Is water spinach(kangkong) OK for tortoises?

[Tort Okaki]

I post here for the first time.
I have two Russian tortoises and an Indian star tortoise in my house.
I was careful about oxalic acid and gave it multiple kinds of food every day, but I couldn't find out that of water spinach.
Water spinach is also a favorite of tortoises, but the evaluation is different depending on the internet site.
In the treatise below, we recommend feeding water spinach to northern river terrapins.
Please let me know if you have any data that shows the amount of oxalic acid in water spinach.

https://www.turtleconservationsociety.org.my/wp-content/uploads/files/ChenandChan2005.pdf

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome!

It is perfectly safe and a good food to feed. I feed it to my Russian fairly often. There are a couple of other foods in this plant family that are also recommended: Convolvulus arvensis or bindweed and Ipomoea batatas or sweet potato leaf; Satsuma imo is a sweet potato grown in Japan, I believe?).

There is no proven issue with oxalic acids; that is older data and out of date. So long as your tortoise has a varied diet and is hydrated it is not an issue. Some would say it is not an issue regardless.

I know you will find all different kinds of opinions on this, even here, but we have a couple of members well trained in the sciences of plants and feeding who are very comfortable with it and I can’t think of any experienced owner/breeder here who is particularly concerned about it. The most important thing about diet is to keep it as varied as possible, which you are already doing.

 

[Tort Okaki]

Welcome!

It is perfectly safe and a good food to feed. I feed it to my Russian fairly often. There are a couple of other foods in this plant family that are also recommended: Convolvulus arvensis or bindweed and Ipomoea batatas or sweet potato leaf; Satsuma imo is a sweet potato grown in Japan, I believe?).

There is no proven issue with oxalic acids; that is older data and out of date. So long as your tortoise has a varied diet and is hydrated it is not an issue. Some would say it is not an issue regardless.

I know you will find all different kinds of opinions on this, even here, but we have a couple of members well trained in the sciences of plants and feeding who are very comfortable with it and I can’t think of any experienced owner/breeder here who is particularly concerned about it. The most important thing about diet is to keep it as varied as possible, which you are already doing.

Thank you!
Sorry for the late reply.
I would like to continue to actively feed water spinach by mixing it with various foods.
Satsuma imo is a popular potato in Japan, but I'm sorry that the leaves are difficult to obtain.