Picky Eater

[zoe98love]

My baby Russian is very picky when it comes to the calcium supplements I've been trying to feed him. He barely touches his cuttlebone, he won't go anywhere near his food when I dust it with calcium. I've recently introduced him to the TNT supplement from Carolina Pet Supply, but he even turns up his nose to that! I tried some egg shell (recommended to me by another tortoise owner), but he didn't bite. Does anyone have any other suggestions of what I could do to get him some calcium?

-- Zoe

 

[leigti]

Cactus has a good calcium content. Don't dust the food too heavily at all or he definitely won't touch it. To make the calcium stick to the leaves missed them slightly and scrape some cuttlebone on top. Then mix up the leaves a little bit so he can't smell it as well. I would still keep the cuttlebone in the enclosure at all times.

 

[Ryan Kruse]

I would agree with the above statement. mix in a little calcium, but put it in the middle of the greens where he can't see it. Just a tiny bit at a time. Also, some greens contain higher calcium content than others.

 

[keepergale]

Here is a supplement with calcium that is pretty palatable to my tortoises.

 

[Ryan Kruse]

Repashy is good stuff! Never tried the super veggie. Will have to try it.

 

[WillTort2]

I have been using the TNT for several years now and my Russians seem to like it. I use a salt shaker to sprinkle it on the food. Just sprinkle a few shakes on each leaf of dandelion or radicchio and they get the natural supplement that they need.

You might also check your daytime temperatures, this can impact appetite. For winter I let the room temperature go down to 65 at night and up to 75 in the daytime with the basking spot getting up to about 95 degrees. Have your timers keep the lights on for 14 to 15 hours may also help.

Good luck.

 

[leigti]

I heard that if you use the TNT powder you do not need to use calcium. My Russian tortoise also likes the TNT powder, at least she doesn't refused to eat anything it is on. I keep a cuttlebone in the enclosure although she has never touched it. People say that the tortoise will ignore them for months and then when they eat it all up. Especially babies. So keep it in there but also try the TNT powder.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I just got some Repashy. It's dark colored and it seems to be better tasting and is eaten just fine. With the old, white stuff I generally had to mix it in with wet food like Mazuri. As far as cuttle bones go...They could be ignored for weeks, even months and then one day your tortoise will just munch away at it.