stone eater

daniellenc said:

Mineral/vitamin deficiency. What’s his diet and do you add calcium or vitamins at all?

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Ayushjain101 said:

Green leafy vegies and 2 drops of this every alternative day and he gets sunlight... So he can digest calcium. View attachment 259177

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pguinpro said:

Buy this:

Zoo Med Laboratories SZMTB1 Turtle Bone, 2 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CCVLUS/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

What kind of rocks?

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drew54 said:

So, my sulcata did this even with calcium supplements and cuttlebone. Tom suggested a vitamin deficiency. I began adding vitasol drops in his soak or a drop in his mazuri and I haven't seen her try eat stone or rocks since then. Mind you she is a hatchling and the stones in her enclosure are too big to eat. But she tried.

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Ayushjain101 said:

My tortoise have food available to him(even his favourite food items) and still he will reject them and try to eat stones. What do you think is the reason for it? Have you ever faced such problem...

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Tom said:

This rock eating behavior is typically seen in tortoises that are fed mostly grocery store type leafy greens. From what I can tell it is due to either mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance, and/or lack of fiber.

Adding a calcium supplement often makes it worse. Calcium interferes with the absorption of other necessary minerals and trace elements, like zinc for example, so adding more calcium further increases the imbalance.

The solution is to improve the diet with more of the correct weeds, grasses (for some species) and leaves to add the necessary fiber, and to add a balanced mineral supplement. I have found "MinerAll" from Sticky Tongue Farms to be the best for this.
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Ayushjain101 said:

I feed vegetables alot. Which leafs should I try? hibiscus will do?

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