Grated Carrot - Page 2

nina · 14-05-2009, 05:31 PM

I've only read about pumpkin being a natural wormer (but I do know that lots of people say that carrots and butternut squash are too -- but I've not read any scientific articles about them). With pumpkin it is the curcurbitin (which is mostly in the seeds) and mannitol that supposedly have the worming properties. Butternut squash is in the same family as pumpkin (but so are some other squashes), so maybe this is where the idea comes from.

Nina

**Alan1** · 14-05-2009, 05:58 PM

I did just read on links posted by Linda that with pumpkin it's actually the outer coating of the seeds that contains the wormer but can torts eat the seeds?

nina · 15-05-2009, 09:33 AM

Hi Alan,

I doubt that it would be good to feed them whole seeds, but you could probably pulverize the seeds until they are a powder. The seeds have the curcurbitin, but the flesh has mannitol, which is also known anthelminthic (wormer), and that is why people feed the flesh. Chicory has mannitol too, but a much smaller amount. The downside of pumpkin is that the calcium/phosphorus ratio is not good, but that is why people tend to feed it once a year, when in season, and not all year round.

However, having said all that, I would never rely on just pumpkin as a wormer if a tortoise has a heavy load of worms -- that needs proper medication. The other thing to note is that many vets now say that there is nothing wrong with a tortoise having a very light load of worms (and there are some theories that a very light load can actually be beneficial), but a heavy load is bad for the tortoise and needs treatment immediately, and with something more than just pumpkin.

Nina

**Alan1** · 15-05-2009, 10:35 AM

Aye nina I was just reading a bit about that. They possibly need some in the same way that we need bacteria and that wiping them out completely may also be taking beneficial bacteria with it. In the wild they must come across natural wormers that keep worms under control (i.e. at manageable levels) otherwise they would simply all be ill

lindso3000 · 15-05-2009, 12:16 PM

Mine love grated carrot and squash occasionaly!

nina · 15-05-2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindso3000

Mine love grated carrot and squash occasionaly!

I give mine a little grated carrot about once a month, as it's a good source of vitamin A.

Nina

Laraine · 15-05-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nina

I give mine a little grated carrot about once a month, as it's a good source of vitamin A.

Nina

Some of ours had their grated carrot last night, the Leos and sully love it.

anna m · 15-05-2009, 10:26 PM

I thought we had to be careful about carrot unless organic? As carrot picks up all the impurities in the soil

**Alan1** · 15-05-2009, 11:20 PM

Carrots make you see in the dark but are not as good as a torch

blackcat38 · 17-05-2009, 09:30 AM

I tried feeding mine some grated carrot yesterday, not one of them touched it

14-05-2009, 05:31 PM	#11
nina Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oxford Posts: 2,337	I've only read about pumpkin being a natural wormer (but I do know that lots of people say that carrots and butternut squash are too -- but I've not read any scientific articles about them). With pumpkin it is the curcurbitin (which is mostly in the seeds) and mannitol that supposedly have the worming properties. Butternut squash is in the same family as pumpkin (but so are some other squashes), so maybe this is where the idea comes from. Nina __________________ http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk l

15-05-2009, 09:33 AM	#13
nina Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oxford Posts: 2,337	Hi Alan, I doubt that it would be good to feed them whole seeds, but you could probably pulverize the seeds until they are a powder. The seeds have the curcurbitin, but the flesh has mannitol, which is also known anthelminthic (wormer), and that is why people feed the flesh. Chicory has mannitol too, but a much smaller amount. The downside of pumpkin is that the calcium/phosphorus ratio is not good, but that is why people tend to feed it once a year, when in season, and not all year round. However, having said all that, I would never rely on just pumpkin as a wormer if a tortoise has a heavy load of worms -- that needs proper medication. The other thing to note is that many vets now say that there is nothing wrong with a tortoise having a very light load of worms (and there are some theories that a very light load can actually be beneficial), but a heavy load is bad for the tortoise and needs treatment immediately, and with something more than just pumpkin. Nina __________________ http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk l

15-05-2009, 12:16 PM	#15
lindso3000 Senior Member Adult Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Cumbria Posts: 2,675	Mine love grated carrot and squash occasionaly! __________________ Keeper of horsfields, redfoots, Hermans, bearded dragon and 2 rats

14-05-2009, 05:58 PM	#12
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	I did just read on links posted by Linda that with pumpkin it's actually the outer coating of the seeds that contains the wormer but can torts eat the seeds?

15-05-2009, 10:35 AM	#14
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	Aye nina I was just reading a bit about that. They possibly need some in the same way that we need bacteria and that wiping them out completely may also be taking beneficial bacteria with it. In the wild they must come across natural wormers that keep worms under control (i.e. at manageable levels) otherwise they would simply all be ill

15-05-2009, 10:26 PM	#18
anna m Senior Member Adult Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 4,091	I thought we had to be careful about carrot unless organic? As carrot picks up all the impurities in the soil

15-05-2009, 11:20 PM	#19
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	Carrots make you see in the dark but are not as good as a torch

17-05-2009, 09:30 AM	#20
blackcat38 Member Egg Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: flintshire Posts: 61	I tried feeding mine some grated carrot yesterday, not one of them touched it

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