help (RF ate dog food)

[thepabz1]

I just got a 3 year old redfoot tortoise, while letting him walk around my living room i noticed that he had gotten into a little pile of dog food my dog had left laying on the floor, i just read that dog and cat food is bad for them, so what can i do to help clean it out of his system faster or do i have to take him to a vet?

 

[Jacqui]

RE: help

Hi and welcome! When it says dog and cat food is bad for them, they mean when fed as the tortoise's diet. Eating some by accident, like your tortoise did today, should cause no harm.

 

[mike taylor]

Re: help

Some people feed dog and cat food for protein . So your tortoise will be ok . I don't feed dog or cat food there is way better protein to feed.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

help

Hello and welcome to the TFO fromAZ , USA. A bag of candy is bad for you but I wouldn't take you to the doctors . Just give a extra portion of love . Good luck

 

[Tom]

RE: help

And now you see just one reason of many why your tortoise should not be walking around on the floor. He needs to be in a proper dedicated enclosure. If its too small, make it bigger.

 

[thepabz1]

RE: help

And now you see just one reason of many why your tortoise should not be walking around on the floor. He needs to be in a proper dedicated enclosure. If its too small, make it bigger.

i have a 4 ft by 2 ft table for him i just let him explore around the house a little when i have time

 

[Tom]

In my opinion, 4x2 is way too small for a three year old RF. Make him a 4x8' closed chamber and then he won't need to be on the floor for exercise. Better yet, make him a heavily planted 30x30' pen outside and let him run around out there during fair weather.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

Your RF tortoise comes from South America, where the weather is warm and humid. This is the kind of environment you need to provide for him - warm and humid. You can't provide that by allowing the tortoise to run around the house. Build him a large, partially covered indoor enclosure with a moist substrate and the proper lighting. Here's an example:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/heres-dales-new-enclosure-picture-heavy.11023/

And here's an example for outside:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/dales-new-outside-enclosure.6579/

 

[thepabz1]

In my opinion, 4x2 is way too small for a three year old RF. Make him a 4x8' closed chamber and then he won't need to be on the floor for exercise. Better yet, make him a heavily planted 30x30' pen outside and let him run around out there during fair weather.

you have to remember i live in calgary and there are only about 30 nice days outside a year.... the 4 ft by 2 ft seems to be plenty of room for him as he wonders around for an hr or 2 at a time climbing things and looking around

 

[thepabz1]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

Your RF tortoise comes from South America, where the weather is warm and humid. This is the kind of environment you need to provide for him - warm and humid. You can't provide that by allowing the tortoise to run around the house. Build him a large, partially covered indoor enclosure with a moist substrate and the proper lighting. Here's an example:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/heres-dales-new-enclosure-picture-heavy.11023/

And here's an example for outside:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/dales-new-outside-enclosure.6579/

yes i have him in a 4 foot by 2 foot enclosure i built with 88-90 degree F during the day with a uvb and heat lamp, and a moonlight lamp for at night time he only wanders the house for maybe an hr or 2 a week

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[bouaboua]

Hello. I think you may have your question answered. So I'm just here to welcome you.

 

[yillt]

I think 4x2 is perfect. This is just a tiny bit smaller than my cage for my marginated and my little tort seems happy. He loves roaming around the garden when I get back from school and I sometimes put the heating on very high and let him roam around the room that I keep his cage in. About the dog food. That is ok as long as it is a one off you should NOT give him dog food as part of his diet but by the sounds of thing I don't think u would do that. Oh and before I forget, welcome to TFO you and your tort.