# Pumpkin puree...



## Saleama (Sep 9, 2013)

Well, I had heard on this forum that torts love this stuff and after mixing up some with their normal salad I can say that I must have the only nine tortoises that hate pumpkin! Everyone of them was a foot away from the food dish scraping their mouths out with their claws. They looked at me like I was a monster and stormed off to the other side of the habitat. The Russians in the other pen went all the way to the other side of their pen and buried their heads. Wouldn't even go near it!


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 9, 2013)

That is funny. The visual. Eeek! Run from the orange blob, run! I read, and have indeed experienced, that it takes tortoises awhile to get used to new foods, like a few weeks awhile. I love potato peelers, or graters or slap choppy seen on tv thingees to blend new things in. Blend, blend, blend. Maybe, because it was pureed, it was a bit much for your babies and they thought they might be preyed upon by the orange thing. Just guessing. Less is more when introducing new things. Sprinkle here, dab there, until they get it, literally. They are slow to accept new things and as you know, once they do, they will if it is part of their routine. Maybe fresh pumpkin grated and sprinkled like we do parmesan and romano cheese on our spaghetti? Pumpkin, when in season, is a good addition as part of varied diet. It has Vitamin A and beta-carotene and beta-carotene protects with degenerative diseases. I use fresh raw pumpkin seeds when they are in season, ground down to almost a powder on my pets, three days in a row (during a full moon) to purge parasites. For me, it works to get nasty things out of their system, ba-bye. Try fine grated real pumpkin and let us know if it does not scare your babies this time. Hopefully, nom nom nom, instead of eeeeek! : )


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## oknursedana (Sep 9, 2013)

Would have love to see that! Video it next time you try to give it to them.


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## HerbsMommy (Sep 9, 2013)

How funny! Love the story! But I agree in incorporating new food slowly. I thought that my tort would eat a tomato because it was on his regular food dish. He never touched it. My theory is that he doesn't recognize new foods. For a while I thought he wouldn't eat things that weren't green like his lettuce! So I usually mix new stuff in with his mazuri pellet. Now he looooves tomato! And carrots!


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## Phantom9 (Sep 9, 2013)

I toss my pumpkin seeds, insides, and outside into a blender and make a nice puree out of it and then mix it with mazuri into a goopy mess that my sulcatas love. (so does my bearded dragon)

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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 10, 2013)

Phantom9 said:


> I toss my pumpkin seeds, insides, and outside into a blender and make a nice puree out of it and then mix it with mazuri into a goopy mess that my sulcatas love. (so does my bearded dragon)
> 
> Sent from my HTC One using TortForum mobile app



Great idea. Funny you would say Mazuri because that is one thing my Greeks will not touch. So odd. I have tried for 4 months now and they do the same, run from it. Now these are wild caught Greeks so I wonder if that has something to do with it. I keep hoping that one day they will go over the line and start eating it to supplement all their non processed goodies, for the vitamins and stuff. but if not, oh well, all good. Silly tortoises, tricks are for kids. : )


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## Saleama (Sep 10, 2013)

Well, I have five Sullys, two Leos and two Russians and none of them was very happy with me for ruining their kale cactus salad. I try and mix things up a bit with them so I do an unscheduled routine if you will, and always mix whatever it is with timothy hay. Yesterday was chopped kale and cactus day. I cut the hay, chopped the kale and the cactus and mixed in a tablespoon of pumpkin. You already read the results. I have one Leo that tried to eat it but later, when he came up to say hello to me, he bit my finger! I am guessing he was telling me in his own little way that no more pumpkin will be tolerated! The Russians wouldn't go near the mess (theirs did not have hay in it) and they actually would not touch their cactus until I washed it off. So.... I may try more on yard salad day but it is hot here and I really do not want to waste the few dandelions I find growing around the yard. I will try again and post pics or video if they let me.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 11, 2013)

It's like a tortoise mutiny on the bounty about the pumpkin bounty. That is so funny. They are like little kids, aren't they? I have seen some of the keepers with the big tortoises just leave a cut up pumpkin so they can eat it at will. It would be interesting to see if they eat it that way. Meanwhile, their kale and cactus is a good thing. Oh, and the timothy hay. Nom, nom, nom ....


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## gesha (Sep 11, 2013)

Hahaha .. nice .. I experience the same mutiny from my torts whn I giv them greens !!!..... they are ready to live on tomatoes but they dont touch the beans n ladys finger which I chop up for them nor the coriander leaves!! They love munching on apples n the inside skin of pomegranates though... 

