I think my tortoise is underweight. He is approx 85 grams. My scale only increments 5 grams. The length of his shell is about 7.5 cms and 9 months of age. Looking around i think his weight should be around 100 grams or so. I feed spring mix. and once a week i feed zoo med grassland tortoise pellets. I know i should feed more types of greens and pick weeds. Is it okay if they are not organic and just wash thoroughly. Should i start use supplements that have crude protein? I bought repashy veggie dust from my vet but haven't used it yet.
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Hi Eric:
I don't know anything about Greeks, but if you're trying to put some weight on a tortoise, you can add a few veggies to the diet. I use a lot of zucchini and yellow squash along with the greens. I don't know if your Greek would eat bell pepper, but I use them in the diet too, plus raddiccio, cactus, etc. Then after you have him where you think his weight is more in tune with his age, you can cut back on the veggies and go back to the dark, leafy greens diet.
I don't know anything about Greeks, but if you're trying to put some weight on a tortoise, you can add a few veggies to the diet. I use a lot of zucchini and yellow squash along with the greens. I don't know if your Greek would eat bell pepper, but I use them in the diet too, plus raddiccio, cactus, etc. Then after you have him where you think his weight is more in tune with his age, you can cut back on the veggies and go back to the dark, leafy greens diet.
I'm in the same boat as Yvonne about a lack of Greek knowledge, but for other tort species, I really like to mix in some Mazuri pellets a couple of times a week. I've seen several torts that were a bit undersize and not growing very fast, suddenly start growing again and get really healthy and active. My little sulcata Daisy is just one of them.
Thanks for the tips, definitely will start feeding some vegetables. Also will probably buy some mizuri. Seems popular. He only eats the zoo med stuff if its on my finger, i think its the colour of my skin that shows up after a few bites that tempts him. I let him bite me once, quite amusing.
Yes your Greek should be about 95 to 100g at that size.
Danny
Danny
The Grassland pellets are good and higher calories than greens. I would focus on a slow and steady healthy weight gain, and not worry much about it. Let your tort eat as much as it would like--you may want to replenish the food in the afternoon if its all gone (or be feeding more if the tort eats all its food). Some torts are just smaller too, and catch up later on. I would not use that veggie dust because it has D3 in it, honey, alfalfa, and other not so great ingredients. With UVB your tort only needs a daily pure calcium supplement, no D3. If you wanted something in addition to the calcium (there is no need to supplement with a natural varied diet), natural supplements are ok (like Total Nutrition for Tortoises, a natural powder from Carolina Pet Supply), not vitamins. Personally I wouldn't want to feed some veggies but its your call--I don't see anything bad with it. You also don't want to add protein. It isn't normal for Greeks to have much protein (just a very small amount of plant protein like they'd get in the wild). The more weeds and variety you add to the diet, the better. I like to buy 1-2 greens a week in addition to the spring mix like dandelion, turnip, mustard, a little kale, etc. Cactus pads, squash, and pumpkin are some great treats for variety too. I like to feed 100% organic but that is my choice. Any greens and such meant for humans are just fine. Where you have to watch out is when you buy flowers and plants that aren't mean for humans to eat--they spray tons of chemical on them to make them look pretty. So, avoid nursery stuff that isn't organic unless you let it sit for 6 months (washing it or changing the dirt doesn't help as its systemic).
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