How much Dandelion is too much?

[prelyt]

I read it is high in oxalic acid. What are the negative effects of this, and how often is it okay to feed a baby tortoise?

Also, is there a difference in the flower and leaves of the dandelion? My tort gets both, but mostly the leaves. The flower part is a treat.

 

[ascott]

In my personal opinion, based on the overall nutritional value of this plant, you can not actually offer the plant too much....that is of course taking into consideration a varied diet ALONG with the dandi.....

 

[Tom]

There are no studies to definitively answer how many grams of dandelion are okay to give to a tortoise of a given weight. We all just kinda go by "feel". If a tortoise ate nothing but dandelions every day, I think we all could agree that it would be bad. If a tortoise eats a little dandelion everyday, along with a bunch of other stuff, it would probably be okay. If you feed it in moderation, everything should be fine. Being a sulcata, grass should be making up a large percentage of the diet.

 

[argus333]

I feed dandelions almost every day in winter along with mixed hays. Once a week I give mazuri.