My Star Ringo, the one I adopted in Dec with the eye issue has had a turn around. All was going great until sometime yesterday.

I changed the Star's substrate on Saturday afternoon replacing it with the same brand T-Rex coconut bark that all the Star's have been on for the last few months but that I purchased from a different supplier. I also started sprinkling Zoo-Meds natural grassland tortoise food over their greens that morning. I wanted to get more fiber in them and try the product out. They had more off the soaked food sprinkled on their greens Sunday and Monday.

When my husband got home from work yesterday afternoon both of Ringo's eye lids were swollen. I'm out of town until Wed so for now he has taken him off the substrate and has him back on papertowels in a large box. I told him to also stop feeding the T-Rex food. He's rinsing the eyes and using antibiotic ointment.

Has anyone ever heard of or had any food allergies with their Star's or could the new bags of coconut bark been the problem? The bark seems unlikely to me as he has been on it without incident for 2 months and his bad eye was almost all back to normal with the triple antibiotic ointment treatment while living on it. The other two Star's are fine. FYI - I keep my Star's drier (aprox 20% humidity reading at their substrate level) I kept getting repeated runny noses with Lyra & Orion when the humidity was kept higher in the enclosure.

I'll bring him back to the vet when I get home. For now would like to hear other Star keepers thoughts. Have you had a sensitive Star? Anything in the food that you think might have caused a reaction?

Thanks,
Misty


Zoo Meds Natural Grassland Tortoise Food
Ingredients: Sun-cured Oat Hay, Sun-cured Timothy Hay, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Sun-cured Alfalfa Meal, Whole Ground Wheat, Escarole, Endive, Calcium Carbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Yeast Culture, Dandelion Greens (Dried), Sodium Bicarbonate, Soy Lecithin, Direct-Fed Microorganisms (Heat Stable Cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casai, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Enterococcus faecium, Aspergillus oryzae), Yeast Extract, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Garlic Extract, Anise Extract, Cassia Extract (Chinese), Ginger Extract, Horseradish Extract, Juniper Extract, Natural Flavoring, Marigold (Petal Extract), Yucca schidigera (Whole Plant Powder), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Stabilized Vitamin C), Zinc Methionine Complex, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Silicon Dioxide, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement (Retinyl Acetate), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate (Source of Vitamin B5), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Riboflavin Supplement (Source of Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Source of Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Tribasic Copper Chloride, Calcium Iodate, and Sodium Selenite.

Do you think juniper is normal food for a tortoise? I have never fed horseradish to a tort. I don't want to preach but we should read ingrediants and apply knowledge gained on this forum and others. I think part of the problem may be the food that contains a substance that known to be a irritent ,at best ,for reptiles in general.

This post was last modified: 02-12-2008 08:41 AM by Itort.

Hi Misty: As you know, I'm not a fan of prepared diets for turtles and tortoises...however...I've been thinking about changing my mind on this subject. I read the list of ingredients that you posted, and there is quite a bit in there that we feed naturally, like endive, escarole, etc. We've come a long way with prepared dog and cat foods, who's to say the reptile food industry hasn't improved too? I've been trying Mazuri because of my sister's influence, and I hate the way it makes their poop's texture and smell, but I use it along with their normal greens diet, and not as a stand-alone feed.

It is my opinion that the food didn't have anything to do with your eye problem, but rather it was the new substrate. You will probably be having periodic eye problems with this little tortoise throughout his life. You just have to be ready and aware.

What I've done in the past is to place the new substrate in a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with water. Then swish my hand through the mess. I let it sit for a couple hours then rinse and swish again. Then I drain off the water and spread the substrate in the sun for a day. This should clean out and "burn" off any eye irritants.

Yvonne

Of course I read the ingredients and made the decision to try the product after many positive comments about it on another forum I belong to. Thanks for checking.

How about good ole hay?

It has worked for me.. since 10/04! They live on/in it and like to nibble it too!

Terry

We both seem to have started to test the commercial diets available at the same time Yvonne. :o) I too tried the Mazuri and also didn't like the smell and mess. Even the Sulcata's didn't seem to like eating it so I thought I'd try the Zoo Med product after reading the positive comments about it on the other list you and I are on. I actually liked a lot of the ingredients listed as they were items I feed regularily. The goal was to find a quality fiber product to help supplement winter feedings until the time my weeds and grasses are growing again

Because Ringo showed no problem on the coconut bark over the last 2 months I didn't have any concern about replacing it. I had noticed when changing it out that it does contain quite a bit of dust that had settled to the bottom of the table and had to be vacuumed up. Because of Ringo's reaction I'm now going to try out the aspen shavings that many people seem to like. Maggie also recommended oat hay pellets. My husband will pick up one and change the table tonight.

Not being at home is very frustrating as I can't see how bad the swelling is. I was so pleased at his amazing progress that I thought he'd be a-OK from now on.

Thanks Yvonne,

Misty

I think the aspen will work great Misty. I've used it on Stars with no problems.
I'm not real fond of any substrate in pellet form as it is way to slippery and gives no traction for the tortoise.

Danny

Thanks for replying Terry. I really value your opinion since you have been keeping Star's so long.

When I first got Lyra & Orion I had them on half coir/sand and half hay. I can't remember what kind. I had months of repeated runny noses and had them to the vet's several times. They would bury themselves in the hay so at that time felt it might be to dusty for them so I removed it and went to full coir/sand mix. I used the coir mix for a long time but got tired of always having dirt in their food and water. That is why I decided to try the coconut bark in December. No idea if it was the hay back then or just the torts adjusting to a new life as I haven't tried it again.

I have a ton of Orchard Grass hay on hand so can have my husband switch the table to that tonight unless you think that isn't the best hay choice. Process of elimination for this guy and I'll see how Lyra and Orion react to it again.

Misty

I think the aspen will work great Misty. I've used it on Stars with no problems.
I'm not real fond of any substrate in pellet form as it is way to slippery and gives no traction for the tortoise.

Danny

I wish we all did things the same way as this substrate choice wouldn't be so difficult to make! LOL I'm thinking that if there is no negative response to the Orchard Grass hay that I'll have my husband change to that tonight since I have a lot of it on hand. If I send him to the store to pick up Aspen I have a feeling he'll buy a brand I wouldn't have. I believe the consensus here is to use the shredded aspen not the shavings is that correct? I can check out what is available locally or order it online if Lyra & Orion react or Ringo doesn't improve on the hay.

Misty

I keep mine on grass hay (native grass) and have had no problems at all. They nest in it and eat it along with their greens.