Baby Sick.... I need ALOT of help

[Laura]

For too many 'breeders' its all about the Money$$$$ not how long they live.. in fact the more that die, the more they sell!
I just wish people had a conscience and responsibilty and caring.. but that just isnt the facts these days.. so many more people.. just dont care.. Naive.. Denile??
And the animals suffer for it...

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't really think we can blame the dreaded "breeder" for all the dying hatchlings. We are right now on the forefront of improving tortoise care. So many new keepers will say "there is just so much conflicting information on the 'net" and I think that is the bottom line. Care for hatchlings and yearlings is changing and most of the information we find on the Internet is old. It's how 'they' used to care for animals. But now we have us and we know that husbandry has to change so we have guys like Tom and Danny and Yvonne and others who have been in the process of making those changes for the last 6 or 7 years or so. I am probably not making much sense here, but some of you know I used to head start Gopherus agassizii for my sister because they are so fragile. Well, I think we also need to do that for other species. Just recently a newbie came on and talked about how the breeder he had gotten his baby from had told him to keep the hatchling on sand. So the new keeper researched care for his baby and it was seriously conflicting. I personally think that we shouldn't sell a baby until it's a yearling and more established and eating well and living healthy. Anyhow, like I said, I am not saying this right, but we are on a ground swell of change. I don't know how to change all the bad info out there but we need to make care sheets for hatchlings and get that out there, and care sheets for yearlings and get that out there...etc... ad infinitum...

 

[DeanS]

Not intending to derail this, but DeanS, why do you recommend zoo med over mazuri? I thought mazuri was the best of the premade diets?

I'm basing it solely on ingredients...Mazuri is 'better' if you wanna grow 'em fast...because of all the fillers...first ingredient for example...corn...enough said! Zoo Med's Grassland is all grasses and weeds that they would eat normally. When was the last time you saw a sulcata walking through a corn patch...not counting Nebraska.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

So we're back to Madkins007 and his idea of "generic" care sheets to be distributed to Petsmart, veterinarians, and Reptile show sponsors...

Why can't it be done now?

We have a lot of people who frequent these places and could leave copies, or flyers, with pictures, on colored paper to get and keep attention...?

We already know new tortoise keepers don't automatically find the right info from the right sources...could we write to corporate types to offer and encourage disseminating authentic care sheets to broaden and deepen care skills for new tort owners (and owners of "new" torts)?