# Pumpkins



## raymond (Sep 30, 2013)

What parts of the pumpkin can CDT eat do I just cut a peace off and let him have at it?


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## PucklesðŸ¢ (Sep 30, 2013)

Umm, I would hold onto that pumpkin until you get a response from a tortoise expert in the nutritional field. But most tortoises cant go wrong with kale, spinach, collard greens, hay, etc. but the best of the best is weeds and grasses. Is this cdt your pet? If it is you probably know this already haha, do research on pumpkin with tortoises as well!


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## wellington (Sep 30, 2013)

Yes, pumpkin is good for them and is a natural dewormer. Wash the outside. If he is little, then grind up the seeds and let him have all parts of it. If he is large, then just wash the outside and let him have it.


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Sep 30, 2013)

wellington said:


> Yes, pumpkin is good for them and is a natural dewormer. Wash the outside. If he is little, then grind up the seeds and let him have all parts of it. If he is large, then just wash the outside and let him have it.



OH MY really?? I know what my torts are having for breakfast 
I didn't know they could eat it and here I have had the pumpkins and didn't know. OHHH they are going to love their breakfast


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## wellington (Sep 30, 2013)

Happy torties tomorrow. If it seems to hard for little ones, I have put mine in the microwave and nuked it until it was a little soft, then cut them a piece. Just be sure the inside is cooled, you know how uneven microwaves can be.


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Sep 30, 2013)

wellington said:


> Happy torties tomorrow. If it seems to hard for little ones, I have put mine in the microwave and nuked it until it was a little soft, then cut them a piece. Just be sure the inside is cooled, you know how uneven microwaves can be.



Yes I do 
I will be doing this tomorrow morning for sure. I can't wait to see if they eat it. I hope they do.
Now you said that this will self DEWORMING the torts? How do you know if they have worms? Do ALL torts have worms or no? I just want to make sure mine don't have it. I know for like cats you NEED to get them dewormed is this the same for torts or no? Just want to make sure.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 30, 2013)

And the blossoms, boy do they love those flowers. Of course, if you grow the pumpkins and give them the flowers you have less pumpkins later. Sometimes, that's okay. That's how you get fewer, but bigger pumpkins. : )

Also, ground up pumpkin seeds ... "pepitas" in Spanish ... which I also use for de-worming (you can get raw, unsalted ones at Trader Joe's or health food stores, off season), sprinkled on wet food, can also be found in Latin markets in the spice section already ground up because they are used for the mole (mo-lay) dishes.

The pepitas, ground up, are like a scrubby effect that helps push and flush some worms out. Seen it. Ewwwww. But effective. And natural, so less side effects. 

My old timey farmer grandpa used to worm 3 days prior to a full moon, and feed the remedies for a week straight thereafter, usually 3 times a year. Parasites are suppose to be more active during a full moon and therefore easier to get off of the intestinal lining and then the pepitas (and other natural things, depending on animal) can be more effective in getting them out of the system. Remember that natural remedies are never instant bam bam gratification. But they are, generally, easier on the system and at times more sustainable, than the chemical hard core stuff. You choose.

Pumpkin is a nice seasonal (it's fall y'all!) addition to our tortoises' needed variety of diet!


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## wellington (Sep 30, 2013)

It doesn't matter if your tort doesn't have worms. The pumpkin won't hurt. If they did have worms, well then on top of a good treat, it would also work on deworming them. If your tort is wild caught, then it's a good idea to have them checked for worms at least once. I have never had my leopard to a vet. If he gets sick, knock on wood it never happens, then he will see a vet. Otherwise he will never see a vet.
Having had worked for a vet back in the day, I have seen a big change in what they try to push on people now days that just is not needed.


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Sep 30, 2013)

VERY good to know. Thank you so much for all that info. I am deff going to keep this info for the future when I really need it


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## wellington (Sep 30, 2013)

Thought you might be interested in this. http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=627

There are few more other squashes you can feed. Also should mention this is all sparingly. Not a daily food item. I feed about once a week. I also freeze my pumpkin to have a little longer season and to not waist so much pumpkin. My leopard and Russian isn't that big to eat much of one pumpkin. I just chop into pieces and put in freezer bags. I do not leave the seeds and stringy stuff in if freezing. No real reason, except we like to bake the seeds for ourselves


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## raymond (Sep 30, 2013)

Thx I the ppl I adopted him from said they love pumpkins and its a good treat I just didn't know what parts to feed, also dose anyone know a good site for the best list of good and bad foods for the lil guy


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## Tom (Sep 30, 2013)

I like to wash the outside, cut off pieces and run it over a cheese grater. Then I mix the grated pumpkin with other greens. For adult sulcatas I just smash a whole pumpkin on the ground and they eat the whole thing, guts and all.


