Shelly not eating!

[pippin]

Hi everyone. I have a concern. As some of you know, shelly came out of hibernation early (late Jan) as it was her first time bruminating so didn't like to keep her in brumination too long as she had gone down early (late sept, her choice! ) when she first came out she was very hungry and was eating well. Because of lack of weeds at that time, I fed her on a mix of florette salad mix (lambs lettuce , frisse, radicchio, frisee) kale ,cucumber and dandelion flavoured pellets soaked.
She has now slowed right down on her eating and is refusing to eat what used to be her favourite, dandelion leaves@ Ive offered her broad leaf plantain, dandelion, sow thistle, mallow and ground elder (all of which she ate before brumination) she is now refusing to eat all of them and seems to only want the salad and the pellets? Is she playing me? I'm worried her diet is to restrictive and she's not eating enough. I've tried not giving her the pellets for days but she is refusing everything else. Don't know what to do really?

 

[RosemaryDW]

Two things. Of course she was hungriest when she came out of brumation, she hadn't eaten for months! That's normal.

As for the weeds, she might playing you, Tortoise Style. She's gotten used to some foods that have more sugar than the weeds. I know these greens don't seem sweet to us but taste a sow thistle and you'll notice the difference! Cut back on the salad and scrape a little cucumber over a few weeds until she's eating them. Then you can cut all the way back on the salad. Tortoises are stubborn when they get used to a particular food; stay strong!

 

[pippin]

Two things. Of course she was hungriest when she came out of brumation, she hadn't eaten for months! That's normal.

As for the weeds, she might playing you, Tortoise Style. She's gotten used to some foods that have more sugar than the weeds. I know these greens don't seem sweet to us but taste a sow thistle and you'll notice the difference! Cut back on the salad and scrape a little cucumber over a few weeds until she's eating them. Then you can cut all the way back on the salad. Tortoises are stubborn when they get used to a particular food; stay strong!

T.Y.. yeah I thought she was playing me. I've tried chopping cucumber up amongst the weeds and just a few pellets scattered in but she's as crafty as a fox and picks the. Out! I'm also concerned that the pellets are not ideal! Just wondering how long she will starve herself before caving? She can't really afford to drop weight as wasnt in best condition when we got her.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I do expect that once I will be able to get some weeds for Edward again, reintroducing them will be a process. It really isn't ideal that we have to rely on grocery store greens here in colder climates, but it is what it is.

How has Shellys weight been after brumation versus before?

 

[RosemaryDW]

Try grating the cucumber or mashing it; you want to get the juice out; cutting it, as you can see, makes it easy to pick out. You don't need to try every weed at once, mix in a little of one first, introduce a second once she's eating that.

Have you tried soaking the pellets in something besides water and then crumbling them up? Perhaps a combo of water and cucumber chunks or water and rose hips if you can get your hands on any, this makes them taste or smell better. Crumble them up super well and mix in if you aren't already doing that. If you can get your hands on an untreated (no pesticides) red flower that should attract her, they like the color red.

Grate in a little courgette or marrow, if I haven't already suggested that.

Chop or grate it all up extremely fine, then mix with the cucumber juice; she won't be able to pick things out.

As for how long it takes, perhaps a few days or a few days per weed? Unless she is skin and bones or has an infection/injury you have some time. You say she isn't eating as much as previously so doesn't sound like she's gaining anyway.

This is typical tortoise behavior. While I know she is special and unique to you, her behavior isn't. She will adjust.

 

[pippin]

I do expect that once I will be able to get some weeds for Edward again, reintroducing them will be a process. It really isn't ideal that we have to rely on grocery store greens here in colder climates, but it is what it is.

How has Shellys weight been after brumation versus before?

Yeah it's not easy in winter here to get anything other than shop bought greens/salads and Commercial tortoise food. I'm just not sure how good these pellets are for her ? They do say it's a complete balanced food but I don't like to see her not eating what she used to love! She has turned in to a picky eater!
She weighed 1233 on Feb 8th, which was 1 week after waking from brumination. She was slightly down from when she went into brumination in Oct. The good news is she is now 1338 so she has gained. Its just this last couole of weeks she's slowed her eating down and is refusing things she used to love. I've tried to get her outside a couple of times when weather was nice but she retreated to her heated box so I've had to bring her back in!
Got a vets appointment nex t week to have her beak/ nails trimmed so will get him to check her over. Hope Edward doing OK ?

 

[pippin]

Try grating the cucumber or mashing it; you want to get the juice out; cutting it, as you can see, makes it easy to pick out. You don't need to try every weed at once, mix in a little of one first, introduce a second once she's eating that.

Have you tried soaking the pellets in something besides water and then crumbling them up? Perhaps a combo of water and cucumber chunks or water and rose hips if you can get your hands on any, this makes them taste or smell better. Crumble them up super well and mix in if you aren't already doing that. If you can get your hands on an untreated (no pesticides) red flower that should attract her, they like the color red.

Grate in a little courgette or marrow, if I haven't already suggested that.

Chop or grate it all up extremely fine, then mix with the cucumber juice; she won't be able to pick things out.

As for how long it takes, perhaps a few days or a few days per weed? Unless she is skin and bones or has an infection/injury you have some time. You say she isn't eating as much as previously so doesn't sound like she's gaining anyway.

This is typical tortoise behavior. While I know she is special and unique to you, her behavior isn't. She will adjust.

Will try some of those things. Thanks.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Yeah it's not easy in winter here to get anything other than shop bought greens/salads and Commercial tortoise food. I'm just not sure how good these pellets are for her ? They do say it's a complete balanced food but I don't like to see her not eating what she used to love! She has turned in to a picky eater!
She weighed 1233 on Feb 8th, which was 1 week after waking from brumination. She was slightly down from when she went into brumination in Oct. The good news is she is now 1338 so she has gained. Its just this last couole of weeks she's slowed her eating down and is refusing things she used to love. I've tried to get her outside a couple of times when weather was nice but she retreated to her heated box so I've had to bring her back in!
Got a vets appointment nex t week to have her beak/ nails trimmed so will get him to check her over. Hope Edward doing OK ?

Edward is doing okay for now, fingers crossed!