Maybe a dumb question ?

[Speedy-1]

Speedy has been eating Mazuri pellets since we have had him , and I have always soaked them . Recently I have tried feeding him the pellets dry. The first time I gave him one and watched as he bit it into hunks and munched it down. I thought "cool , he even gets to wear his beak down a little !" The second time I gave him 2 pellets dry and he swallowed them whole !

He weighs about 5 1/2 Lbs. and is a little over 9 " Can eating whole dry pellets have any adverse affects ? He had no problem with 2 but I am wondering since he gets 30 pellets on "pellet day" !

 

[cmacusa3]

I feed dry and wet, my torts eat both. Dry is really good for the beak.

 

[Tom]

I only feed soaked pellets.

 

[Speedy-1]

Dry is really good for the beak.

That is what I thought also , but when I saw him swallow it whole I thought "that cant be good for him !" I usually feed him his pellets buried under a big gob of soaked hay . I will probably continue that way , and maybe an occasional dry one for a beak trim !

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I had a Redfoot get a dry one stuck in his mouth for several minutes.
Do you have the crumblier original or the harder L.S.?

 

[cmacusa3]

I was worried about that but I've seen my Sulcata swallow bites off Bok Choy that were a lot bigger than pellets.

 

[BrianWI]

I gave a dry one to Nadine for giggles. She tried to eat it, but was too big for her little mouth. She pushed it all over trying to eat it though.

 

[cmacusa3]

I gave a dry one to Nadine for giggles. She tried to eat it, but was too big for her little mouth. She pushed it all over trying to eat it though.

I've watched my Leopard do the same, funny stuff!

 

[Speedy-1]

I had a Redfoot get a dry one stuck in his mouth for several minutes.
Do you have the crumblier original or the harder L.S.?

I have the original . That was my first thought "wow ! what if that got stuck somewhere ?"

 

[Speedy-1]

I was worried about that but I've seen my Sulcata swallow bites off Bok Choy that were a lot bigger than pellets.

Its funny you should mention that . I have been tearing Speedy's food into smaller pieces forever and have just recently stopped ! I think he actually eats more when he gets the whole leaves ! Either way it sure is faster this way !

 

[cmacusa3]

I cut up stuff for them when they are smaller, now for my bigger torts I just chunk it in the enclosure.

 

[surfergirl]

My guy has been eating dry mazuri and other big bulk food his whole life. lots of dry hay He has never had beak issues at all. never had a back up from dry food yet and he will be 21 years old in december.
He also can take down a whole watermelon in minutes.He only gets a few a year and he eats the rine and all. All his food is whole items. I do not cut anything up for him. Even my small torts get big pieces too and they have to work a bit harder to tackle em but it is good aggressive exercise for them. I do wet the mazuri for the small guys but usually leave a small firmer core in it so they get a bit of beak work too.

 

[leigti]

I think if you soaked the pellets your tortoise would still get the food but also get a little bit more hydration built in. It seems like it would be easier to move through the tortoises system if it had some moisture.

 

[surfergirl]

My guy drinks out of a bowl like a dog. And also runs over the bowl when it is empty in pic 1. He gets hydrated anytime he wants to With fresh water available all times.. My only problem with wetting the mazuri is how quick it sours. Doesn't seem to bother him though it has rained during the day and smelled sour by the time i got home from work. He eats anyway with no ill effect So far. I tried to take it away and he got defensive.

 

[dmmj]

I left my award for dumbest question ever in my other pants. So I will answer the question instead its food it will digest no problem and come out the other side like all the other pallets

 

[BrianWI]

I left my award for dumbest question ever in my other pants. So I will answer the question instead its food it will digest no problem and come out the other side like all the other pallets

They go in as pellets, come out as pellets?

 

[Gillian M]

I think if you soaked the pellets your tortoise would still get the food but also get a little bit more hydration built in. It seems like it would be easier to move through the tortoises system if it had some moisture.

I too soak them for Oli.

 

[dmmj]

They go in as pellets, come out as pellets?

let's just say very very very tiny pellets

 

[TammyJ]

let's just say very very very tiny pellets

Hey, you said they go in as pellets and come out as pallets...but you spelt "palettes" wrong...LOL!!!
I give mine wet sometimes, dry sometimes, they "nyam" them down same way!