Supplement Help

[Love4tortoises]

Hi everyone!

I recently got a multi vitamin supplement for my little sully and need some suggestions about how I can mix it with the food and have "him" eat it... If I mix anything at all with "his" greens, he goes over there, smells it and then walks away... He doesn't want anything at all mixed with it, including Mazuri... I would love some suggestions on what you guys do to make it smell appetizing for your sully...

The other day I tried to add a little bit of strawberry to it and that didn't even work... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[Yvonne G]

You've got to start small. By getting him used to the smell and flavor in VERY small amounts over a long period of time, you can eventually get him to eat something.

Is the supplement a powder form? Just take a very small pinch of it between your thumb and forefinger and sprinkle it over the food. Try wetting the greens first, then after you sprinkle the supplement mix it all up real good.

 

[Love4tortoises]

You've got to start small. By getting him used to the smell and flavor in VERY small amounts over a long period of time, you can eventually get him to eat something.

Is the supplement a powder form? Just take a very small pinch of it between your thumb and forefinger and sprinkle it over the food. Try wetting the greens first, then after you sprinkle the supplement mix it all up real good.

It is in a power form. I do sprinkle the greens with a little water first and then mix really really well, but he is just super picky... I am not going to give up though. Would you suggest that I do it in very small amounts everyday instead of heavier amounts only 2 or 3 times a week? Maybe that would help him get used to it faster... Thank you so much for the advice!!

 

[JoesMum]

Why do you have vitamins for him? Have they been prescribed by a vet? Correct diet should provide all the vitamins needed. Supplementing with occasional feeds of a proprietary tortoise food may be all that's needed when pickings are thin (in the winter months for example.)

 

[Love4tortoises]

Why do you have vitamins for him? Have they been prescribed by a vet? Correct diet should provide all the vitamins needed. Supplementing with occasional feeds of a proprietary tortoise food may be all that's needed when pickings are thin (in the winter months for example.)

I have had "him" since September 2012 and "he" has not gained a single gram since I got "him". I am going down a list of options that I have heard or been told to see if anything can help "him" gain some weight. I am feeding "him" all of the good greens that I can (home grown grass, clovers, collard, chicory, endive, dandelion, etc.) and "his" home has perfect conditions... "He" gets outside and soaks very often, so I am literally going to my last resorts...

 

[jaizei]

Do you feed Mazuri?

 

[Love4tortoises]

Do you feed Mazuri?

I've tried... "He" won't touch it... I soak it first because "he" is so small, but "he" still wont touch it. I don't just give "him" that either, I mix it with "his" favorite greens and that doesn't make a difference.

 

[JoesMum]

Sorry if you have explained all this already. How big (long) is your tort? What does he weigh? Have you had him a faecal sample tested for worms?

 

[Love4tortoises]

Sorry if you have explained all this already. How big (long) is your tort? What does he weigh? Have you had him a faecal sample tested for worms?

No need to apologize... "He" is 2.5 inches from front of shell to the back and only weighs 51 grams... I took a fecal sample in on the 3rd and it came back positive for pinworms so I got "him" dewormed. "He" seems to be eating more now and "his" poops are much bigger. That makes me think that "he" is now the one getting the food and nutrients and not the pinworms, so that's good... I just want to make sure that "he" is as healthy as "he" can be.

 

[Tom]

Exactly which supplement are we talking about? The Brand and name?

Tiny amounts daily, is what I would do. If that's all there is to eat all day every day, he will either starve or eat it. After 3 or 4 days, he should strategize to eat it. Once you getting him eating it you can cut back to twice a week and slightly increase the amount.

What I want to know is, why this is happening? I have a suspicion. Where did you get your tortoise? Can you find out if it was left in the incubator for its first week or did the breeder use a brooder box while the yolk sac was absorbing and the umbilical scar was closing?

 

[Love4tortoises]

Exactly which supplement are we talking about? The Brand and name?

Tiny amounts daily, is what I would do. If that's all there is to eat all day every day, he will either starve or eat it. After 3 or 4 days, he should strategize to eat it. Once you getting him eating it you can cut back to twice a week and slightly increase the amount.

