As we are discussing on other threads, our tortoises may need a bit more vitamin D, fiber, calcium, vitamin E or K, etc. than they are getting in their 'supermarket' diet. What if we made our own supplements?
The idea would be to use unflavored gelatin, and mix in some fruit puree or organic baby food for flavor, color, and more nutrients, then add some vitamin D3 drops, some fiber supplement, some calcium powder, etc. Let it gel up, cut into cubes, freeze, thaw, and serve.
1 packet of Knox unflavored gelatin makes 1.5-2 cups. To figure dosages- 2 cups is about 30 cubic inches, so spread out in a 1/2" thick layer would cover about 10"x6" and cut into about 240 1/2" cubes. (I know I am being a bit slack in this, but it is close enough.)
Each cube of plain gelatin would have:
- 1.6g of protein
- 3.7mg of sodium
- 1mg of calcium (Ca: P of 1.4:1)
- Lots of copper and selenium, but not much else
Fruit- you cannot use the best tortoise fruits for this- figs, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, and cactus fruits have enzymes that keep the gel from gelling. I'd probably go with strawberry and banana for color and sweetness- pureed or organic baby food.
Calcium- because calcium does not dissolve in water, I would mix it into the fruit puree- probably about 1/4 cup of it- so it would be evenly distributed in the gel.
Additives-
- Vitamin D3 oil, from gel caps or drops. I'd mix in about 48,000 IUs of D to get about 200 IUs in each cube.
- Powdered multivitamin, probably about 2 tablespoons?
- Vitamin E MAY be a trick we are missing. Some reports have hinted that E and maybe even K are shorter in our food choices than they may be in the wild. Some wheat germ oil or a bit more sunflower or safflower oil can help here.
- Some flax seed acts as a fiber source and for Omega 3 oils
- Some coarse ground Timothy hay is another fiber source
Mix it all up, pour it into a pan that lets you make about a 1/2" thick layer, let it set pretty firmly, cut into 1/2" cubes, toss lightly with some cornstarch and calcium powder to prevent sticking, and freeze.
I'd also recommend a taste test. If it is too bitter or nasty to us, the torts probably would not eat it either. In that case, I would cut back on the calcium, or add more fruit.
I KNOW THERE IS CONCERN about over-supplementing tortoises (as well as humans, etc.), but the key issues here are:
1. ARE they really getting what they need from our typical grocery store diet? Many store-bought foods are much lower in nutrients than the lists would tell us because of the shipping times and processes, different soils and additives, etc.
2. Before I would USE the gel we are discussing, I would work on fine-tuning the dosages to prevent over-doing anything. We may not have absolute dosages from research, but we have some guidelines for many things.
3. Couldn't I BUY something that will do this? I have not seen anything that comes too close, although TNT supplement might. Most things are too low in D, E, and fiber to help in the same way.
4. "Sounds like a lot of work." Well, one batch makes up about 34 weeks worth of cubes if you only use one at a time. You could make more, but I probably would not make up more than about 6 months worth at a time to help ensure freshness of the ingredients.
REMEMBER- I have NOT made or used these, this is just an idea!
The idea would be to use unflavored gelatin, and mix in some fruit puree or organic baby food for flavor, color, and more nutrients, then add some vitamin D3 drops, some fiber supplement, some calcium powder, etc. Let it gel up, cut into cubes, freeze, thaw, and serve.
1 packet of Knox unflavored gelatin makes 1.5-2 cups. To figure dosages- 2 cups is about 30 cubic inches, so spread out in a 1/2" thick layer would cover about 10"x6" and cut into about 240 1/2" cubes. (I know I am being a bit slack in this, but it is close enough.)
Each cube of plain gelatin would have:
- 1.6g of protein
- 3.7mg of sodium
- 1mg of calcium (Ca: P of 1.4:1)
- Lots of copper and selenium, but not much else
Fruit- you cannot use the best tortoise fruits for this- figs, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, and cactus fruits have enzymes that keep the gel from gelling. I'd probably go with strawberry and banana for color and sweetness- pureed or organic baby food.
Calcium- because calcium does not dissolve in water, I would mix it into the fruit puree- probably about 1/4 cup of it- so it would be evenly distributed in the gel.
Additives-
- Vitamin D3 oil, from gel caps or drops. I'd mix in about 48,000 IUs of D to get about 200 IUs in each cube.
- Powdered multivitamin, probably about 2 tablespoons?
- Vitamin E MAY be a trick we are missing. Some reports have hinted that E and maybe even K are shorter in our food choices than they may be in the wild. Some wheat germ oil or a bit more sunflower or safflower oil can help here.
- Some flax seed acts as a fiber source and for Omega 3 oils
- Some coarse ground Timothy hay is another fiber source
Mix it all up, pour it into a pan that lets you make about a 1/2" thick layer, let it set pretty firmly, cut into 1/2" cubes, toss lightly with some cornstarch and calcium powder to prevent sticking, and freeze.
I'd also recommend a taste test. If it is too bitter or nasty to us, the torts probably would not eat it either. In that case, I would cut back on the calcium, or add more fruit.
I KNOW THERE IS CONCERN about over-supplementing tortoises (as well as humans, etc.), but the key issues here are:
1. ARE they really getting what they need from our typical grocery store diet? Many store-bought foods are much lower in nutrients than the lists would tell us because of the shipping times and processes, different soils and additives, etc.
2. Before I would USE the gel we are discussing, I would work on fine-tuning the dosages to prevent over-doing anything. We may not have absolute dosages from research, but we have some guidelines for many things.
3. Couldn't I BUY something that will do this? I have not seen anything that comes too close, although TNT supplement might. Most things are too low in D, E, and fiber to help in the same way.
4. "Sounds like a lot of work." Well, one batch makes up about 34 weeks worth of cubes if you only use one at a time. You could make more, but I probably would not make up more than about 6 months worth at a time to help ensure freshness of the ingredients.
REMEMBER- I have NOT made or used these, this is just an idea!
