Vitamin A

[karlyholmes]

Okay, just wondering, as far as high Vitamin A foods go my turtles like sweet potato & canteloupe.

What do YOUR turtles eat that is high in Vitamin A?

I cant get them to eat things like Kale even if its mixed in but they will eat Red Leaf. Is that high in A?

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Any red, orange, yellow vegetable usually has a good amount of vitamin A. I add a few drops of cod liver oil to each meal for vitamin A as well.

 

[Hunahpu]

Peaches and pumpkin usually go over extremely well with mine! I try to get them fresh, but they like canned or frozen too. Winter squashes also don't last long. (Like butternut, acorn, red kuri, etc.)

 

[lisa127]

Mine will not eat pumpkin! But they do like sweet potatoe and carrots for vitamin A. I'd like to get some cod liver oil for them as well.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

The plant pigment beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body. Although vitamin A is fat-soluble, beta-carotene is water soluble. Therefore, although it is possible to overdose on vitamin A itself, you can ingest as much beta-carotene as you want, and you just pee out whatever you don't use. So, think of beta-carotene and vitamin A as two forms of the same thing. So, there are a few ways to go here:

1) Feed greens rich in vitamin A and/or beta-carotene. If they won't eat kale, try turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, collard greens, or dark lettuce instead.

2) Feed your tortoise diced or shredded carrots every once in a while.

3) Supplement your tortoise's food with Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops. These drops can be added directly to the eyes, but they can also be sprinkled onto the food the tortoise eats as a beta-carotene and vitamin A supplement.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Also, forgot to mention:

4) Many powder supplements contain beta-carotene granules as well.

 

[karlyholmes]

Awesome!
Thanks everyone

 

[Saloli]

Oh just so you know kale, collard green, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts are all the same plant species they are high in oxalic acid and some other phytochemicals that can cause problems. The oxalic acid interferes with calcium uptake by binding with it and magnesium it is also a GI stimulant. Some of the other phytochemicals interfere with iodine up take. Spinach is also high in oxalic acid. Poke weed berries, grape leaves, dark green lettuces, mulberries (leaves and fruit), carrots, apples, blackberries are all high in beta carotene. My boxers get these on a regular basis as well as a vitamin a itself in foods I have never had any issues with vitamin a or any other deficiencies. I try not to supplement fat soluble vitamins (a,d,e,k) because of risk of over dose is greater then with water soluble vitamins (b,c,folate).

 

[Hunahpu]

With regards to the supplements, I've gotten to really like Herptivite. It has beta carotene instead of vitamin A, so overdosing isn't an issue. I sprinkle it on their food once a week, and that seems to help.

 

[turtlemann2]

i couldnt have givin any better advice then what was given, just remember variety is key and to try and get him to eat new foods a good supliment helps too

 

[Kristina]

Broad leaf plantain has more Vitamin A than anything that has already been mentioned in this thread

 

[Saloli]

Broad leaf plantain has more Vitamin A than anything that has already been mentioned in this thread

But is hard to find, though easy to grow my Bearded Dragons used to eat it.

 

[Nixxy]

I've found Kale and Peaches both go over well. I get fresh organic Kale at my work for mine, and she loves it. It's probably her favorite veggie.

 

[lisa127]

I have some cod liver oil capsules. Does anyone use these as a supplement for their box turtles? I think I've heard one drop on their food once to twice a week....

 

[turtlemann2]

ive been told its easy to over does with the cod liver oil, iwouldnt do it more then once a week on a large meal

 

[Saloli]

It is better to rely on beta and alpha carotene then vitamin a because they can be converted as needed but you can over dose vitamin a. Also kale is not good to use because of oxalis acid.