# Avacado, tomato and radishes, oh my!!!



## JLSchmittou (Dec 2, 2011)

I've discovered a new farmers market down the street with cheap organic stuff... Lots of beautiful green leafy's... And I eyeballed the radishes, tomatoes and avocados... And didn't buy any, because I won't eat them (have yet to find a good tasting tomato in Arizona) and was unsure if Bishop & Hindu (my super sullys) can eat them without, I dunno, dying..? I know avocados are funny for some animals (like tropical birds), tomatoes are considered fruit, and radishes... What can you really do with radishes anyway??

Input? Advice?? Maybe recipes??? Other interesting veggies that are in season right now that would be good for ish and tish??


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## dmmj (Dec 2, 2011)

Regarding avocados being toxic to birds, I was under the assumption it is the skin that is toxic. As for tomatoes and radishes well as a treat ok, but I prefer to feed the radish tops to my tortoises, they love them.


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## JLSchmittou (Dec 2, 2011)

dmmj said:


> Regarding avocados being toxic to birds, I was under the assumption it is the skin that is toxic. As for tomatoes and radishes well as a treat ok, but I prefer to feed the radish tops to my tortoises, they love them.



I'm sorry.. I meant are avocado tomato and radishes ok for sulcatas...??


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## redbeef (Dec 3, 2011)

we get questions re:avocado toxicity on our website at least 1-2x a year (www.ucavo.ucr.edu)...from what i've gathered over the years, the skin of guatemalan avocados is toxic while the skin of mexican avocados is not, i don't know about the caribbean ones: those don't grow so well in Socal. 

Still, i wouldn't generally recommend the flesh/pulp for a grassland tortoise, but someone on here w/more experience in Sullys can give you a better answer

I will, OTOH, fully endorse avocados for human consumption: they're a great source of Potassium  lol


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 3, 2011)

Sulcata are desert tortoises needing to eat grasses and weeds. They should not have fruit or vegetables. I soften squash for my animals a couple of times a week as a treat but they also get a wide variety of grasses and weeds and are feed the best diet possible for them. So in that case it is alright for them to get the squash. But it is a treat not a staple


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## JLSchmittou (Dec 3, 2011)

redbeef said:


> we get questions re:avocado toxicity on our website at least 1-2x a year (www.ucavo.ucr.edu)...from what i've gathered over the years, the skin of guatemalan avocados is toxic while the skin of mexican avocados is not, i don't know about the caribbean ones: those don't grow so well in Socal.
> 
> Still, i wouldn't generally recommend the flesh/pulp for a grassland tortoise, but someone on here w/more experience in Sullys can give you a better answer
> 
> I will, OTOH, fully endorse avocados for human consumption: they're a great source of Potassium  lol



Guatemalan skin is toxic but Mexican isn't??? That's so interesting... I'm pretty sure all of the avocados I've seen in AZ are mostly from Guatemala...

I love avocados!!! But can't make guacamole to save my soul!!! But will take them, dice them up, add cilantro, lime and a but of salt and eat as a salad... It's fantastic side to a citrus grilled fish... 



maggie3fan said:


> Sulcata are desert tortoises needing to eat grasses and weeds. They should not have fruit or vegetables. I soften squash for my animals a couple of times a week as a treat but they also get a wide variety of grasses and weeds and are feed the best diet possible for them. So in that case it is alright for them to get the squash. But it is a treat not a staple



Right. I wasn't asking about staples. My torts have their staple diet of weeds and grasses. Squash is a vegetable. So is avocado. Tomato is questionable because it's technically a fruit. The question is if THESE vegetables are safe for the torts to consume on a non-regular basis.


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 3, 2011)

JLSchmittou said:


> redbeef said:
> 
> 
> > we get questions re:avocado toxicity on our website at least 1-2x a year (www.ucavo.ucr.edu)...from what i've gathered over the years, the skin of guatemalan avocados is toxic while the skin of mexican avocados is not, i don't know about the caribbean ones: those don't grow so well in Socal.
> ...





No they are not


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## JLSchmittou (Dec 3, 2011)

maggie3fan said:


> No they are not



No what is not? Are Avacados, radishes, tomatoes not ok for torts? Squash not a vegetable? If your going to be rude, don't respond to my posts, I'm a member of this forum to gather information relevant to the health and wellness of my torts. If your not going to be helpful, don't respond.


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## Tom (Dec 3, 2011)

I would not feed avocado. There is just too much question and uncertainty behind it. I'm sure it won't kill them if they eat some, but I don't want to risk it being any sort of a problem.

I don't know about radishes or radish tops. I don't come across those too often.

My adult sulcatas get a little bit of tomato, once in a while. It does no harm in small quantities given infrequently.


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## Tony the tank (Dec 3, 2011)

I have fed tomatoes on occasion without issue..I have been feeding zucchini everyday for the last month without issue...(.The sulcatas love it)..I tried radish they didn't like it... Pineapple was a flop...

I believe you would be alright..I would peel the avocados..

And remember the old saying. ".Nothing in excess is good.."


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