Feeding and Nutrition :: Vegetables and pellets and protein, oh my

[reptilegrrl]

My turtle, Al, gets lots of vegetables- sometimes lettuces, but mostly aquatic plants like anacharis, parrotfeather, moneywort, water celery, etc.

But for some reason, even though he can eat and eat and eat those things, he acts as though he is STARVING unless he gets some pellets. He also wants to eat every day. When he was a baby this was not the case. In fact, I've noticed that his appetite has increased a lot since he moved into the pond.

He's 7 years old this year so I know he does not need a lot of protein anymore, but this constant begging and thrashing for food is insane and worries me. The vet says his weight is good and I am feeding him fine.

I have to wonder if there is something in the pellets that just makes turtles go haywire, like fast food does to some humans. (Mmmmm, MSG!)

Today my partner went out to get the mail, and when he came in he said "When did you last feel Al?" I said "I fed him yesterday, he had anacharis and pellets."

Richard told me "Well, he says you haven't fed him in *weeks*." LOL.

You know how for some people, veggies just don't fill them up? Could it be that way for a turtle?

[turboturtle8]

Don't worry if the doctor says you are feeding him fine then he should be good.Just don't overfeed him cause that can cause even more begging.But don't worry my turtles beg all the time.That is funny because my mom says the same thing she says "did you feed your turtles they are looking pretty hungry" then I just say "yeah they are fine"

[reptilegrrl]

The thing is, he was never a beggar until recently. And I really don't understand his fixation with pellets.

But no, I'm not worried about him.

[scripta_elegans]

My turtles are the same. I try to vary their diet by giving them a different source of protein once a week instead of the daily pellets, but they act as if I haven't fed them if they don't get pellets. I do give them pellets every day, but only 1/2 a head's worth each. I was also concerned because they were going above and beyond the threshold of normal begging when I tried to give them nothing but veggies every other day. Your post awhile ago discussing a natural diet really go me thinking about the fact that pellets do have ingredients that the turtles probably wouldn't come across in the wild, so I also think there might be something in them that's addictive for turtles. I love the idea of the natural diet for the turtles, I think it's a great idea for almost all animals, including people), but my biggest concern is how to get vitamins to them without the pellets. I know you have researched this diet extensively from a previous post, is there a good way to get vitamins into the turtles sans pellets? I give them a wide range of greens, water plants, and veggies, but I do want to be sure they are getting all the dietary supplements they need.

[reptilegrrl]

The vitamin thing is the one I struggle with. I am still working on formulating an all-natural diet for my aquatic turtle, so I don't have it all figured out yet.

I think that in general, if one offers appropriate vegetables (including aquatics and algae) AND provides low-fat protein (like snails, earthworms) and cuttlebone, the turtle will be ok. Remember that fresh, whole foods have vitamins too. I feed lots of greens, live prey, and also cooked egg whites and cuttlebone... and pellets. In the wild, though, turtles don't get vitamins, and they often live a very long time... it seems that they don't die unless they are killed.

I make a salad for my box turtle; I am thinking of making the same salad for my RES but with larger chunks so it is more edible from am RES point of view.

Also, one thing I am doing to keep the turtle's food fresher is invest in a vacuum food sealer. Preserving freshness preserves vitamins.

Ooh, something just occurred to me: I wonder if my RES would eat a vitamin tablet? MelissaK from anapsid.org gives her herps Centrum. I wonder, if I tossed half a Centrum into the pond, would he eat it? I wll have to try that.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Melissa isnt the only one. I believe that TurtleAddict, a member from this site, also uses human vitamin tablet for their turtles..if I remember correctly

[PetriTheTurtle]

hmmm that's an interesting idea! Petri is a very picky eater. She refuses to eat anything that is green or leafy. I keep offering it to her in hopes she'll change her mind, I have even tried soaking some greens in the water from a tuna can. She took an interest, but after taking a bite she just spit it back out.

She loves things that are orange though, like carrots and sweet potato and cantalope... I bet it I threw in half of one of those fruity chewable childrens vitamins (you know, like the flinstones ones?) she'd probably eat it.

I wonder if she'd benefit from it? or if it could be dangerous.

[steve]

Don't just drop them in there for them to eat. From what I remember, Centrum has very high levels of D3. Remember, its formula is made for normal people.

reptilegrrl, is this what you were referring to?

http://www.anapsid.org/uvd3.html

[marisa]

If the diet is balanced, why would vitamin tablets be needed?

[reptilegrrl]

If the diet is balanced, why would vitamin tablets be needed?

I tend to be a "just in case" sort of person about vitamins. They are like a safety net. But, I've never given my RES vitamins, because reptile vitamins come in powder form and would wash off in the pond water. I know his pellets are fortified with vitamins, so they feel like a safety net.

[reptilegrrl]

Don't just drop them in there for them to eat. From what I remember, Centrum has very high levels of D3. Remember, its formula is made for normal people.

reptilegrrl, is this what you were referring to?

http://www.anapsid.org/uvd3.html

No... in her recipe for iguana salad, Melissa says she adds a crumbled Centrum.