Not eating right

[ShellbyDaTort]

So I recently posted about Shellby not eating right and got many helpful tips about mulberry leaves and etc. She started eating the mulberry leaves the first or second day but stopped after that and only eats the "treasure flower" flower. Would it be better to get pellets her for her because I don't know if I miss her eating but she literally eats one flower and stops. She is very active, always exploring but her eating is strange. Thank you.

 

[JoesMum]

Tortoises are very stubborn and the last thing you should do when you are trying to introduce a wider diet is give in.

To introduce a new food you have to take it very, very, very slowly. Your tort is behaving like a child that only wants to eat chips and chocolate - you're the parent in charge!

Here's a step by step guide:

1. Chop the foods your tort will eat very small and wet them

2. Chop a tiny amount of new food very small and mix it with the rest. The water will stick it together so the new stuff cannot be picked out.

3. If your tort eats everything, at the next feed increase the amount of new food very slightly and decrease the liked food by the same amount.

4. If your tort refuses to eat then leave the food in place for 24 hours and then replace with fresh in exactly the same proportions.

Very, very gradually, over weeks not days, your tort will start accepting the new food as normal. Take it slowly and don't try to hurry it. A hungry tort will give in and eat.

Your tort can go a long time without food, but not water. A thirty minute soak is essential on days when there is a hunger strike.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

Thank you!! I just feel bad that she doesn’t eat so I feed her what she wants but I’ll definitely follow your advise! Thank you much. Time for tough parenting.