Tortoise eating his newspaper- help!

[eleanorh-b]

My little two year old tortoise has a good diet (all approved by vets etc) but he has recently started eating his newspaper in his house, especially when it's wet. He has been trying to eat other things too when he's out of the viv but obviously when he's in that all there is for him , even though I leave him hay! Is this going to really hurt him and if so what should I do? He has a cuttlefish in there and he isn't left alone for long periods of time. I use newspaper because it's more hygienic while he's little.

 

[DutchieAmanda]

Hi Eleanor and welcome to the forum! What type of tortoise do you have? Have you found the caresheet already on the species specific part of the forum for your tort?

I don't think newspaper is a good substrate for any tort, so you might want to switch to something more natural like coco coir (see care sheet for the best options for your species).

Do you have pictures of your tort and enclosure? Then we can give you more tips and info!

 

[MPRC]

Aside from paper (haha) what does his diet consist of? Could he be hungry or lacking something from a lack of variety?

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Eleanor, where are you located?
It's not a good idea to let them wander around indoors because they will eat anything - wires, needle, socks, plastic bags etc There have been some very sad stories here about torts who have eaten things they shouldn't. If you need to let him out of the viv maybe contain him in something like a kiddies paddling pool where you can keep an eye on him.

 

[dmmj]

paper should only really be used for a sick tortoise. is yours sick by any chance?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Newspaper isn't good for baby tortoises because it is slick and might cause the hips problems from having no traction. In birds this is called spraddle leg. He needs a nice deep substrate for good traction and digging.

 

[eleanorh-b]

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. He's a Herman tortoise and he did have soil as a substrate but my vet said that whilst he was still so little it was more hygienic to have newspaper because you could see where he's done a mess etc. Also he was eating the soil which was bad for such a baby! His diet has many different weeds and lambs lettuce and hay and calcium powder and cuttlefish etc and it's been approved by several vets etc so diet is all fine. He just seems to nibble everything recently! He's in his viv all the time unless he's somewhere like the kitchen table when I watch him and there's nothing to nibble there so rest assured he is perfectly safe. If this continues I'll just change his substrate but I'd rather not for the reasons mentioned above!

 

[DutchieAmanda]

Hi Eleanor,

I'm no Hermann's specialist, but in general I would disagree with your vet. Off course general hygiene is important (e.g. removing old food and poop), but I believe providing a natural habitat is more important than keeping your tort completely clean. My tort is always dirty, but it's coco coir and that in itself won't make him sick. It's natural for torts to dig into substrate. Maybe a good alternative for you would be orchid bark?

If he is deliberately eating his substrate, something else must be off. Mine sometimes accidentally eats a bit of moss or coir, but not intentionally. I've read that using colored lights can make substrate look like foods to torts. What type of lights / heating do you use?

Maybe you can add some pictures of your enclosure, so we can look at it and give some tips.

Good luck!

 

[eleanorh-b]

Thank you , that's rally helpful! I'll look into orchid bark!

 

[Tom]

Please believe us when we tell you that we are only trying to help. You are making some common mistakes that we see frequently. We don't want to argue, upset you or make you so mad and frustrated that you leave, but we NEED to tell you what is going on.

1. Most vets don't know much about tortoises. Yours might, but just because a vet says so, is not a satisfactory answer for us. Usually when tortoises try to eat inappropriate things it is caused by only a few things. Coil bulbs for UV, colored bulbs (like infrared or blue), and…. dietary issues. So when some one asks about why their tortoise is eating the wrong things, we are always going to ask about these three things. Sooooooo, What is your UV source, which weeds do you feed and what else besides lambs lettuce, and are you using any colored bulbs for heat? Also do you use any supplements other than the cuttle bone?

2. No matter how safe you try to make it, running lose on the floor is simply not safe. We see the tragedies here regularly and every single person was sure everything was safe. Everyone has good intentions, supervises, and thinks it can't happen to them… right up until it DOES happen to them. We don't want to make you mad. We just don't want to see yet another disaster that could so easily be prevented by leaving the tortoise in its enclosure.

3. Newspaper is never a good substrate for tortoises and all the decent substrates are not unsanitary if kept clean of food and feces.

Check these out. Lots of good info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[eleanorh-b]

If you had bothered to read anything I had said in the above posts you would see that I had answered your questions, the two vets in question are both from the two leading reptile clinics in the UK and both have their own Herman tortoises, the advice they gave has been consistent and approved by a reptile centre which has the highest ranking. I will look into orchid bark as the previous poster suggested. Thank you for your concern but my tortoise does not walk on the floor nor does he lack the supplements he needs. I have spent the last two years researching Herman tortoises so I am well aware of these common mistakes and I can assure that I am not making them.

 

[Lyn W]

If you had bothered to read anything I had said in the above posts you would see that I had answered your questions, the two vets in question are both from the two leading reptile clinics in the UK and both have their own Herman tortoises, the advice they gave has been consistent and approved by a reptile centre which has the highest ranking. I will look into orchid bark as the previous poster suggested. Thank you for your concern but my tortoise does not walk on the floor nor does he lack the supplements he needs. I have spent the last two years researching Herman tortoises so I am well aware of these common mistakes and I can assure that I am not making them.

I am looking for a good tort vet in the UK, can you tell me who you recommend please?

 

[eleanorh-b]

Hi Lyn, there are two I use: (one at either end of the country because I travel to and from uni in Scotland)

-Anton vets in Hampshire (you need to speak to John specifically)
- the Royal **** veto army clinic in Edinburgh (do very good over the phone advice as well and detailed care sheets, they are also very good for recommending reputable suppliers of equipment etc).

 

[eleanorh-b]

For some reason the forum has put stars in but if you google 'Edinburgh Royal vetinary clinic you will see why!'

 

[Pearly]

Hi Eleanor, welcome from Texas. I keep Redfooted, and have been on here for only few months. Found this forum soon after getting the torts and have no hands on experience withnewspaper or eating substrate. I have only tried Reptibark, coco coir, coir mixed with little soil with the layer of bark on the bottom for drainage and aireation, all of the above (plus some live bugs) covered with sheet moss and other mosses. I you techniques have to work for you and your pet. Sounds like you are firmly confident in your vet's advice. That's great that you have that relationship. I hope you figure things out in the way that feels right to you and your tort. Again, welcome to TFO

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Lyn, there are two I use: (one at either end of the country because I travel to and from uni in Scotland)

-Anton vets in Hampshire (you need to speak to John specifically)
- the Royal **** veto army clinic in Edinburgh (do very good over the phone advice as well and detailed care sheets, they are also very good for recommending reputable suppliers of equipment etc).

Thanks for that I would travel if I needed to for my tort.

 

[Lyn W]

For some reason the forum has put stars in but if you google 'Edinburgh Royal vetinary clinic you will see why!'

I don't know if you have seen the advert for a tortoise evening to be held in March at Edinburgh Uni vet school - its under Regional topics but yes - the part of the name in brackets made me smile

 

[eleanorh-b]

Thank you Pearly!! No problem Lyn and yes I'm planning to go to the evening!