Feeding and Nutrition :: Okay, Now What?

[evlock]

I have been trying to get Fred to eat his veggies. I have tried the local squash that looks like zucchini but lighter in color, Romaine, sweet potato, tomato, molokheya (an Arabic green), carrot, and pumpkin. I have soaked in tuna juice; mixed with a bit of tuna and tried to feed him. He takes bites out of the local squash and pumpkin, then spits it right back out....this is also what he does with his cuttle bone. He acts as though he is really excited...until he gets in his mouth. I have blanched it; not blanched it. Small pieces which he could swallow whole and large pieces he could bite a chunk out of. The only non-pellet foods he will eat, are strawberries and tiny dried shrimp. I have even tried rubbing strawberry juice on all of these veggies...no dice. He continues to take chunks out and spit them immediately out. I continue to add fresh veggies every day, and pellets only every other day. I have even tried going two or three days between pellets. I am not giving him any strawberries at all, because I don't want him to think that's the only not pellet food it's okay to eat, and since they aren't a good all the time food for him.

I know that is a lot of discombobulated rambling, but if you were able to decipher it, and have any more suggestions, I am all eyes...and willing turtle mama.

Evalie

[PintoD]

Lots of patience... Turtles can be like little kids, no matter how much you try to give them the foods that are good for them, they wont want to try until one day they will try it and like it. It's not the best answer that you are looking for but for right now just give them the pellets and what ever veggies they like. Have you tried lettuce?

[evlock]

Thanks, PintoD, yes, I have tried Romaine. He doesn't even try to take a bite of that. He is incredibly picky. I never had picky kids; maybe this is payback. I was so excited to see all of the chomps out of his cuttle bone...then to find all of those chomp size bits under his rocks when I cleaned his tank...well, that was a bit a a disappointment.

Evalie

[PintoD]

How old is Fred?

[evlock]

He is 7, but we were completely misinformed about proper care until just recently. So he has never had any exposure to veggies until now. He has always had pellets and those tiny dried shrimp. He is very small for his age, and it is truly a wonder he is alive, given he had no heater, or UVB, and lived in a 15 gal tank filled about 1/3 full for all those years.

[octpusgirl8]

PintoD's got it, it just takes patience. It took months of daily vegetable offerings before my turtle started to eat them. Like your turtle, he would take bites out of them but just spit it out. Eventually he started swallowing it, and now he eats it all. He won't touch them when i'm nearby though, he's always trying to hold out for pellets. Turtles are sneakly little things.

[evlock]

Thank you, Octopusgirl8. I am relieved to know that it will eventually happen.
I will persevere.

[SpotsMama]

Some turtles really love fresh basil. Spot would eat it long before he'd touch anything else. Another favorite is steamed sweet potato. You mentioned you've tried sweet potato, but was it softened a bit with steaming? Another turtle favorite is blueberries. For several years my turtle showed no interest in lettuce (red and green leaf lettuce) but this past year he's been crazy for it - prefers it to romaine. Carrot shavings appeal to a lot of turtles, as well as a bit of tomato. Some turtles love bell pepper. Also, you can put living water plants like anacharis in a tank for the turtle to snack on. The water plants don't spoil in the water like veggies though when a turtle rips one to pieces it can make quite a mess.