Feeding and Nutrition :: Collards, oh MY!!!

[industrial_girl_2000]

I know the question has come up many times: how much lettuce/greens are too much? Well, I think I reached that with Sheba & here's how:

Yesterday morning, Sheba didn't look like she was feeling well. She was very lethargic & closing her eyes a lot. She also wasn't interested in eating (very unusual for her). I thought for sure I was going to have to take her to the vet so I boosted her water temp from 76 to 80F & watched over the course of the next hour as she pooped 2 VERY large amounts, and I think I even saw her burp once. She sat under her MVB heat lamp for almost 10 hours, and by the end of the day was swimming as normal.

This morning when I got up, she was actively begging for food (!).

So I honestly think she over ate herself on collards. I normally give her some romaine & some collard mixed, but having run out of romaine, I had given her more collards than normal & I think it made her tummy upset. My poor baby. She needed the equivalent of a turtle version of pepto-bismol!!!!!

[N4784N R4613]

Aww, poor Sheba!!!

[scripta_elegans]

I know exactly how she feels! That's what happens to me when I over do the greens too!

[SpotsMama]

Poor little Sheba! Just can't resist a good salad!

Glad to hear she's doing better.

[pamelas]

Don't know if anyone is still following this thread but how much or many greens are too much? The Kid has come out of her Winter duldrums and is eating like there is no tomorrow. One thing is different tho, she is wolfing down collard and lettuce leaves..I mean wolfing, til nothing is left. This is a kid who would leave nearly every green thing I have ever given her, floating in the pond for days on end. Any other veggie I have tried (zucc and carrots etc) on her, she looks at me like I am insane. Going to try some zucchini rounds today, see if she has changed her tune. So I don't have experience with her, veggies and lettuce--any suggestions on quantity? She is a 9 inch river cooter..no idea how old, she 'came to us' in 2003 and she seems to be starting toward her more vegetarian stage of life.
IndustrialGirl..if you have a moment, I would love to hear more about Sheba's "slipper" she naps in. My girl will sometimes climb up on a pair fuzzy slippers I have, and hang out. I have thought of trying to fashion some kind of bed but can't quite picture it in my little brain.

[grey goose]

My guys will over do it with the greens too. Then they get the "runs", and I'll skip a day on their feeding. We should count ourselves lucky, most turts, especially younger ones, won't touch the stuff.

[marisa]

When your turtle starts making poop that's fibrous, not that formed and falls apart really easily, then I'd cut back on the greens a bit.

[pamelas]

Thanks you guys! This is exactly what happened yesterday..less than orderly poops :-) I will forgo the greens today and try an every other day approach.

[scripta_elegans]

one of mine has eaten about 20 strands on Anacharis and 2 cups of duckweed in the past month. I believe Sparky probably ate the other 10 strands of Anacharis but he hasn't ever touched the duckweed. Anyway, spike looked like she was pooping out pure duckweed, so I have resolved to only put a few plants in at a time. It used to take them a couple months to get through 10 strands and a cup!

[industrial_girl_2000]

Don't know if anyone is still following this thread but how much or many greens are too much? The Kid has come out of her Winter duldrums and is eating like there is no tomorrow. One thing is different tho, she is wolfing down collard and lettuce leaves..I mean wolfing, til nothing is left. This is a kid who would leave nearly every green thing I have ever given her, floating in the pond for days on end. Any other veggie I have tried (zucc and carrots etc) on her, she looks at me like I am insane. Going to try some zucchini rounds today, see if she has changed her tune. So I don't have experience with her, veggies and lettuce--any suggestions on quantity? She is a 9 inch river cooter..no idea how old, she 'came to us' in 2003 and she seems to be starting toward her more vegetarian stage of life.
IndustrialGirl..if you have a moment, I would love to hear more about Sheba's "slipper" she naps in. My girl will sometimes climb up on a pair fuzzy slippers I have, and hang out. I have thought of trying to fashion some kind of bed but can't quite picture it in my little brain.

Hey! Awesome to hear about another "big baby!"

I found with Sheba that 1/2 of a large collard leaf & small handful of baby leaf romaine salad (I get the mixed stuff at the grocery store) works great for Sheba daily. Once I start getting into the "more-than-one" collard leaf is when her stomach gets upset.

LOL, about the slipper. They seem to love crawling into shoes. The big red shoe that Sheba has is actually a cat toy that I picked up for about $25 at a chain retail pet store about 2 yrs ago. So go shopping in the cat aisle & see what you can find. My experience with Sheba is that she likes to crawl into something that has a "roof".

In the past, I didn't have this "shoe" for Sheba, but I did have a beanbag that she would dig under & that worked great too.

[yertle_the_girl_turtle]

Wow! Sheba's funny! Poor baby.

[pamelas]

Thanks for all the info. I have been feeding the greens every other day (green leaf, red leaf, romaine, collards) and it's working out really well. The Kid loves the really big leaves..rips the heck outta them and gobbles it down. It's fun to watch her having such a good time. She still hates zucchini tho. Thanks also for the "cat slipper / beanbag" info, it's given me some ideas. She has recently become disatisfied with her bed (she comes in at night) and will climb out and scratch at the closet door. If you don't respond fast enough, she bangs on the closet door. I don't want to make her a prisioner in her bed, so looking for something she will like as well as she used to like her bed. Guess she wants an upgrade. Ya, I already know I'm a nut ;-)