Jacksons ratio

[fi_fi]

Hello one and all,

As you may be aware i recently took alfie to the vets for a M.O.T and he advised that he had been growing to fast (combination of pet shop living and poor advise i had recived prior to chelled worriors!)

The vet advised that i should be feeding less than i was to avoid shell deformaties etc so i have done so.

He is 10cm and when i took him to the vet he weighed 188g, he is now about 10g less - would this amount be lost in wee or poo?

I dont want him to lose any "fat" before hibernation etc if its gonna affect him badly.

I think he is wild caught :evil: :twisted: but his certificate states hatch 04, which is a guess i asume - i have been advised this is still a Juvenile age and therefore he should be about 160g.

Even though i thought i should mention about his weight lose which is obviously due to drop in food amount but wanted to make sure it would not harm him....

Sorry to rambble i hope i am clear in what i have tried to say :oops:

[aprillinda]

hi fi

how long days or weeks before the weight loss

[fi_fi]

i took him to the vets on 31st and i weighed him yesterday before posting.

so that about 10g in that time. i had just bathed him though b4 i weighed him b4 going to the vets - would this and a poo in the bath compensate for this?

thanks

fi

[Eire_Ade]

Hi Fifi,

I think your tortoise is ok, like you say you bathed him before taking him to the vets so he would have taken in water, and changing the quantity of food will slow down the weight gain, then more than likely a wee and a poo would male a loss like this.

Just keep taking a weekly weight chart for a while and you might see a pattern appear or this weight might even balance out.

You should be aiming for between 2 to 4 grammes per month weight gain, this can be hard as it is easy to overfeed, you have to be hard and your tortoise will become more active and interested in food if it is not always full. Feed your lesser quantitiy of food once a day for approximately an hour and then remove the left overs.

Hope this helps.

Ade :D

[fi_fi]

it helps a lot - thank you :D

(Edit) also, just thought i would say that sinch he has been feeding less i have hardly seen any poo's in his enclosure.

Should i be worried?

He had a bath today and did not have a poo, but there where some thick white urate (sorry if spelling is not correct)

Thanks

Fi

[Eire_Ade]

Hi Fi,

Sometimes they can go a few days without doing a poo, i had this earlier to day with one of my little ones who hadn't been for a few days but in the bath today was an enormously long one.

Relief for her I guess! :oops:

Just keep an eye on your tortoise, you could keep a journal of the things observed if you feel it would help you to remember when and where things happened. You could also include, temps of enclosure, bathed, weighed and measured, what you have fed etc....

Ade :D

[fi_fi]

Thank you - i have been keeping one of weight and size, however i shall also add the things you suggested.

thanks

:D

[sandy]

Make sure you only weigh him weekly, as if you do daily then you will see weight going up and
down. You also wont see any real pattern to his weight.
A reduction in weight if he is lively and having less to eat, will make his weight go down<g>.
As long as he seems healthy has bright eyes and a clear nose, I wouldnt worry.

[fi_fi]

he seams fine, but he has been sleeping a bit more, but then i guess that could have been the weather ?

[sandy]

Well my two new babies who are kept indoors, were awake before I got up in the morning
to turn the lights on. Now it takes them an hour to wake up with the light/heat on<g>.
And my torts outside are showing the same sort of signs. Autumn and hibernation are well
on the way<g>.

[fi_fi]

i am gald to report that Alfie had a poo today :D

[Eire_Ade]

Good tortoise Alfie! :oops:

Ade :D

[fi_fi]

must have been saving it up :o

[sandy]

Lol arent we sad, when our excitement is a poo.

[Tracy]

you said it Sandy :lol:

[fi_fi]

today i was very ecited as Alfie not only had a poo - he also ate pansies!!!!!

i swear my neighbours think i am a freak lol - if they only knew :lol:

[aprillinda]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

linda x