Worried!!

[Tartaruga!]

I measured Tarty's length before and got a 3" measurement... Which is 76.2mm I weighed him today and he was 73g ... Which is 43g more than when I first brought him home on 17th June. (12wks ago) He was just 30g. He's gained a little each week. Has a healthy, if fussy'ish appetite. But I've just looked at the Jackson ratio whilst trying to learn about hibernation and I THINK Tarty is about half the weight he should be :-(

Should I be as worried as I am or should I be satisfied he's gaining steadily? Should I offer more food? He has a plateful and altho he rarely eats it all, I do put fresh down in the early evening if he's mushed what's left up. Plus he has 3 plants planted in his enclosure that he can reach to eat, altho I've only seen him do that twice.

Plz help

 

[wellington]

All torts grow differently. Maybe give us a list of what you are feeding and maybe someone can tell you something you should add. I wouldn't fret over the growth though. As long as he is eating, pooping, peeing and roaming, all is good

 

[Laurie]

I wouldn't be worried. Your tortoise has been steadily gaining weight. 43grams in 12 weeks is nothing to shake a stick at. It works out to be an average gain of 3+ grams a week.

I also have some growing babies. Steppe tortoises. Tootsie roll is about 3 inches and 99 grams. Tank is just under 3" and 68grams. I've seen the formula, I've never applied it though (sometimes I look at it and I hear Charlie Browns teacher in my head).

I do however like to keep food available at all times for them. Sounds like you have that covered though with plants in the enclosure.

 

[Tartaruga!]

Phew!! Thank you both!!

Yes constant food and water supply and steady gain. Tarty's very active I think. I try to encourage that by putting tiny amounts food in various places for him to seek out along with his usual plate full.

As for diet I give a variety of lettuce (not iceberg), cucumber, dandelion leaves, mint, pansy, geranium, watercress, rose and spider plant. Not all at once lol. About once a fortnight/3wks I give him a cherry tomato with seeds removed as a treat. I've got some pellet that I bought, then read they weren't great, but Tarty loves them so like the tomato, I'll give him a few as a treat occasionally.
Tonight I gave him for the first time a couple of peas and couple of sweetcorns, seemed to go down quite well, read they're ok, so its another different item in tarty's menu... Building up slowly but surely, any suggestions gratefully received though!

 

[CactusVinnie]

Your tortoise is kept outdoors?
It seems like he is ok, it's a quite good weight gain! Try to not offer peas and sweeetcorn other than as a treat, once/month. It can boost growth and result in pyramiding. Keep in mind that, let's say, 6 x "once in a month" food items in his menu means in fact "once every 5 days". That is not good at all. Just a bit, maybe ok, but the base should be the weeds. Can't be wrong with the weeds only.
Do you intend to hibernate him? What do you have as preparations?

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Yes constant food and water supply and steady gain. Tarty's very active I think. I try to encourage that by putting tiny amounts food in various places for him to seek out along with his usual plate full.

As for diet I give a variety of lettuce (not iceberg), cucumber, dandelion leaves, mint, pansy, geranium, watercress, rose and spider plant. Not all at once lol. About once a fortnight/3wks I give him a cherry tomato with seeds removed as a treat. I've got some pellet that I bought, then read they weren't great, but Tarty loves them so like the tomato, I'll give him a few as a treat occasionally.
Tonight I gave him for the first time a couple of peas and couple of sweetcorns, seemed to go down quite well, read they're ok, so its another different item in tarty's menu... Building up slowly but surely, any suggestions gratefully received though!

I'd cut out the cucumber...empty of food value, as it's most water. Torts kinda go for it like children go for cotton candy.

Instead, add in some fresh grass clippings (only if not sprayed with chemicals, though). Might take a shallow pan and put some clean dirt in it and mix in some canary/parrakeet seed...Tarty'll love the sprouts of grass that come up!

 

[Tartaruga!]

Ok cool thanks. I didn't know that. I'll give it a try. Cucumber gone from now.
After all the various bits of info I've picked up I thought I'd try just dandelion leaves (I picked a big bag lastnight to restock) today. But from the look of them tarty had turned his nose up. I've just put fresh again this evening n again he's had a sniff n walked off. He's gone over to the pansy plant trashed it n walked off n is currently attempting to trash the slightly more hardy geranium. So I think he's hungry. But won't attempt the dandelion. Altho last night he ate almost 2 big leaves!!!

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O o oooh... He's having a go at the dandelion leaves!!! Like a kid!!! Grrr trying to guilt me into giving him 'sweets' !!! Lmao!! Cheeky bugger <3

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Ok cool thanks. I didn't know that. I'll give it a try. Cucumber gone from now.
After all the various bits of info I've picked up I thought I'd try just dandelion leaves (I picked a big bag lastnight to restock) today. But from the look of them tarty had turned his nose up. I've just put fresh again this evening n again he's had a sniff n walked off. He's gone over to the pansy plant trashed it n walked off n is currently attempting to trash the slightly more hardy geranium. So I think he's hungry. But won't attempt the dandelion. Altho last night he ate almost 2 big leaves!!!

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O o oooh... He's having a go at the dandelion leaves!!! Like a kid!!! Grrr trying to guilt me into giving him 'sweets' !!! Lmao!! Cheeky bugger <3

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They'll try "guilting" you, but when they get hungry enough, they'll be happy to eat whatever you provide them...they're practical like that!

No tortoise ev er starved when food was in front of him/her.

 

[Tartaruga!]

That's good to know

 

[Jacqui]

Some tortoises seem to do better with small meals, but more often during the day.

 

[Tartaruga!]

Yeh I was thinking similar. When I first tried tarty with watercress, initially he seemed to be attracted to it but then sort of turned his nose up. So I started taking the little leaves off the thicker stick like stalk they're on and he ate them a LOT better. So today I've done the same with the dandelion leaves. The smaller leaves I've just broke in half, but the large leaves I've taken the leafy bit off it's thick vain that runs through the middle and left in smaller (inch'ish square'ish) pieces. I will see how they go down when I pop home at lunch time.