Concerned about risk of parasites/illness from foraged plants

[Astramentha]

This is a theoretical question, because I don't have a tortoise yet and I'm learning. I understand that one potential major source of food for your tortoise is by learning your local flora well, crossreferencing with The Tortoise Table for identification and what parts are edible, and giving them natural fresh food that way. The concern that rises up in my head when I read about this though, is what about the danger of things like parasites/bacteria/viruses etc? Is washing the leaves really enough to eliminate reasonable concerns?

Obviously this is what tortoises would eat in the wild, but wild tortoises surely die from those things anyways. And since it's also my understanding that parasites are one of the more likely health scares someone can face, that begs the question where the parasites are coming from, and I can't help but wonder whether gathering (pesticide free, properly identified) wild plants is a real source of danger.

Do parasites usually come from somewhere else than foraged food? Is there anything besides washing that I can do to clean plants before feeding? I'm looking for some kind of risk calibration, since I don't have the experience yet to know what I should be worrying about.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings.

I pick a ton of wild dandelions, lawn grass, grape leaves, etc & feed daily to our Sulcata. No issues. I really don’t think there are many harmful parasites, bacteria or viruses present in most average backyard plants that are harmful to your tortoise. I wouldn’t over think it. These “things” (viruses, bugs, bacteria, parasites) are present in the real world on everything. It’s only when you have a mega mega populations of something nasty that might cause an issue.

 

[Astramentha]

Greetings.

I pick a ton of wild dandelions, lawn grass, grape leaves, etc & feed daily to our Sulcata. No issues. I really don’t think there are many harmful parasites, bacteria or viruses present in most average backyard plants that are harmful to your tortoise. I wouldn’t over think it. These “things” (viruses, bugs, bacteria, parasites) are present in the real world on everything. It’s only when you have a mega mega populations of something nasty that might cause an issue.

That's good to hear. Appreciated.

 

[Maro2Bear]

The trick is to have a good source of “trusted” weeds - lawn grass, dandelions, mulberry tree leaves, grape leaves, plantain, cactus pads, etc - and stick with those. Since you don’t have a tortoise yet, it’s all theoretical. Variety is the key.

 

[wellington]

I second Maro2Bear on both posts.
Now if you have an animal that is using the same grass weeds you want to feed and that animal has parasites or a desease that could pass to a tortoise then it wouldn't be smart to use those weeds or grasses. But the chances of it passing to a tort is likely small.
Just know where you are either getting them from or be sure to keep all other pets out of the torts area.
I have had torts grazing since about 2013 in two different homes and never a problem. I have even gotten grape leaves from 4 different locations and nothing. I just make sure they don't spray them with anything.

 

[Astramentha]

I second Maro2Bear on both posts.
Now if you have an animal that is using the same grass weeds you want to feed and that animal has parasites or a desease that could pass to a tortoise then it wouldn't be smart to use those weeds or grasses. But the chances of it passing to a tort is likely small.
Just know where you are either getting them from or be sure to keep all other pets out of the torts area.
I have had torts grazing since about 2013 in two different homes and never a problem. I have even gotten grape leaves from 4 different locations and nothing. I just make sure they don't spray them with anything.

Good to have a second confirmation! Thankfully, I live in the country and there's plenty of wild fields and forest around, so I have good access to plants that haven't been interfered with by humans/livestock. Now I just gotta figure out what grows around here and what's edible for them.

 

[Tom]

This is a theoretical question, because I don't have a tortoise yet and I'm learning. I understand that one potential major source of food for your tortoise is by learning your local flora well, crossreferencing with The Tortoise Table for identification and what parts are edible, and giving them natural fresh food that way. The concern that rises up in my head when I read about this though, is what about the danger of things like parasites/bacteria/viruses etc? Is washing the leaves really enough to eliminate reasonable concerns?

Obviously this is what tortoises would eat in the wild, but wild tortoises surely die from those things anyways. And since it's also my understanding that parasites are one of the more likely health scares someone can face, that begs the question where the parasites are coming from, and I can't help but wonder whether gathering (pesticide free, properly identified) wild plants is a real source of danger.

Do parasites usually come from somewhere else than foraged food? Is there anything besides washing that I can do to clean plants before feeding? I'm looking for some kind of risk calibration, since I don't have the experience yet to know what I should be worrying about.

Parasites and tortoise diseases come from other tortoises, not so much from plants. Some parasites, like pinworm eggs for example, can blow in on the wind.

What you need to worry about is toxins like pesticides and lawn care chemicals. I look for bugs and bug damage on the weeds I forage. Bugs being present is a good indicator that no pesticides have been sprayed there. If the area is questionable, then I find food elsewhere. Avoid parks, and any place that is maintained by professional gardeners like apartments or condos.

Soaking the food in a bucket first does reduce the risk, and also adds hydration.

This was a great question, and your way of thinking about it is very sensible too.

 

[Astramentha]

Parasites and tortoise diseases come from other tortoises, not so much from plants. Some parasites, like pinworm eggs for example, can blow in on the wind.

What you need to worry about is toxins like pesticides and lawn care chemicals. I look for bugs and bug damage on the weeds I forage. Bugs being present is a good indicator that no pesticides have been sprayed there. If the area is questionable, then I find food elsewhere. Avoid parks, and any place that is maintained by professional gardeners like apartments or condos.

Soaking the food in a bucket first does reduce the risk, and also adds hydration.

This was a great question, and your way of thinking about it is very sensible too.

Thank you, appreciate hearing I'm on the right track.

 

[Tom]

Thank you, appreciate hearing I'm on the right track.

You are welcome, and I love ferrets.

 

[RosemaryDW]

I pretty much agree with others about the primary concern being pesticides. I avoid busy roads, due to the likely level of pollutants being blown out. I also know how to spot an area that's been recently spayed with something like Roundup so I can avoid it for a while. I rinse what I forage but that's mainly because I always seem to come home with some very dirty roots.

My tortoise did get pinworms last year, which my vet said could have come from anywhere (other than me!). That was a surprise but the vet was very low key about it. It happens.