I just checked Tractor Supply for "horse hay pellets" and got a result of Timothy grass pellets, alfalfa/ Timothy pellets, orchard grass pellets and beet pulp pellets, among others. Which ones are you recommending? I am always looking for more choices for my Sulcata's diet, and Timothy hay doesn't seem to be a favorite. Muzuri is well liked but when I look at the ingredients I don't feel that good about feeding it.

I don't rally use the pellets as "food". I use them to add fiber to grocery store greens which are sorely lacking fiber. Orchard grass is the best hay. I wouldn't bother offering Timothy hay. All but the beet pulp pellets should be fine as a small part of the diet.

 

[Anna Westphal]

I don't rally use the pellets as "food". I use them to add fiber to grocery store greens which are sorely lacking fiber. Orchard grass is the best hay. I wouldn't bother offering Timothy hay. All but the beet pulp pellets should be fine as a small part of the diet.

Thanks for the clarification. In the winter here I do need to rely on some other sources for food, so it's nice to know of a couple other add-in options.

 

[Anna Westphal]

Thanks for the clarification. In the winter here I do need to rely on some other sources for food, so it's nice to know of a couple other add-in options.

I just went out and checked my 10 pound bale, and it is Orchard Grass. I got Timothy hay by mistake before, but got the right one more recently. Thanks again for your input.

 

[Maggie3fan]

i give my 60 year old desert tortoise slices of apple and mango every now and then. is that okay?

no, but evidently it hasn't hurt him

 

[Two babies]

He only gets them as a very rare treat. Fruit makes up less than 5% of their diet, and I normally try to stick with fruits that are a little better for torts, like Mango. They primarily eat grass and weeds from the yard, and spring mix without spinach, and other greens and some hay they like to pick at. He had just had a strawberry that day, so I'm not 100% sure that's not the culprit.

Is a single strawberry once a week too much for a 6 pound sulcata?

YES.

 

[Two babies]

Are these pellets also good for my Russian?

What about the red foots? The red foots seem to really like any tortoise pellets I get for them, would they like the hay pellets as well?

And one last question if I could, does it matter if it's alfalfa timothy, timothy, or orchard grass?
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/hay pellets?These are what I found on Tractor supply when I searched. I don't know if Alfafa is as good for torts? I think I remember reading somewhere that it's not?

I was told that alfalfa has too much protein. My 6-yr-olds won't eat Timothy hay (even cut and soaked) but like the orchard grass hay.

 

[William Lee Kohler]

Never did see a pic of the wound. Just along drawn out wrangle about food.

 

[nootnootbu]

Never did see a pic of the wound. Just along drawn out wrangle about food.

It was just a tiny scrape and has fully healed up now. I have since stopped all fruit treats and instead do vegetable treats occasionally, like squash and cucumber(only as a treat on top of their usual greens, not as a staple)

 

[William Lee Kohler]

It was just a tiny scrape and has fully healed up now. I have since stopped all fruit treats and instead do vegetable treats occasionally, like squash and cucumber(only as a treat on top of their usual greens, not as a staple)

Unless it's huge and traumatic they usually heal up pretty good on their own.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I'm sad that you think I'm giving him a treat for myself.

I could've swore I read somewhere that fruit was fine as a treat in extreme moderation. It's possible I got their diet confused with my Russian's. In any case, their primary diet has been grass, hay, weeds, and greens, I will cut out the once a week fruit.

Forgive me my idiocy.

Take it easy...I also gave my 120+pound Sulcata fruit treats, but that doesn't make it right. I gave him and others watermelon (1 a YEAR?), bananna, all kinds of berries, mango, and other crap. I was "The food Goddess". It was fun having big tortoises follow me around. But, alas, I was doing it for myself, wasn't good for the tort, and stopped with the suger treats and went to different squashes and other veggies, caulieflower, bell pepper etc. And surprize!!! They still follow me around. My explaination of the suger thing...their kidneys cannot process suger the way that ours does and possibly the animal could be having an upset stomach from it. They really don't need treats...