# Too much protein



## terryo (Oct 27, 2010)

What are the consequences of eating too much protein for a Redfoot? I put a load of worms in Pio's enclosure when I re-did it toward the end of Summer, and they must have multiplied, and apparently Pio found where they were all coiled up together in a corner of the enclosure. He hasn't eaten his greens now for two days, and today I was watching him and he was digging in the corner and eating worms ......one after the other....fast. I dug a little and found a load of them all over that side. For the last few days it has always been messy on that side and I'm always fixing the soil, but never noticed why. He's also been sleeping over there......probably guarding his food patch. He looks fine, but now I'm wondering how many worms he ate, and if he'll be OK with all this protein. I've also been giving him some boiled chicken once every two weeks....


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## cdmay (Oct 27, 2010)

He is suffering from a very serious condition called *Spoiled Tortoise Syndrome. * This happens when they decide they only want their favorite items and it has happened here when my youngsters decide that fresh mango is the only food worthy of their attention.
Tough love is the answer. Just say 'No!' to the worms. 
Although I bet it seems like an eternity to you, Pio going two days without eating is nothing. Really.
In fact, as he matures you will discover that male redfoots often ignore food for days at a time and this is perfectly normal. 
Having said this it may not be a bad idea to give him a nice soaking to ensure that in case he ingested a bunch of dirt along with the worms that he doesn't get impacted.
As for the idea that he is suffering from protein poisoning don't worry. I've known of keepers who fed their animals nothing but dog food for years and it took a long, long time for serious health issues to emerge.
So, Pio had a stash of earthworms under his mattress that you found out about...just do what any good mother would do--remove them and then give him a good finger wagging lecture.


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## shmily1605 (Oct 27, 2010)

This is a cute story.  I can just picture him laying there guarding his treasure.


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## harris (Oct 27, 2010)

I'm sorry. I just can't stop laughing about this one. He's sleeping on his food stash!!!! He struck red, wriggly gold by gosh!


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## terryo (Oct 27, 2010)

I took out as many worms as I could find, and fixed up the substrate, threw a bit of cypress mulch on top, and cleaned his little water pond which was filled with poop. I just came home and his whole enclosure is a mess! He NEVER dug before, or even messed up his viv. It's like he's on a rampage. It's warm out today, so I just put him outside for a while so I can fix up his mess. This reminds me of when I used to smoke and ran out of cigarettes at 1 in the morning, and would be searching for a butt with a bit left on. I hate teenagers!!


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## Tom (Oct 27, 2010)

Hey Terry, now you know what it feels like to be a sulcata owner EVERY day! Hahaha. I always laugh when I see people asking about which plants to put in their sulcata enclosure. My answer is always the same. "Doesn't matter."


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## chadk (Oct 27, 2010)

No doubt Tom. Cracks me up... fixing dirt... I think a diry tort is a happy tort. Digging around helps with nail growth, exercise, stimulation, etc. If you need something pretty to look at, buy a painting


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## chadk (Oct 27, 2010)

No doubt Tom. Cracks me up... fixing dirt... I think a diry tort is a happy tort. Digging around helps with nail growth, exercise, stimulation, etc. If you need something pretty to look at, buy a painting


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## terryo (Oct 27, 2010)

chadk said:


> No doubt Tom. Cracks me up... fixing dirt... I think a diry tort is a happy tort. Digging around helps with nail growth, exercise, stimulation, etc. If you need something pretty to look at, buy a painting



Well Chad, this is why I don't have a big sulcata. Remember, he comes inside for the winter, so I have to have something that looks good, besides being functionable. I have a beautiful vivarium in my living room where I can interact with my tort. He has never messed up his home, or even ate many of the plants I put in there. Even when he's outside, he just takes a nibble here and there, but never messes up his enclosure. Now he's getting a much bigger one downstairs in the rec room. He has a big beautiful enclosure with plenty of flat stones for his nails, plenty of walking space to explore, and stimulate him. This is something new that he is doing. I was trying to make an ecologically correct environment like Mark's, so I threw in the worms, and created a monster.


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## Kristina (Oct 27, 2010)

What bad can happen to Pio from eating all those worms?

Nothing, in my opinion.

Look at it this way - if Pio was a wild Redfoot, crawling through the undergrowth and - wait, what was that sound? He hears a nest of worms underground. He is gonna plop his little hiney down, start digging, just like he did in his viv, and eat them until they are all gone and he can't find any more. He isn't thinking to himself, "Gosh, I have had enough protein!! I better go find a different food source!!!" 

Torts are opportunistic feeders. They eat whatever they find that is edible. So the fact that he had a bit more protein than usual, really isn't that horrendous.


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## dmmj (Oct 27, 2010)

he is probably upset because his worm goldmine is gone. I know if I found a stash of peanut butter cups one day and the next day they were gone I also would probably throw a tantrum.


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## Maggie Cummings (Oct 27, 2010)

I say give him back the worms. He was acting like a wild tortoise would. Nothing bad can happen from him eating worms. They are on his menu, I say put the worms back. I think it was mean of you to take them...
and in all seriousness, I don't think it's bad for him to have them. I would be proud if I were you that he is acting like he should...


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## cdmay (Oct 27, 2010)

My favorite part in all of this is the thought of Terry freaking out at 1:00 AM and tearing her house apart for a butt to smoke.


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## terryo (Oct 27, 2010)

cdmay said:


> My favorite part in all of this is the thought of Terry freaking out at 1:00 AM and tearing her house apart for a butt to smoke.



.......and then throwing on a rain coat over her p.j.'s and going to the nearest 7-11 (sorry for the comp. slang) to get a pack.....ahhhh ...memories!


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## Candy (Oct 27, 2010)

Ahhh how I remember those days, but I didn't have to run out to the store Terry, my husband at the time also smoked. I am so glad that I don't smoke today.  My gosh this is such a cute thread. I love Carl's posts and why hasn't madkins come on here and told us about this worm thing? I wonder now what he does with all of his worms?  I'm also picturing Pio sitting there protecting his goods.  Too funny! We have to have pictures of this now. We've got to see what Pio is up to.


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## c1ark2 (Nov 29, 2010)

I am not sure whether anyone should be concerned by having too much protein. If at all, the protein exceeds the dietary allowance, try to lower it as it will have some or the other consequence. I have heard that Spoiled tortoise syndrome occurs due to excess proteins. I am not sure how much of that is true as it has not been proven yet. One thing we can be sure of is that the calcium absorption is greatly reduced due to excessive protein consumption!


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## c1ark2 (Nov 29, 2010)

I am not sure whether anyone should be concerned by having too much protein. If at all, the protein exceeds the dietary allowance, try to lower it as it will have some or the other consequence. I have heard that Spoiled tortoise syndrome occurs due to excess proteins. I am not sure how much of that is true as it has not been proven yet. One thing we can be sure of is that the calcium absorption is greatly reduced due to excessive protein consumption!


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