Hello, I'm new here and thought I'd see if there was anyone here willing to share their thoughts! ^_^
I have a Testudo Graeca who's around 10 years old and as far as I can tell perfectly healthy, though a bit bumpy on his shell as his first owner tended to feed him only lettuce. They did keep him outside a lot during summer though, so I guess he ate something else when he had the chance.
After I got him 5 years ago, I've done my best to find a suitable diet, but it's been tough to find something that is healthy as well as affordable - and available in enough quantity and quality throughout the year.
I have usually given him a diet of weeds in the summer (usually clover and dandelion, both flowers and leaves) and he roams about outside in the garden a lot and may eat whatever he finds, but it's mostly those two I've seen him eat. In winter, I have fed him lettuce (Cos lettuce), squash and the last couple of winters also pellets: T-Rex Tortoise Dry Formula. I sprinkle the food with calcium powder two days a week. Occassionally he's been given a small tomato since he seems to love them.
This summer however, he seems to refuse to eat much besides the pellets, even when he's outside! I have offered him all his favorite food and he hardly touches it, but pellets is very popular if I mix them in, though he leaves everything else behind if he can!
Basically, my question is:
Is it healthy for the little guy to be eating mostly pellets? I've read that the T-Rex formula may be a bit high in protein, so I'm wondering if there is any danger of him getting too much/too little vitamins of any sort. And why won't he eat normal food? Has he just become picky and needs to be "forced" to eat it (by taking away the pellets)?
Thanks for any help!
I have a Testudo Graeca who's around 10 years old and as far as I can tell perfectly healthy, though a bit bumpy on his shell as his first owner tended to feed him only lettuce. They did keep him outside a lot during summer though, so I guess he ate something else when he had the chance.
After I got him 5 years ago, I've done my best to find a suitable diet, but it's been tough to find something that is healthy as well as affordable - and available in enough quantity and quality throughout the year.
I have usually given him a diet of weeds in the summer (usually clover and dandelion, both flowers and leaves) and he roams about outside in the garden a lot and may eat whatever he finds, but it's mostly those two I've seen him eat. In winter, I have fed him lettuce (Cos lettuce), squash and the last couple of winters also pellets: T-Rex Tortoise Dry Formula. I sprinkle the food with calcium powder two days a week. Occassionally he's been given a small tomato since he seems to love them.
This summer however, he seems to refuse to eat much besides the pellets, even when he's outside! I have offered him all his favorite food and he hardly touches it, but pellets is very popular if I mix them in, though he leaves everything else behind if he can!
Basically, my question is:
Is it healthy for the little guy to be eating mostly pellets? I've read that the T-Rex formula may be a bit high in protein, so I'm wondering if there is any danger of him getting too much/too little vitamins of any sort. And why won't he eat normal food? Has he just become picky and needs to be "forced" to eat it (by taking away the pellets)?
Thanks for any help!