Calcium

This forum covers all aspects of tortoise diet and nutrition, including mineral and vitamin supplementation and foods appropriate for different species.
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Misty666tortoise
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Joined: 27 Oct 2019, 15:41

Calcium

Post by Misty666tortoise » 11 Nov 2019, 16:17

Ok my tortoises don't eat the food with the vitamin or calcium supplement on, I've heard you can get calcium vitamin drops to put in the water, can I have any advice in getting them to eat it, cheers ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿข๐Ÿข

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lin
Posts: 1031
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Calcium

Post by lin » 11 Nov 2019, 17:28

Hiya.
Fussy, arenโ€™t they :lol:
Have you tried leaving the cuttlefish bone you get for birds, in the garden to go wet and manky looking. Most tortoises like it when itโ€™s wet and lost itโ€™s smell. Also A tiny pinch is all you need, per kilo of tortoise weight with the supplements so if you offer a teeny piece of thin cucumber with the supplement sprinkled on it and folded in half, it could work.
What methods are you trying Misty?

Lin

Misty666tortoise
Posts: 13
Joined: 27 Oct 2019, 15:41

Re: Calcium

Post by Misty666tortoise » 11 Nov 2019, 18:00

I'm just trying it shaken in a tub to cover the food lightly, but they really just turn their nose up at it, I feed them a handful of wild grown plants so when they don't eat it it's like 50% of their diet so it's to much for them to miss out on, I like the cucumber trick I might give that ago.๐Ÿข๐Ÿฅ’ Cheers ๐Ÿ‘

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lin
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Re: Calcium

Post by lin » 11 Nov 2019, 21:36

Hi Misty.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Lin

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Nina
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Calcium

Post by Nina » 12 Nov 2019, 08:24

Which supplement are you using? Nutrobal is the best but it also has a smell that tortoises don't like. For some reason i find that if I wet one side of a leaf and sprinkle a bit of nutrobal on it and then turn that upside down and offer it to the tortoise, they will often eat it -- but not if the nutrobal is on the top. Some people say that keeping it in the fridge helps, but if after trying lots of things they still won't eat it then we could recommend another product (Rep-Cal for example). See our list of supplements here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... cpr_tXgq9s

Nina

Misty666tortoise
Posts: 13
Joined: 27 Oct 2019, 15:41

Re: Calcium

Post by Misty666tortoise » 12 Nov 2019, 12:16

I have cutle fish and my Hermann's tortoise doesn't mind giving that ago it has bite marks all over that other than that I have advanced nutri-cal, which my vet recommend as he has five tortoise all in their 20s so I I've been asking him for advice on most things, it's just it's a alot to make an appointment for just a fussy tortoise ๐Ÿ˜† they are due for another check up soon just to keep on top of their health as both were rescued, I just want to say it's great being part of this I know i can get advice and make sure they are happy tortoises ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿข๐Ÿข๐Ÿข๐Ÿข

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lin
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Calcium

Post by lin » 12 Nov 2019, 14:09

Aww, thank you Misty, thatโ€™s so nice of you and itโ€™s also good for us to have you here caring so much for your tortoises. It makes our job much easier - lol.
Let us know about the cucumber of folded leaf, if it works or not and I am sure your babies health checks will pass with flying colours.

Lin

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Nina
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Re: Calcium

Post by Nina » 12 Nov 2019, 22:40

If you wet his leaves, you can scrape a thin layer of powder off the cuttlefish with your fingernail, and it will stick to it. Just trying to think of how to get more calcium in them!

Nina

Misty666tortoise
Posts: 13
Joined: 27 Oct 2019, 15:41

Re: Calcium

Post by Misty666tortoise » 14 Nov 2019, 10:04

At the time all i had was grapes i peeled it and they ate it so I know when I get cucumber they should do it fine, they only had half a grape each, I didn't find it on the don't have list of food so I guessed it was ok for half, I only ever feed off the green list I swear by that and pick all their food from outside put it in an airtight container in the fridge and it last up to 3 days,I have to chop it up fine so their get a bit of everything, I must pick about 9-10 maybe more different plants for them, ๐Ÿข๐Ÿฅ’๐Ÿ€๐ŸŒต๐ŸŒฑ๐ŸŒบ๐Ÿ˜Š

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Nina
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Re: Calcium

Post by Nina » 14 Nov 2019, 10:41

Hi Misty,

It sounds to me like you are providing a really good diet, and you are going to have very happy and healthy tortoises!
Re the grape -- that was fine to do, but in general we don't advise feeding grapes because of the sugar content (theirdigestive systems don't cope well with the natural sugars in fruit).

We have two entries for grapes -- one for the vine (leaves) https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/pla ... c0tq9Xgq9s and one for the fruit https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/pla ... c0uMdXgq9s , so you shouldn't really feed grapes to non-fruit-eating species, but in the wild tortoises do encounter fallen fruit on the ground (and of course they love it -- think babies and chocolate), so there is no harm done with the occasional lapse :) especially if you are trying to get some medication or supplement into them.

Cheers,
Nina

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