# Red foot will not eat her greens!! Advice Needed



## shelli2012 (Apr 23, 2012)

My red foot refuses to eat her greens. I have tried every suggested leafy greens I have found in my research and she will not eat it and I'm not sure what to do. We got her from a pet store and I'm guessing her whole life (or at least a good majority) she has been fed just tortoise food, rather than giving her a variety of fresh veggies and fruits.

The only way we can get her to eat any greens is if we cut it really finely and mix it with mangos or tomatoes, etc. so that she really can't avoid eating them, and she still tries to eat around it. She will eat any fruit and her tortoise food but NO greens. I've even tried giving her no other option and she will dig around looking for something better and when she realizes that's all there is she goes and pouts in her hide.

Any suggestions on what I can do to make sure she is getting the right foods in her diet?


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## JoesMum (Apr 23, 2012)

Tough love is the only way to go.

Tortoises are experts at holding out for the best bits... as you have discovered. They can be extremely picky eaters... worse than children refusing dinner because they want candy!

You have to be the grown up about this... you are in charge regardless of what your tort might think.! 

You are doing the right thing:
Cut the greens and other food up small and mix them up together.

Start out by only putting in a tiny amount of greens with the other stuff and gradually, over a period of weeks, increase the amount in the mix. 

Don't worry if your tortoise refuses food for several days. A healthy tortoise can go 2 or 3 weeks without eating and come to no harm. Just soak daily when food is being refused or not being eaten properly... they can't survive without water. Your tort will eat when it's hungry... even greens!

It will stress you considerably more than your tortoise, but you can overcome this. You just have to be strong... and remember there are loads of us on here supporting you in your battle of wills!


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## Redstrike (Apr 23, 2012)

You can mix the greens in with the processed tortoise food, slowly cutting back on the amount of tortoise food mixed into the greens. 

OR

You can implement the "tough love" approach where you don't offer anything but greens. Eventually she'll be hungry enough to eat them. If she doesn't eat the first couple of days, it won't kill her. 

Picky eaters can be tough, good luck!


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## StudentoftheReptile (Apr 23, 2012)

Ditto on both the above posters.

My little redfoot was the same way. Eventually, he came around, and now actually likes his greens. Just keep trying.


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## shelli2012 (Apr 23, 2012)

Thanks Everyone!!! I'm still so new at this, so it's nice to have this great forum!


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## turtlelover2495 (Apr 23, 2012)

shelli2012 said:


> Thanks Everyone!!! I'm still so new at this, so it's nice to have this great forum!



try springmix. i bought a redfoot from my local petco store yesterday and it basically demolished everything inside the whole bowl. im not no tortoise expert this is actually my first tortoise. but i would try to give it springmix and see where it goes from there. if it still doesnt eat the greens then just do what joesmum said!


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## Hunahpu (Apr 27, 2012)

Another thought is to try dandelion greens. (Just make sure they're pesticide free- I get mine at an ethnic grocery.) I don't know why, but my boxie refuses lettuces but likes the dandelion. 

You can also try pureeing the greens in a food processor to make a kind of pesto to put over the food. Its harder to avoid when its more liquid.


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## ascott (Apr 27, 2012)

You can also squeeze some of the juice from the mango and tomato all over the greens and see what happens...spring mix seems to be a hit with the RFs here as well....


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## terryo (Apr 27, 2012)

I know exactly what you're talking about. Today was the third day that Pio didn't eat. She always does this after I give her worms or some kind of protein, which she loves. So for the last three days I put the greens in there....spring mix or whatever I have....she runs out and then goes in her hide for the rest of the day. I take the greens out and throw them away. By tomorrow she will eat the greens because she's probably starving. Be strong!


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## LeaderLeprechaun (May 4, 2012)

pour pineapple juice over the greens or make a puree of its fav fruit, worked for turbo when he/she wouldnt eat greens


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