vegetables okay for daily feeding?

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Dawn

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My russian loves his veggies. He gets his primary diet of varied greens everyday which make up 80% of his diet, but I've also been dicing up different veggies and include them on top of his greens.
-peppers (red, yellow, green)
-squash (green and yellow)
-carrots (the diced or string kind meant for salads)

Are these okay to feed everyday? Are there any other suggestions of 'safe' veggies for daily use? I'd hate to not offer this as he loves them.
Thanks for your input.
 

GBtortoises

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I feed my Russians vegetables once a week to give them some additional sources of vitamins and minerals. Russians aren't usually avid vegetable eaters and usually prefer leafy green foods. Some will acquire a taste for certain vegetables and then only want to eat those vegetables ignoring the greens which are usually higher in fiber and what their diet is usually made up of.

Squashes, pumpkin, yams, carrot, green, red & yellow peppers along with occasional green & yellow beans, peas and corn are all good choices. Stay away from fruits as part of a regular diet-tomatoes, melon, berries, banana, apples etc... While many are a good source of vitamins and minerals they are also very high in sugar and acids and are not something that a Russian tortoise's digestive system can handle on a regular basis. An occasional piece of fruit isn't going to do any harm, it just shouldn't be fed as part of their regular diet.
 

maggi

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hi i have 3 russians as well and while i give them loads of leafy greens i also feed them dried food soaked in water,and they absolutely go crazy for it,but they do still like their leafy greens.i find the dried food has all the calcium and vitamins in there so i relax knowing they are getting that.and they all are very healthy .......
 

Dawn

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GBtortoises said:
I feed my Russians vegetables once a week to give them some additional sources of vitamins and minerals. Russians aren't usually avid vegetable eaters and usually prefer leafy green foods. Some will acquire a taste for certain vegetables and then only want to eat those vegetables ignoring the greens which are usually higher in fiber and what their diet is usually made up of.

Squashes, pumpkin, yams, carrot, green, red & yellow peppers along with occasional green & yellow beans, peas and corn are all good choices. Stay away from fruits as part of a regular diet-tomatoes, melon, berries, banana, apples etc... While many are a good source of vitamins and minerals they are also very high in sugar and acids and are not something that a Russian tortoise's digestive system can handle on a regular basis. An occasional piece of fruit isn't going to do any harm, it just shouldn't be fed as part of their regular diet.

Oh, I agree, he definatly picks through the greens to find the veggies first and then eats his greens last. I only sprinkle the diced veggies as a treat (say about a large tablespoon). I haven't tried pumpkin.....what a delicious idea! Do you give the canned or boil some fresh pieces? All of the veggies I've given so far are raw.
 
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