What to feed Ralph?

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DAC8671

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With everything I've read, apparently I've not been feeding Ralph (sulcata) the "correct" diet for the past 4 yrs. Though he looks GREAT and the vet says he looks great and is growing great.

I feed him spinach, red leaf, green leaf, romaine on a daily basis. Sometimes if I run out, I will throw him a bagged salad (never iceburg), that contains most of the stuff I listed. For treats I feed him apples, bananas, honeydew/cantaloupe melons, about 1/4 cup cat food, hibiscus flowers, broccoli.

He just recently, in the past few weeks, has really been munching on grass in the backyard. He never wanted it before.

Since whatever I read says I'm giving him the wrong stuff, do you have any suggestions on what I should be feeding him and maybe something in addtion to what I give him. Oh, and he doesn't get any supplements. I never figured to since the vet says he's healthy.

Also, what do I do about his new shell growth? It looks like he has white rings on his shell.
 

drgnfly2265

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I feed my 1 year old sulcata grass, weeds, timothy hay, hibiscus flowers and leaves, and other various flowers. He LOVES the hibiscus flowers and their leaves a lot.

When I soak Bowser, if he has any white rings it just goes away.

_________________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise

:rolleyes:
 

Yvonne G

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There are only two things I'd like to address in your otherwise perfectly fine sulcata diet:

1. Use spinach less frequently. I only use it about once a week.
2. Fruit really should be used as a treat ONLY. And should never be more than 10% of the total diet. What I understand is that the sucrose in the fruits MIGHT cause an imbalance in the intestines, allowing parasites to bloom.

Yvonne
 

Jentortmom

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I would try to get some calcium into his diet, Yvonne I thought I read somewhere that fruits could also cause a problem with urates? (I have to go find where I read about fruit at.) Try adding more plants to his diet as well as the grocery greens, mulberry leaves, grape leaves, hibiscus leaves & flowers, dandelions, timothy, orchard, bermuda hay/grasses etc..
 

Laura

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grazing is best. Think of where they come from and what they would eat.. grass/hay.
NO cat food!
If you can post a picture, we would love to see him!!!!
 

Laura

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The white rings are new growth and should be normal. Like fingernail cuticles. They can be a bit soft and sensitive.
Is that a picutre of him? Hard to tell what he looks like..post a bigger pic??
 
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