What I want to know is, why this is happening? I have a suspicion. Where did you get your tortoise? Can you find out if it was left in the incubator for its first week or did the breeder use a brooder box while the yolk sac was absorbing and the umbilical scar was closing?

It is made by Rep-cal and its called Herptivite.

I will start to do little amounts everyday then and just wait for him to give in and eat it.

I want to know the same thing... I have been doing lots of research about it because I am really worried... I heard that if they come from a crappy pet store who didn't know what they are doing the sully's basically have to restore anything that was damage during the crappy care from the pet store. I am afraid this is what happened with mine... They told me that he was about 3 to 4 months old, but I don't know if that is the truth. He was kept on rabbit pellets with no water bowl and no humidity, just heat, heat, heat because they figured he is a desert tortoise...

I could certainly go down to the pet store and ask questions, but from the way they care for them, I honestly don't know how much they are going to know or if they are going to be honest about it...

 

[Yvonne G]

Buy some liquid bird vitamins...brand name doesn't matter. Every time you soak him, add several drops of liquid vitamins to the soaking water. Soak him for a half hour, but keep a close watch on him to be sure he doesn't tip over. If the house is a normal room temp, soaking in coolish water is not going to hurt him once a day. But start out with warm water.

 

[Love4tortoises]

Buy some liquid bird vitamins...brand name doesn't matter. Every time you soak him, add several drops of liquid vitamins to the soaking water. Soak him for a half hour, but keep a close watch on him to be sure he doesn't tip over. If the house is a normal room temp, soaking in coolish water is not going to hurt him once a day. But start out with warm water.

Thank you, Yvonne! Now, will the vitamins just absorb through "him" or will "he" have to drink the water in order to get the vitamins?

 

[Tom]

That's good stuff. I've used it for years.

Exactly which supplement are we talking about? The Brand and name?

Tiny amounts daily, is what I would do. If that's all there is to eat all day every day, he will either starve or eat it. After 3 or 4 days, he should strategize to eat it. Once you getting him eating it you can cut back to twice a week and slightly increase the amount.

What I want to know is, why this is happening? I have a suspicion. Where did you get your tortoise? Can you find out if it was left in the incubator for its first week or did the breeder use a brooder box while the yolk sac was absorbing and the umbilical scar was closing?

It is made by Rep-cal and its called Herptivite.

I will start to do little amounts everyday then and just wait for him to give in and eat it.

There are two likely possibilities for problems with a baby housed and started the way you describe.
1. Intestinal impaction with the incubation media. I've had this happen and verified it with necropsy.
2. Organ damage due to chronic dehydration.

You are likely fighting one or both of these. Just give it your best shot. Some make it and some don't. Good luck.





I want to know the same thing... I have been doing lots of research about it because I am really worried... I heard that if they come from a crappy pet store who didn't know what they are doing the sully's basically have to restore anything that was damage during the crappy care from the pet store. I am afraid this is what happened with mine... They told me that he was about 3 to 4 months old, but I don't know if that is the truth. He was kept on rabbit pellets with no water bowl and no humidity, just heat, heat, heat because they figured he is a desert tortoise...

I could certainly go down to the pet store and ask questions, but from the way they care for them, I honestly don't know how much they are going to know or if they are going to be honest about it...

 

[Love4tortoises]

That's good stuff. I've used it for years.

There are two likely possibilities for problems with a baby housed and started the way you describe.
1. Intestinal impaction with the incubation media. I've had this happen and verified it with necropsy.
2. Organ damage due to chronic dehydration.

You are likely fighting one or both of these. Just give it your best shot. Some make it and some don't. Good luck.

Well I am glad to hear that the supplement is a good one.

Thanks for the luck, I will hopefully start to see him gain some weight and when I do, I know I will be on here telling everyone that he is finally growing.

 

[samsmom]

it seemed to take forever for mine to start growing but he did and he seems to get bigger every day now!

 

[Love4tortoises]

it seemed to take forever for mine to start growing but he did and he seems to get bigger every day now!

I REALLY hope this is what happens with my little one! I am trying so hard to make him happy and healthy! Thank you for the positive post!