Loose stools

[Lynnielou]

Hi all my 6 month old tort is off his food a bit lethargic and has loose stools ,ive only had him a few days and bought him from a reputable pet shop. 8ve been feeding him a mix of kale,lettuce,spinach and a little apple,grape and melon now and again . Should I be worried?

 

[Sterant]

Hi. What species tortoise?

 

[Yvonne G]

Find some clean wild weeds. The tortoise needs more fiber.

 

[Lynnielou]

Hi. What species tortoise?

He's a horsefield

 

[Lynnielou]

Find some clean wild weeds. The tortoise needs more fiber.

A bit limited on wild weeds at the moment what sort of weeds can i give him?

 

[Sterant]

Read this:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

In the mean time, skip all the apple/grape/melon. Don't feed any fruits. Kale, lettuce and spinach aren't much better. Weeds like dandelion (leaves and flowers) plantain, grasses, hibiscus leaves and flowers, grape leaves, etc.. are much much better. Your Russian tortoise needs high fiber foods and the fruit and grocery store lettuces don't provide that. Here is a section from that article on diet:

"Russian tortoises need broadleaf weeds. You will need to learn about the weeds near you and which ones are okay to feed or not. Pics can be posted here on the forum in the "Plant ID" section, or you can take samples to a local nursery. Look for dandelion, sow thistle, mallow, filaree, hawksbit, and many more. If you are not 100% sure that your source is free of pesticides and other chemicals, don't feed anything from there.
You can grow your own food too. Here is one of my favorites: http://www.tortoisesupply.com/TestudoMix
I also get lots of seeds here: http://www.groworganic.com
If you must use grocery store foods I like to favor spring mix, endive and escarole heavily. Also add in carrot tops, cilantro, mustard, turnip and collard greens, and lots of other leafy greens.
It is a good idea to add a product called "Salad Style" to grocery store greens to add some fiber: http://www.tortoisesupply.com/salad-style-food-topper/
This is a new food topper and I like it a lot so far: http://www.tortoisesupply.com/HerbalHay
You can also feed them grape, mulberry and hibiscus leaves, tender young spineless opuntia cactus pads, Mazuri tortoise chow and ZooMed Grassland tortoise food. Alternating and mixing up any of these foods will give your russian a good diet and meet its nutritional needs."

 

[daniellenc]

Being from a pet shop a picture would be good. Your tortoise may actually be an adult and loose stools can mean parasites. Especially from a pet shop.

 

[Minority2]

A bit limited on wild weeds at the moment what sort of weeds can i give him?

Weeds, hay, succulents, and supplements can be purchased online if you do not have a local brick and mortar to get them from.

A cuttle bone, while not required, is always a good item to place inside their enclosures to help them maintain their beak.