Russian Tort Diet Questions!

[turtlegirl13]

Hello everyone! I have been doing the same thing diet wise for my tortoise for 6 years. I feed Sasha 20% fruits, 20% dry tortoise food, and 60% vegetables. All of her vet appointments say she is super healthy and a perfect weight! For salads I usually make a mix of kale, lettuce, carrot, yellow squash, and a few apple pieces. Does anyone have any other diet suggestions? I have full time school so it is hard to find time to make a salad daily. I have heard many people say feeding a tortoise every other day is better for them. Opinions please!

 

[Tom]

They should not be getting fruit. Its not good for them. A little bit once in a while wont kill them, but its not good for them either. Grocery store greens are also not the best, but they will do in the absence of better things. Vegetables are not as bad as fruit, but not great either.

The diet should primarily be broad leaf weeds and leaves.

I don't know which pelleted food you are using, but most of them aren't great.

Most vets wouldn't know a healthy tortoise if they saw one. Does your vet keep tortoises? Lot of experience breeding and raising tiny hatchlings? Most of them have little to no experience. They often do things that kill otherwise healthy tortoises, like their "vitamin" injections that are totally uncalled for and frequently cause skin to slough off at the injection site. Your vet might be one of the good ones, but don't be surprised if one day you discover that he/she really knows very little about tortoises beyond what they just read in the vet handbook kept in the back.

Here are some things that you SHOULD be feeding:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many good ones... Here are just a few to start with:
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

This list could go on and on...

 

[lynnedit]

For the lettuce component, use organic Spring mix (minimal spinach). Then you can supplement with kale, mustard greens, collards, radicchio, endive, turnips greens, etc. That is, get the Spring mix as a base, then one other green from the list and use this until gone (you eat some too, lol). That makes it pretty easy for me, as I work during the week.
I would avoid giving the apple except perhaps once per month.
I don't use the dry tortoise food. I do sprinkle TNT with probiotics (from Carolina Pet supply) onto their food lightly each feeding.
I'm also able to supplement with some weeds from my yard this winter, at least.

In the summer, they live outside and eat weeds and flowers that grow in their enclosure.

 

[turtlegirl13]

Wow! I have always heard fruit is good for tortoises every once and a while. And actually yes, my vet owns several different types of tortoises and she is very experienced! The dry food I use has 5 stars on all pet websites Where do you get the leaves you have recommended?

 

[WillTort2]

Most of those leaves are easily grown locally in the summer months. Or go to the edge of a woods near you and you are likely to find grape leaves. Ask your friends if they have any of the wild plants growing near their homes; make sure the plants are not being fertilized.

 

[turtlegirl13]

We have pansies and roses, can I feed her those leafs? Are we talking the actual leafs or the petals! This leaf thing is news to me!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Actual leaves and the flowers. Rose leaves are usually a Russian favorite!

 

[turtlegirl13]

Awesome! I will have to see if she likes them when I feed her tomorrow! Thanks to everyone for the help!