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## Saleama (Sep 11, 2013)

Oh! I forgot about the Coriander (cilantro here in Texas). I thought I was going to wake up with a knife at my throat when I got the idea they might like that stuff! They all ran to the food brick and took one bite then stopped and stared at me. I got the message pretty quick and cleaned it up. The Russians picked out everything and left the Cilantro in the dirt. On the other hand, when it is yard salad day they mug me before I can get the stuff down on the brick! I knock 5 times on the side wall before every feeding and you should see them running for the food area. I hide little saucers of greens all over the place and I have one smart guy that always finds it.


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## SpdTrtl (Sep 11, 2013)

Oh what big monsters we are! Fun thread, many good ideas I have to try!


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 11, 2013)

Some day, you need to do video of the scraaaaaaam! it's pumpkin (or cilantro) ... and weeeeeee! it's yummies we do like.

Cilantro and parsley, just for information, are great for us and for tortoises. Check it out, they will remove heavy metals, like mercury and lead for instance, from our body. They bind (grab) the heavy metals and help pull them out of our body so you can prevent harm.

I use a parsley water tea. I cool it off of course, to soak my tortoises when I think they may have a little something, like runny nose. My grandpa did that. I think it had something to do with flushing out icky bacteria. I add bird vitamins additionally, since I joined the forum and read that suggestion from our wise and experienced experts. Grandpa's tortoises are 61 years old. 

I think what we strive for as tortoise keepers is to try, TRY, to give them as much of a varied diet as we can, for their own good. Like I said, they can sometimes be like little kids. You just need to figure a way to integrate it and make it fun. Like the little kids. LOL.


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## Madkins007 (Sep 11, 2013)

BeeBee wrote "Cilantro and parsley, just for information, are great for us and for tortoises. Check it out, they will remove heavy metals, like mercury and lead for instance, from our body. They bind (grab) the heavy metals and help pull them out of our body so you can prevent harm.' oddly enough, that process is called 'chelation', from the word for lobster claw and the act of pinching or grabbing. Turtles are called 'chelonians' because the shell aspect of the lobster claw from what I have read. (FYI- chelation therapies of all types are often debated as to effectiveness and usefulness. Study and draw your own conclusions.)

Puree: I am not sure why we are pureeing this? When would a tortoise eat 'goop' in the wild, and why would the recognize goop as a food item? i've had good luck just scooping or cutting it up, or tossing in rinds with meat on them. Pureeing (or freezing) a food also destroys the cell walls, which breaks the quality longer fibers that are so helpful into shorter, less helpful fibers. (My guys used to love Halloween because I just tossed the cut out pieces of Jack-o-lanterns in the pen.)

A couple other points-
- Pumpkin is a fruit, and has a bit of a sugar content, which can cause loose bowels and intestinal distress in grassland tortoises if overused. Not a big deal once in a rare while. Forest/omnivorous tortoises on the other hand can have a lot more and be OK with it. (nutritional data- http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2600/2)
- Pumpkin seeds have a long history of being considered helpful for fighting or preventing parasites, but from what I can find, controlled studies have shown no benefit. Of course, when used once in a while, there is no harm either.
- Many of the benefits (and concerns) of pumpkin also apply to various squash.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 11, 2013)

Chelonian and Chelation ... thanks for sharing that connection Mark! : )


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## gesha (Sep 12, 2013)

Damn ... after reading the posts in this thread ... I decided tht I hav to feed my torts some greens by force ...but they r completely ignoring them. Tried cabbage leaves n pea pods n french beans ... tried a piece of pappaya too .. they r just not eating it ..im also being stubborn since yest night n havent given them their regular tomato yet ... do u think they will giv up and consume the greens or shud I just continue the tomato...??

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## mightymizz (Sep 13, 2013)

I'm always afraid that a big chunk of a pumpkin seed making its way into their stomach might be cause for some type of blockage?

Is this a valid concern? Or should I take the approach that if a tort can get the object into its stomach, then it is ok?


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## Saleama (Sep 13, 2013)

Madkins007 said:


> BeeBee wrote "Cilantro and parsley, just for information, are great for us and for tortoises. Check it out, they will remove heavy metals, like mercury and lead for instance, from our body. They bind (grab) the heavy metals and help pull them out of our body so you can prevent harm.' oddly enough, that process is called 'chelation', from the word for lobster claw and the act of pinching or grabbing. Turtles are called 'chelonians' because the shell aspect of the lobster claw from what I have read. (FYI- chelation therapies of all types are often debated as to effectiveness and usefulness. Study and draw your own conclusions.)
> 
> Puree: I am not sure why we are pureeing this? When would a tortoise eat 'goop' in the wild, and why would the recognize goop as a food item? i've had good luck just scooping or cutting it up, or tossing in rinds with meat on them. Pureeing (or freezing) a food also destroys the cell walls, which breaks the quality longer fibers that are so helpful into shorter, less helpful fibers. (My guys used to love Halloween because I just tossed the cut out pieces of Jack-o-lanterns in the pen.)
> 
> ...



