Should a tortoise be given liver?

[lynsey~marie]

Hi, im from the uk I have a hermans, a red footed and a leopard. My friends mum had a hermans that was around 20 years old, it was ill so she took it to the vets and they told her to feed him only on liver, when my friend told me I thought it was very strange as my hermans has to meat in her diet. I told her I though she should get a second option but sadly her tortoise died! I was just wondering if this was normal treatment for a sick torte?
Thanks ♡

 

[Yvonne G]

Most vegetarian tortoises will stoop to eating a bite or two of animal protein upon occasion, but it's not normally something that a tortoise-keeper should be offering to a tortoise. Maybe this particular tortoise was needing certain vitamins and minerals that the vet thought it would get from liver:

"Liver is low in Sodium. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Zinc, Copper and Manganese, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Phosphorus and Selenium."

I would not feed liver to a Hermann's tortoise, but rather, if he needed extra vitamins and minerals, I would offer his regular food with a supplement sprinkled on it.

So sorry the tortoise died, but if he was that close to death I really doubt anything that was done for the tortoise would have helped.

 

[wellington]

I think the end result may have answered your question. I don't know if they should or could eat liver, but know tort should ever be fed only one thing. I also know of no torts that should eat that much meat.