# Eating rocks



## Champoi bibiano (Dec 21, 2016)

Hi im a little concerned, everytime i take champoi out to walk, he eats small pieces of rocks, only little ones tho, is this gonna be an issue?

Plus, he gets this orange brown dots on his skin anyone know what it might be?


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## ZEROPILOT (Dec 21, 2016)

Eating rocks is almost always due to a need for calcium and minerals.
Rocks large enough to get "stuck" will cause a problem. maybe a serious problem.
Are you supplying minerals?
I've had tortoises eat rocks in the past. But not when there is a cuttlebone laying around.


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## Champoi bibiano (Dec 21, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Eating rocks is almost always due to a need for calcium and minerals.
> Rocks large enough to get "stuck" will cause a problem. maybe a serious problem.
> Are you supplying minerals?
> I've had tortoises eat rocks in the past. But not when there is a cuttlebone laying around.




He seems to be eating a quarter inch little rocks, i have cuttle bone but i took it out recently. I will surely be placing it back thankyou.


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## Tom (Dec 21, 2016)

I see this in cases of mineral deficiency, not necessarily calcium and increasing calcium intake can make it worse because minerals are out of balance, and in cases of low fiber diets.

Most commonly this is seen in tortoises who are fed a lot of grocery store foods and spring mix instead of the needed high fiber, high calcium weeds and grasses. Improving the diet and supplementing with a good mineral (not calcium) supplement will usually decrease the rock eating behavior. I use and recommend "MinerAll" from Sticky Tongue Farms.


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## Champoi bibiano (Dec 21, 2016)

Tom said:


> I see this in cases of mineral deficiency, not necessarily calcium and increasing calcium intake can make it worse because minerals are out of balance, and in cases of low fiber diets.
> 
> Most commonly this is seen in tortoises who are fed a lot of grocery store foods and spring mix instead of the needed high fiber, high calcium weeds and grasses. Improving the diet and supplementing with a good mineral (not calcium) supplement will usually decrease the rock eating behavior. I use and recommend "MinerAll" from Sticky Tongue Farms.





Tom said:


> I see this in cases of mineral deficiency, not necessarily calcium and increasing calcium intake can make it worse because minerals are out of balance, and in cases of low fiber diets.
> 
> Most commonly this is seen in tortoises who are fed a lot of grocery store foods and spring mix instead of the needed high fiber, high calcium weeds and grasses. Improving the diet and supplementing with a good mineral (not calcium) supplement will usually decrease the rock eating behavior. I use and recommend "MinerAll" from Sticky Tongue Farms.




Will this habit be with bad consequences? Or will he be good if he only ingested a tiny piece?


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## ZEROPILOT (Dec 21, 2016)

Champoi bibiano said:


> He seems to be eating a quarter inch little rocks, i have cuttle bone but i took it out recently. I will surely be placing it back thankyou.





Champoi bibiano said:


> Will this habit be with bad consequences? Or will he be good if he only ingested a tiny piece?


As long as the rock was small enough to pass through, you should be just fine.


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## dmmj (Dec 21, 2016)

if the rocks are small he should be able to pass them with little to no difficulties the problem is rocks can't digest they could build up then you have a 2000 plus dollars surgery to solve the problem. Most people who have this problem use miner-all and it seems to work pretty darn good


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## TammyJ (Dec 21, 2016)

You have got some good advice. But if he keeps doing it anyway, walk him on grass.


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## drgnfly2265 (Dec 29, 2016)

My sulcata tried to do that also when he was a baby. But once I started giving him a mineral supplement he stopped trying to eat them.


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## Meganolvt (Dec 29, 2016)

@Tom do you still use calcium powder if you use Miner All? The one I found also has calcium. Would I use this instead of calcium? I also have herptivite. Would I use this instead of both? I too have a rock eating yellow foot.


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## Champoi bibiano (Jan 12, 2017)

Guys, champi pooped the rock he ate recently, i found it when i was soaking him, i will post pictures tomorrow, the rock appeared to have gotten smaller lol.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jan 12, 2017)

Right now, my 7 Redfoot are consuming one regular sized cuttlebone every 4 or 5 days.


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## TammyJ (Jan 13, 2017)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Right now, my 7 Redfoot are consuming one regular sized cuttlebone every 4 or 5 days.


Well then, I guess they all have a bone to pick with each other.


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