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## raymond (Sep 30, 2013)

I'm feeding this to a adult CDT that can still grow some I have found seed mix of what they eat in the wild and have it growing all over so he does most of his food from grazing but I thought a treat was inorder he is 4 years old


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## thatrebecca (Sep 30, 2013)

Like Tom I like to grate a piece of pumpkin over a nice leafy green weed salad, almost like a condiment. If your CDTs are like mine they'll love it. I also do this with kabocha squash, which I cook often for the humans in the house this time of year. Before it goes in the oven I grate a couple small pieces for the torts and they go bonkers for it.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 30, 2013)

Ha. You sound like me while prepping a meal. Share and share alike. Little for you, more for us, little for you, double for me ...\
And Kabocha squash = yummy!


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Sep 30, 2013)

BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> Ha. You sound like me while prepping a meal. Share and share alike. Little for you, more for us, little for you, double for me ...\
> And Kabocha squash = yummy!



LOL... RIGHT... I do the SAME thing too. That is so funny how you said it. It is like I was doing it right then and there LOL




wellington said:


> Thought you might be interested in this. http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=627
> 
> There are few more other squashes you can feed. Also should mention this is all sparingly. Not a daily food item. I feed about once a week. I also freeze my pumpkin to have a little longer season and to not waist so much pumpkin. My leopard and Russian isn't that big to eat much of one pumpkin. I just chop into pieces and put in freezer bags. I do not leave the seeds and stringy stuff in if freezing. No real reason, except we like to bake the seeds for ourselves



Oh cool. I will deff go check this out in the morning. It is 1am here so I'm going to bed VERY soon. Thank You for sending me this. I LOVE to learn MORE on what they can eat. I would like to see if there is a site of what NOT to eat. Just so I know. I know a lot of foods they can't have just want to see if there is anything that I would have to hold back from them. 
Thank You Again


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## raymond (Oct 1, 2013)

If u go to the cttc website they have links to nursery to obtain CDT wild seeds to plant 12$ for 1/4 lbs


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Oct 2, 2013)

Just wanted to let you know I DID give my torts the pumpkins yesterday morning and OMG they LOVEDDDDDD. That was the FIRST time they ate pumpkins and they LOVED LOVED LOVED it


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## ellen (Oct 2, 2013)

I couldn't get my little Sonorans to sample pumpkin a week or so ago, but they had no issues trying cactus fruit on their birthday...

Morgan's a fussy eater so that was no big shock, but my highly food motivated little Merlin pretty much runs when it smells any type of food. It'll be asleep in the back of the burrow: food goes in, tortoise runs out. It'll be on the log looking around, food goes in, tortoise slides down the log and goes straight to the food dish. Food is being offered from someone's hand? Who has time to be shy of a stranger-relative when there's food involved? Unless it's hay then it's all over the enclosure and Merlin is sitting with its paws in the now empty dish staring at me. <-- I've since tried the scissors method with the hay and had more success.

Anyway...yeah. They weren't big fans of pumpkin. They ended up picking around it. I might try again around Halloween. It'll be empanadas, roasted pumpkin seeds, and a bit for them whether they end up eating it or not.


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## thatrebecca (Oct 2, 2013)

ILoveTortoises2 said:


> Just wanted to let you know I DID give my torts the pumpkins yesterday morning and OMG they LOVEDDDDDD. That was the FIRST time they ate pumpkins and they LOVED LOVED LOVED it



Congratulations! Next comes your post-pumpkin tort treat: epic poops.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Oct 2, 2013)

YAY! ILoveTortoises2, that's great. A healthy treat that can't be beat. And 'tis the season. : )
Ellen, I am coming over for the empanadas. See you soon, LOL! (Try grating the pumpkin over their favorite foods, that usually works).
Oh and happy 1st birthday to your two little jewels!
thatrebecca, too funny. Epic poops. And we all know how us tortoise lovers check out le poops! : )


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Oct 3, 2013)

thatrebecca said:


> ILoveTortoises2 said:
> 
> 
> > Just wanted to let you know I DID give my torts the pumpkins yesterday morning and OMG they LOVEDDDDDD. That was the FIRST time they ate pumpkins and they LOVED LOVED LOVED it
> ...



LOL... Yeah I know right. 
It's ok they are cute so that takes away from them leaving me some gifts LOL


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