It was suggested on another thread that occasional pumpkin puree was good for them. That is why I tried it. Also, as stated, it was said that parsley and corriander was good for them, again, that was why I tried it. It appears that my torts do not care for what is occasionally good for them. Some other things that they do not appear to care for, which is good I guess since they are not supposed to have it, is blue berry, raspberry and apple, which I found out after giving them a spoonful of box turtle salad by mistake. They picked out the kale and left the fruit.




Madkins007 said:


> BeeBee wrote "Cilantro and parsley, just for information, are great for us and for tortoises. Check it out, they will remove heavy metals, like mercury and lead for instance, from our body. They bind (grab) the heavy metals and help pull them out of our body so you can prevent harm.' oddly enough, that process is called 'chelation', from the word for lobster claw and the act of pinching or grabbing. Turtles are called 'chelonians' because the shell aspect of the lobster claw from what I have read. (FYI- chelation therapies of all types are often debated as to effectiveness and usefulness. Study and draw your own conclusions.)
> 
> Puree: I am not sure why we are pureeing this? When would a tortoise eat 'goop' in the wild, and why would the recognize goop as a food item? i've had good luck just scooping or cutting it up, or tossing in rinds with meat on them. Pureeing (or freezing) a food also destroys the cell walls, which breaks the quality longer fibers that are so helpful into shorter, less helpful fibers. (My guys used to love Halloween because I just tossed the cut out pieces of Jack-o-lanterns in the pen.)
> 
> ...



Also, dude, lighten up. This was posted as a fun thread, not an invite to lecture me on my feeding habits. I have 7 torts that all combined weigh about half a pound. I don't know why I would buy a 4 pound pumpkin to chunk up. As stated in the opening post, I heard on this forum that they like pumpkin puree....That is why I tried to feed them pumpkin Puree...

That said, thanks for the advise. I do not feed my guys fruit. They have occaisionally run into some fruit but they actually wont eat it. They prefer cactus and dandelion.


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## Phantom9 (Sep 13, 2013)

I originally started giving my sullys puree because I believed the outside husk was too tough for them to bite through. Since they rarely get anything other than grass and weeds grown in their enclosure I figured a little pumpkin would be nice treat for them. Not to mention the fact that I was told the seeds are supposed to be a good dewormer and I was afraid they have them again from the dirt outside. 

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## Madkins007 (Sep 13, 2013)

Did not mean to harsh anyone's buzz, but pumpkin is currently a hot fad tortoise food. It has a lot of nutrients, fiber, vitamins, etc. but it is also a 'rich' food, and grassland tortoises often do not do well with richer foods. Just because it is a great food item in general does not make it a 'superfood' for tortoises.

If you are concerned that it is too thick or hard to eat, you can grate it. Grated foods do not have the cell wall damage that lessens the benefits of the fiber in frozen and pureed foods. 

If you DO use the seeds as a dewormer, you might try this:

1. Do what you can to minimize the risk of worms and parasites to begin with. The McGill article at the very bottom of the original dewormer article in the Library has a lot of good info on this- https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/health-and-medical/pumpkin-as-a-dewormer
2. Make up a mix of crushed or pureed fresh, uncooked and undried pumpkin seeds. Add a little fresh crushed garlic and fresh ground or shredded ginger, and a few crushed mustard seeds. (The theory here is that most sources recommend a combination of these herbal dewormers for maximum effect.)
3. Serve daily for a week, making sure all exposed tortoises get some. Can be served with other foods. (FYI- the dose for adult humans is considered by some to be 1-2 tablespoons, so a fraction of a teaspoon is all you need.)
4. Repeat the dosage in 3 weeks to kill new parasites (wormers rarely kill the eggs, so must be repeated after they hatch).
5. Repeat everything every 6 to 12 months, or after going outside for the summer to prevent new infestations.

Understanding that clinical medicine does not support pumpkin seeds. According to people that DO use them, they have to be fresh and not cooked or dried since that reduces the effectiveness of the toxins, and since tortoises do not crush seeds when digesting, we need to pre-crush them to release the chemicals.

They way this is supposed to work is that most seeds and grains are loaded with toxins to protect the seed from being digested, but these same toxins can kill some other organisms. You have probably heard that apple seeds are toxic in a large enough dose- same thing. These toxins are probably part of why tortoises and other animals often pass whole seeds and grains undigested.


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## mightymizz (Sep 14, 2013)

Can anyone respond to my previous post regarding swallowing seeds?

Here is my previous post:

"I'm always afraid that a big chunk of a pumpkin seed making its way into their stomach might be cause for some type of blockage?

Is this a valid concern? Or should I take the approach that if a tort can get the object into its stomach, then it is ok? "


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