Won't eat veggies or fruit...feeling like I have tried everything

[newboxiemama]

Hi everyone!
My little box turtle is making me CRAZY. I cannot get him to eat fruits of veggies no matter what I do. I am not quite sure how old he is, but his previous owner says he is probably 10-15ish. She said he ONLY ate kale and strawberries his entire life - very, very limited diet.

Spike's first worm = true love. That was almost a year ago. Since then, it has been almost impossible to get him to eat ANYTHING but protein. I think I have tried every single box-turtle approved fruit/veggie/mushroom out there and am at a total loss. The ONLY think he will eat willingly (very occasionally) are grapes. If he even sees me going into the container that I keep his worms in, he comes running over. When presented with fruits and veggies, he usually just starts to bury himself underground!

• Turtle meatballs - recipe that I found on this forum - NOT interested
• Scented salad with tuna juice
• Chopped up worms hidden in baby food - precisely managed to pick out every piece without really ingesting any of the pureed mix
• Chopped up worms on top of a salad - dug through the salad and picked out worms
• Dry box turtle food - not interested
• Leaving big hunks of food for him overnight
• Starvation method Went 5 days without food before I caved and still would not take a single bite

What else can I try?!! Any help is very much appreciated -- thank you!!

 

[ZenHerper]

Well, can't really blame him, can you? =))


Do you keep a worm colony? Make sure they are as nutrient-dense as you can make them. Feed them all the plants you want your turt to eat.

Instead of chopping the worms, chop the fruits and veggies into wee small bits. Then toss mere pinches of them with the worms like a seasoning. As he goes at the worms, he will inadvertently get bits of flora in. Don't be too ambitious...small bits are easier to sneak into him than larger piles.

Expand his live food menu...slugs, mealworms, crickets, small goldfish. Make sure all other meat items are being maintained on Best quality vegetation.

Keep offering all sorts of plant matter. Flowers may take his notice this time of year. Dandelion, clover, violet, pansy, calendula...all are brightly colored.

Try a teaspoon of a meat-based canned dog food.

Just keep at it. For a long time his body and palate were protein-starved. Making a balanced variety available will insure he will be able to satisfy eventual cravings back toward Center.

 

[newboxiemama]

That is a great idea! I will try mincing up the fruits and veggies instead of the worms. I am actually just amazed at his precision...he can easily snatch up a bit of worm that less than half an inch long without getting anything else in his mouth!!

I do gutload the superworms with collard greens, mustard greens, sweet potato, a bit of calcium dust, etc. He enjoys earthworms as well. I had no idea that I could feed him a small goldfish - I bet he would just LOVE it! Flowers are also a great idea.

You are totally right - he had a poor diet for so long his body is probably still recovering. he went from being pretty much entirely beige to turning neon orange and black when he started getting some protein in his diet, so I am happy to see some visible improvements.

Thank you so much for your help -- I will let you know how it goes I guess I just wanted to make sure I wasn't hurting him by giving him mostly just protein at the moment.

 

[ZenHerper]

Their eyesight and sense of smell-taste are very keen, indeed. They can be unsurprisingly clumsy when walking, but amazingly dexterous while eating.

Since we can't verbally reason with them, we have to work with their instincts and impulses.

In a deep wood, these guys are eating almost exclusively worms and other creepy-crawlers. Vegetation gets in largely by accident, unless they are specifically seeking out brightly-colored fruits and flowers.

You're doing it right! =))

ETA: If by "worms" you mean mealworm superworms, try earthworms. They are sticky and it will be harder for him to separate out vegetation. Bait shops have them if you don't have safe ground to dig.

 

[newboxiemama]

Their eyesight and sense of smell-taste are very keen, indeed. They can be unsurprisingly clumsy when walking, but amazingly dexterous while eating.

Since we can't verbally reason with them, we have to work with their instincts and impulses.

In a deep wood, these guys are eating almost exclusively worms and other creepy-crawlers. Vegetation gets in largely by accident, unless they are specifically seeking out brightly-colored fruits and flowers.

You're doing it right! =))

ETA: If by "worms" you mean mealworm superworms, try earthworms. They are sticky and it will be harder for him to separate out vegetation. Bait shops have them if you don't have safe ground to dig.

Thank you so much!! I feel so much better. He does get earthworms regularly that I order online from rainbowmealworms.com -- I was chopping them up because all the worm bits keep moving, which was keeping Spike interested in digging through the veggies! It seems that he only likes food when it is still moving!

 

[ColleenT]

there is a link in my signature about how to get them to eat mixed foods.