When's Enough... Enough??

[AnthonyC]

How can I tell if my 3 baby Sulcatas are being over fed? Am I supposed to measure out their food daily? How much? What I'll usually do is feed them, and whatever is left when it starts to look "wilty" I throw away. A few hours later I'll give them some more. I usually do this 3,4, or sometimes 5x/day. Am I over feeding??--Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[dmarcus]

How much of it are they eating? I am no expert but up to 5x a day might be a bit much. I only feed mine once a day and they rest of the day they graze and on occassion I will give something extra like cactus.

 

[AnthonyC]

The grazing season has come and gone up here in the northeast. 1/2 the time they'll eat all of it and the other 1/2 they'll eat most of it. I usually end up throwing out what's stuck to the bottom of their plate which isn't very much.

 

[dmarcus]

I would cut it down to 2 maybe even 3 times a day since they can't graze, and maybe make the portion size smaller...

 

[AnthonyC]

I'll give it a shot but it's going to be hard. They always look at me with those big-brown tortoise eyes!

 

[dmarcus]

They are like garbage disposals, and if you feeding them the good stuff they will continue to devour it.

Think of it like a kid and a bag of holloween candy, they will try to eat everything they collected in the first two days. If you let them keep the bag, they will continue to eat the candy even if they are full. They don't have that switch that say's you've had to much candy and it's time to stop so they will continue to eat that candy until they are sick. So it's up to the parent to take that bag of candy and to say you are only getting one or two pieces a day and that's it.

 

[ascott]

Your withdrawal symptoms will lessen each day....stay strong.... LOL

 

[AnthonyC]

I just got home and brought them outside for some sun. They're just sitting there... WATCHING... WATCHING... WATCHING. OH THE HUMANITY!!!

 

[dmarcus]

Lol thats to funny, don't give in to the puppy dog eye's...

 

[Torty Mom]

Whatever you do, DON'T MAKE EYE CONTACT!!!!

 

[AnthonyC]

Too late Mary Anne. You don't understand, well actually I'm sure you all do. I walk in a room and go to the right... they go to the right. I go to the left... they go to the left. They're looking at me w/that look... you know the look! Little down turned mouths, little bright-sad eyes, and.... ARGH! MUST FEEEED THE TORTSSSS!

 

[Torty Mom]

I hear ya Anthony! I am a softie too!! Tucker he is almost a year, and refuses to go to bed. He will literally sit there and stare at me and give me stink eye if there is a light on. So, don't laugh, but I have to turn out all the lights and leave the room for 15 minutes and usually he will have fallen asleep! But they are soooooooo cute!!

 

[ascott]

NO EYE CONTACT.....seriously...be strong...it is soooo hard, my RESs are the worst in the entire universe...if I walk into the room and avoid looking their way...they suddenly are a couple of dolpins in their tank..they are jumping flopping, diving, belly flopping...it is truly pathetic ...I just walk towards them and looking at the wall behind their tank (no eye contact) and reach for the lights and click click off the lights go and I retreat really fast and don't look back....once the lights go out.....quiet, calm....floating, waiting to perform again in the am....

 

[Madkins007]

Or, go ahead and give in, but choose something rather dry, low in carbs and calories, high in fiber and calcium. I would suggest things like edible flowers, edible plant leaves (dandelion, grape, mulberry, hibiscus, etc.), Timothy hay, and the like.

They are programmed by nature to graze all day on fairly low-quality food. The problem comes in when you offer too much food that is too rich- like most of our supermarket options.

 

[AnthonyC]

Thank you!

Or, go ahead and give in, but choose something rather dry, low in carbs and calories, high in fiber and calcium. I would suggest things like edible flowers, edible plant leaves (dandelion, grape, mulberry, hibiscus, etc.), Timothy hay, and the like.

They are programmed by nature to graze all day on fairly low-quality food. The problem comes in when you offer too much food that is too rich- like most of our supermarket options.