My vet suggested mealworms?

[MisterElrond]

Richard went to the vet today and when the vet was talking about diet she suggested added mealworms or crickets to his diet. In everything I've looked at regarding Russian tortoise diet I've never seen anyone say they should be eating either of those. Does anyone here give their Russian live insects?

Note: When I left she gave me an info packet for box turtles, and kept referring to him as one on his discharge papers so I'm already considering a different vet for his next annual check up

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Can you post a picture of your tortoise?

 

[Tom]

Of course russians don't need insects in the diet, but I wouldn't use mealworms for a box turtle either. There are much better alternatives.

Either you need a new vet, or you need help identifying your own animal. One or the other.

 

[MisterElrond]

Here's a picture of Richard. (there's a few more in the album on my profile if you want to see more)

If he's actually a box turtle then he is very cleverly disguised.

 

[mikeh]

I would moisten the Zoomed pellets with bit of water till they swell. It will go down and digest much easier and won't dehydrate the animal. Crumbling it over fresh broadleaf weeds if even better.

 

[MisterElrond]

Thank you!
I'll moisten what he has now. He usually won't eat them at all, so over his usual greens might get him to.

 

[MisterElrond]

Here's a photo of his plastron as well. No hinge like a box turtle would have.

 

[KevinGG]

100% a Russian. You need a new qualified reptile vet if he can't tell the difference between a Russian and a box turtle

 

[dmmj]

Even if ?i was blind, I could tell the difference between a russian and box turtle. Insects should not be provided to a russian as part of it's diet.

 

[naturalman91]

I'd start looking for a new more qualified vet they obviously can't tell the difference between turtle and tortoise, a tortoise is a turtle but no turtle can be a tortoise.

 

[RainsOn]

New vet!

 

[bouaboua]

Yes. a new vet in order.

 

[Eltemp]

Had a similar issue with our vet and our
Res. Gave my wife a box turtle care sheet. Also proceeded on proscribing cat and dog anti fungal medication which did no good and I stopped using it after this.

 

[Yvonne G]

Your friends on the Forum suggest a new vet!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

A buddy of mine is a vet and I'm slowly turning her into a reptile vet. She's mainly large and small animal, not much “exotic". Just to be the Cowboy, when I send her information for reptile healthcare, I always say at the end, “this information is not a substitute for qualified veterinary care". It's a wonder we're still friends.

 

[Elohi]

A buddy of mine is a vet and I'm slowly turning her into a reptile vet. She's mainly large and small animal, not much “exotic". Just to be the Cowboy, when I send her information for reptile healthcare, I always say at the end, “this information is not a substitute for qualified veterinary care". It's a wonder we're still friends.

LMAO!!!


Elohi(Earth)

 

[MisterElrond]

Vet update:
I took Richard to a different vet and they did a much better job. Gave me care instructions for Russians this time and noticed some things the other vet didn't catch, including that apparently Richard is a pretty little lady tortoise.
I'm happy to have found a better vet so soon, even though Richard's been grumping out under her favorite rock all day after that calcium injection lol

 

[Moozillion]

So Richard is a Regina?

 

[biochemnerd808]

I'm glad you found a better vet!

I wonder if you could contact the 'old' vet and give them the feedback that they really need to know the difference between box turtles (omnivores) and Russian tortoises (herbivores) if they want to advertise being an exotics vet.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Don't there exist, on the Internet machine, listings wherein one can post the experience they've had at a specific place of business?