kbf190998
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2015
- Messages
- 4
Hi all, I am new here. I have an 11 month old Hermann's tortoise called Leonard. He's a real sweetie, but I can't get him to eat. The ONLY thing I've ever seen him go for are little tomatoes. I've since read on here that you shouldn't give them tomatoes (or only occasionally). I give him one every two/three days (trying numerous other food in-between), and he'll eat about half of it. Other than that, I've never seen him eat anything else, and he's not putting on weight either. (Oh, I have seen him eat a little cuttlefish too).
I have tried: various different types of lettuce and other leaves, dandelion leaves, wild strawberry leaves, cucumber, grape, grass etc. I've even bought some tortoise friendly weed seeds and planted and grown them for him, but he's not interested. Oh, and alfalfa hay, which the pet shop suggested....
Yes, I got him from a pet shop. I didn't know you weren't supposed to get them from pet shops. Now I know, I'll never get a pet from one again (although this one has been very helpful to be fair). But I can't go back in time and I love the little blighter dearly now, so what's done is done.
Other info: he's in a tortoise table with a uv lamp one end. Under the lamp it's about 35-38 degrees, in the colder end it's usually about 20 degrees (probably going down a little at night). The lamp is on for 14 hours a day. He has fresh water every day and a large food dish which obviously I change every day. I bath him once a day in repto-boost for about 20 minutes. He poos every couple of days. He's usually very active for a good few hours a day. I don't know if there's any other relevant info?
The other thing is that he doesn't seem to be very good at eating (!?). I watch him and do wonder if he can see properly. He'll go right up to the food and open his mouth, but it looks like he's just guessing where it is and opens and closes his mouth without getting it round the food properly - if that makes sense? Half the time he ends up pushing it further away, or just not managing to get anything. People say to cut it up small, but this seems to make matters worse. When he eats the tomato (which I break up into a few pieces), he (eventually) gets a piece in his mouth, then puts a paw (foot?) on it and tears a bit off (which he wouldn't be able to do with very small pieces).
So, I wonder if anyone can give me any advice please? He seems perfectly fine apart from this one (rather important!) aspect.
Thanks in advance
Karen
x
I have tried: various different types of lettuce and other leaves, dandelion leaves, wild strawberry leaves, cucumber, grape, grass etc. I've even bought some tortoise friendly weed seeds and planted and grown them for him, but he's not interested. Oh, and alfalfa hay, which the pet shop suggested....
Yes, I got him from a pet shop. I didn't know you weren't supposed to get them from pet shops. Now I know, I'll never get a pet from one again (although this one has been very helpful to be fair). But I can't go back in time and I love the little blighter dearly now, so what's done is done.
Other info: he's in a tortoise table with a uv lamp one end. Under the lamp it's about 35-38 degrees, in the colder end it's usually about 20 degrees (probably going down a little at night). The lamp is on for 14 hours a day. He has fresh water every day and a large food dish which obviously I change every day. I bath him once a day in repto-boost for about 20 minutes. He poos every couple of days. He's usually very active for a good few hours a day. I don't know if there's any other relevant info?
The other thing is that he doesn't seem to be very good at eating (!?). I watch him and do wonder if he can see properly. He'll go right up to the food and open his mouth, but it looks like he's just guessing where it is and opens and closes his mouth without getting it round the food properly - if that makes sense? Half the time he ends up pushing it further away, or just not managing to get anything. People say to cut it up small, but this seems to make matters worse. When he eats the tomato (which I break up into a few pieces), he (eventually) gets a piece in his mouth, then puts a paw (foot?) on it and tears a bit off (which he wouldn't be able to do with very small pieces).
So, I wonder if anyone can give me any advice please? He seems perfectly fine apart from this one (rather important!) aspect.
Thanks in advance
Karen
x