Feeding and Nutrition :: Cactus

[fluffytheturtle]

Is it ok to feed my turtle cactus? The prickly pear leaf without needles? They sell it at my grocery store. It is used in Spanish dishes. I heard that RES will eat them in the wild.

[sonyj]

Ok, I googled it for you. It is considered a fruit. It is full of vitamins and nutrients. It does say it's a good sorce for calcium and potassium. Potassium is something which your turtle shouldn't get much of.

I say in a very balanced diet, an occasional piece probably won't hurt any thing but it isn't something to give often. [/i]

[marisa]

Prickly pear pads and prickly pear fruit are good because they have a good calcium to PHOSPHORUS ratio. It's phosphorus, not potassium that one needs to be concerned about (though too much some nutrients can be problematic, I don't know if potassium is one of them).

I wouldn't go crazy with the stuff, but adding it to your turtle's overall diet will inself add to the balance.

[fluffytheturtle]

Ok. Thanks. So it is like fruit? Once a month max?

Can I give her some cactus and another type of fruit in the same month?

EDIT: Here is a good site on it:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/nopalitos.htm

Ok. I got the Napalitos kind not the prickly pear.

[fluffytheturtle]

Ok. Thanks. So it is like fruit? Once a month max?

Can I give her some cactus and another type of fruit in the same month?

EDIT: Here is a good site on it:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/nopalitos.htm

Ok. I got the Napalitos kind not the prickly pear.

HERE is another Intersting site:

http://www.turtlestuff.com/shop/?shop=1 ... art=207043

It says my cactus could be bad to give her due to where it was harvested. If I wash it good will it be ok?

[sonyj]

Ok, I read some of that and I would say not to use it.

I know from first hand experience that what they are saying is true. We were on a trip to Los Cabos Mexico in April. Every time you walked by any grass that was in the resort or nearby it smelled like sewer water because that's how they irrigated it.

I wouldn't risk it.

[marisa]

OK, I haven't read much of the links you posted, and obviously where the fruit has been grown will affect it's nutrient content and whether or not it contains contaminants.

All I can say is that prickly pear pads/fruit are rated up there with dandelions and other foods that have a good calcium/phosphorus ratios. It is not a bad thing to give.

If you're really concerned about whether or not it's bad, order it on line--doesn't the second line say something about organic fruit that can be ordered?

I sometimes buy red peppers and they're from Mexico. I am still alive and haven't been sick from them. Obviously some chance is involved whenever you buy fruit/veggies that have been grown abroad. So much for a global economy.

fluffytheturtle, I have been looking for this fruit and may have to go to what is known as the hispanic section of Hartford. If I find it and it says it's from Mexico (which it will be) I will buy it and both my turtles and I will try it.

[sonyj]

Just to correct my above statement about potassium: I completely got it goofed up with phosphorus. It's the phosphorus that you have to watch out for too much of (in relation to the calcium) And since Marisa said the calcium/phosphorus ratio is good in the cactus, then it should be okay if you want to try it.

Marisa, thanks for not making me look like too big of an idiot on that. Your very tactful. And let us know how your turtles (and you) like the cactus.

[fluffytheturtle]

Ok. Thanks for replying. I haven't tried the cacuts yet, but I was a little afraid to. Marissa, you are right. I buy avacados and bell peppers that were from Mexico at my grocery store and we ate them. So it is probably the same risk with the cactus. That website is just trying to sell their cactus. It is REALLY expensive on their site. It is $15 a pad. Mine was less than a dollar!

I hope it doesn't go bad fast because I already fed my turt a leaf of Romaine, a leaf of Green Leaf and about 4 small pieces of squash. I also threw in a sliver of Green Bell Pepper to see if she will eat it. I think it is still in the pond but I have to check. And I gave her like 10 food sticks. I think that is probably plenty for one day! I want to try the cactus though.

I am pretty sure RES naturally eat it in the wild.

[marisa]

Well, they're pear-shaped cactus pads and they're prickly, so I'm assuming I've bought some prickly pear cactus pads. A bit of a language barrier with the clerk in the grocery store I got them in (it could have been partly shock/surprise on her part when I said I wanted to buy some), but we established they were cactus and they were from Mexico.

I washed one of them well, soaked it in spring water and cut some of it up into little pieces. Not much of a taste really, just a tad sour. I think I'm going to be putting some in salads. I minced some of it up and mixed it with salmon to give it some scent and tried it on the turts---they weren't all that crazy for it, but the preemie (Bug) did eat it all. I might try mixing it with different things or soaking it to see if they like that better. I would think this food would be good for land turtles.

[sonyj]

LOL... I was just getting on to say I had gone out and bought some today as well, Marisa. I got mine from the produce section of the grocery store where there was herbs and stuff packaged, but mine are from here in the US (the only ones they had).

It is a little sour. Kind of like a tangy bell pepper. Koopa hasn't ate all of his, but there is little Koopa-mouth-shaped bites out of all of the peices I added.

[marisa]

One of the larger supermarkets here claims to sell them as well in the exotic fruit section as does a food coop. They don't have them all the time, though. One of the mgrs. said that now that someone's shown an interest, they may try harder to stock them.