using the Miner-all supplement

[Levi the Leopard]

I have a 9 month old leopard tortoise that recently began eating rocks this winter.
I think the lack of outdoor natural grazing time due to weather is a factor because this is a new behavior.
I read a suggestion here about using miner-all to stop rock eating. However, before i jumped into using a powder supplement i wanted to try what i though would be a more natural approach. I would scrape some cuttlebone onto the food and break up cuttlebone into little "rocks" hoping these would be eaten instead.
It didn't work...

I just picked up the outdoor version of miner-all. I've read to give it daily at first and then taper down eventually.

Does anyone have any "praise reports" for me with using this to stop a rock eater. I need some hope.
I do not want to lose my baby to impaction....
Here is a cheers to hoping this works.

 

[wellington]

I have not had to use it for that reason. However, there are a few people on here that has and it did work. My question to you. Why not just take the rocks out? This is assuming he is in a indoor enclosure. However, I have cleaned my leopards outdoor enclosure of most rocks, what I could find that could fit in his mouth. Probably didn't get them all. However, I also put new sod down to cover whatever I couldn't find. Might not be as easy, but beats hoping he doesn't eat a pebble and get blocked

 

[mainey34]

I use miner-all once weekly. I called before i started giving it to my sulcata. They said give it as you would your calcium. I would not start out giving it daily. My sulcata would eat rocks all the time, my yard is full of rock...i tried everything...i bought the miner-all...no kidding. Within a week she no longer was eating rocks..

 

[Levi the Leopard]

He is eating the rocks from a new 17x7 ish outdoor enclosure. There are so many little rocks its a joke!

The wall for His regular outdoor pen is being worked on so i can't use it for now.

Hopefully this supplement will stop him from eating them while i continue to pick them out....but its a long process...

 

[Levi the Leopard]

He has had minerall a few times now. I put him the the outside pen and immediately he still went after some rocks.

??

I placed a cuttlebone in front of him and he went to town on it. When he was all done with it he moved on and guess what,

HE STOPPED EATING ROCKS!!!

 

[LLLReptile]

He has had minerall a few times now. I put him the the outside pen and immediately he still went after some rocks.

??

I placed a cuttlebone in front of him and he went to town on it. When he was all done with it he moved on and guess what,

HE STOPPED EATING ROCKS!!!

Maybe he just wanted some larger chunks of cuttlebone?

-Jen

 

[Levi the Leopard]

what is funny, i have supplied a cuttlebone for him 24/7 since the day i brought him home... i had to literally put it in front of his face.

just glad it worked...at least this time

 

[sibi]

I have prevented my tort from grazing outside because of some of the same reasons given. It's just too hard for me to try and remove the tons of rocks I have on my lawn...lawn, what lawn? I live real close to the Gulf coast; so, my lawn consist of sandy soil, hardly any grass, and plenty of weeds. I cannot let my torts roam freely without supervision. I plan to build an outdoor pen where I'd have to add a bunch of new soil. That beats picking rock out. I'd like to try that minerall product. I've looked in all the petstores around here, but can't find it. I'll have to check online. When I get it, I'll let you know if it worked.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Yes try it and share your results!

My leopard hasn't been back out since the cuttlebone day because it has been cold and raining off/on. I'll be curious to see if next time out, he goes for the rocks.

I too have opted to add soil instead of removing all the rocks. It's too tough!! This rock issue is new though. His normal pen was "mostly" rock free and heavily planted. But I'm converting it into a Russian pen and making him a new one. In no time at all this new one will be "mostly" rock free and heavily planted as well