'Nutrobal'- old school?

[Kirkie]

Well,well, well. I have it from a reliable source that the vet in question supplied a caresheet produced by Medivet. In it it referenced the testing of UV lights at their "captive breeding Centre".

Let me just look at that tub of Reptavite again...hello! whats this little logo near the bottom..I can just make it out... M.E.D.I.V.E.T P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N.A.L

Do we have product placement in the vetinary profession?

Is a perfectly suitable product, Nutrabol, being dissed (as I believe the young people say nowadays) to encourage tortoise keepers to use an alternative product?

Any tort fed on Broccilli as a base food is going to need all the amino acids it can get I suppose, the increased calcium in Reptavite isn't going to help if its all being rendered unusable by Oxlaic acid is it?

[Mel]

My goodness; what an odd coincidence?

[Ozric Jonathan]

Sort of connected to your interesting discussion, I found that there is variation across European keepers about the use of supplements. Many people in France and Germany think they are more harm than good. Now I should make clear these are keepers growing a wide range of food plants, getting thier torts outside a lot (better weather) etc. But they reason that with supplements its impossible to deliver an accurate dose. I had to admit that I don't really have any idea how much Neutrobal actually gets into the tortoise, I just mix a tiny amount up with lots of damp leaf and let them get on with it. Not very precise.

With Hermanns anyway the wild populations often live in areas with limestone and the food plants are therfore taking up calcium. I'm going to start a food bed next year which I'll be treating with garden lime. My garden soil is acid but if anyone lives on the South Downs for instance they would be getting a head start on the calcium front.

[Mel]

Stands to reason I guess, I have to admit I do the same as you, mix it in with wet weeds and let them crack on. In my simple mind any is better than none, although I'm slightly perturbed about the possibility of O.D.ing them on vit A?

[Kirkie]

Sorry Stells , thought I was pushing it a bit

I've been looking around and the product I have looks repackaged. I feel a letter to the manufacturer coming on. Maybe they'd be interested in the other parties "side line".

[Kirkie]

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

With Hermanns anyway the wild populations often live in areas with limestone and the food plants are therfore taking up calcium. I'm going to start a food bed next year which I'll be treating with garden lime. My garden soil is acid but if anyone lives on the South Downs for instance they would be getting a head start on the calcium front.

This is a great idea. AH writes of a comparision test to try between a tray of weeds grown with a calcium boost in the soil and a normal tray. The tortoises will activley seek out the weeds grown in the calcium enriched soil. I'm redoing my outside enclosures next year and I was thinking of mixing in bulk amounts of limestone flour to the substrate and growing in that.

Apparently Seaweed meal also enriches soil with calcium and other trace elements.

[Zoomer]

Originally Posted by Kirkie

Sorry Stells , thought I was pushing it a bit

I've been looking around and the product I have looks repackaged. I feel a letter to the manufacturer coming on. Maybe they'd be interested in the other parties "side line".

I have also bought Nutrabol,which has been repackaged into the seller container,makes you wonder if it's the proper stuff or not.

Feeding a weed based balance diet I would have thought, would provide all the vit's they need without the extras being added.
Trying to replicate what they would eat in the wild,no one would be sprinkling their food which extra vit's there.They would find their own source of limestone,but wouldn't be calling in the chemist for vitamin supplies.

[swad1000]

Originally Posted by Zoomer

I have also bought Nutrabol,which has been repackaged into the seller container,makes you wonder if it's the proper stuff or not.

Feeding a weed based balance diet I would have thought, would provide all the vit's they need without the extras being added.
Trying to replicate what they would eat in the wild,no one would be sprinkling their food which extra vit's there.They would find their own source of limestone,but wouldn't be calling in the chemist for vitamin supplies.

Most animals somehow are able to sense when they are lacking in certain vitamins or other trace elements, and will seek out plants rich in those.

Captive tortoises don't have this luxury of being able to do so, and even the best captive diet is going to struggle to offer the variety of the diet they would eat in the wild, hence the reason we add supliments.

[Kirkie]

Hi Zoomer. Dont worry mate I've got no problem with Nutrobal, I've seen it in different packaging too.

Swad, 100% agree with you. Vit's and minerals aren't just about foodstuff, its about trace elements from soil, dirt, bugs and all the other bits that are attached to food plants and are taken in when a tortoise has a (lets face it , fairly inaccurate) lunge at a plant. I use multivits regularly, minerals (Calcium) daily.

Just out of interest does anyone condition their tortoises drinking water?

[sandy]

So how do tortoises in the wild get their vitimins etc then?
I use rain water for my tortoises.