How to increase calcium in the diet

amph55 · 13-03-2013, 07:55 PM

Just wondered if there' s another way to supplement calcium in the med. tortoise's diet as mine hates anything put on his food. Could bathing his shell in dissolved calcium powder work or use calcium sand as a substrate make a difference? Also is there a readily absorbable lotion that could be massaged into the weaker parts of his shell? Just throwing some ideas out as mine always has been a fussy eater...

pagan queen · 13-03-2013, 08:01 PM

You could try putting some free range washed eggs shells in for him to eat and if you haven't already got some cuttle fish bone in there maybe try that. Also try giving high calcium plants or growing weeds in high calcium soil by mixing in limestone flour with the soil.
You can also buy liquid calcium called zolcal which also has D3 so care should be taken not to overdose with it.

kazzabb · 13-03-2013, 08:41 PM

Hi amph55, have you tried Nekton MSA? I'm just about to order some, because a couple of my torts don't seem to like Nutrobal, and apparently Nekton MSA doesn't smell as bad. You can buy it via Amazon.
Karen

**Alan1** · 13-03-2013, 10:25 PM

My torts did not like Nutrobal so I got this Calcium + D3 stuff that has no smell. It only contains calcium and D3 no other vits, made by Exo Terra http://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/rept...FcbKtAod7hcAEg

Cuttlefish bone is good. I don't think putting stuff on the shell will help, it will have to be eaten. Snail shells washed or boiled for a few seconds maybe and crushed oyster shell are others

Andy Robertson · 14-03-2013, 08:09 AM

Hi there,
I put down small saucers with a pile of limestone flour on them that I bought from SW shop. All my torts just eat from it including my juveniles. You can tell when they have been eating it as there faces are white.
Andy

kazzabb · 14-03-2013, 11:26 AM

Mine would just poo and wee all over the piles of limestone powder, then trample it all over their enclosure, and the paste would end up looking like some kind of (wattle and) daub type mixture

The Nekton MSA I'm getting, would be in addition to the limestone flour though.
Karen

suttysue · 14-03-2013, 05:52 PM

I have changed to the NEKTON MSA as my torts wouldn't eat anything with NUTRABOL on. The NEKTON is just ignored as they eat. So I recomend it without hesitation.
I have also scraped CUTTLEFISH onto thier food to enhance thier Calcium intake.

Ozric Jonathan · 14-03-2013, 09:55 PM

I suggest feed plants that are low in potassium and high in calcium, with a ratio of 4:1 or better. The mineral content of plants can be found on various websites including the Plants for a Future Database.

**Alan1** · 15-03-2013, 07:54 AM

Where do you buy natural chalk?

amph55 · 15-03-2013, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

I suggest feed plants that are low in potassium and high in calcium, with a ratio of 4:1 or better. The mineral content of plants can be found on various websites including the Plants for a Future Database.

Sounds very technical but will look into it thanks

13-03-2013, 07:55 PM	#1
amph55 Member Egg Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: west wales near Barmouth Posts: 92	How to increase calcium in the diet Just wondered if there' s another way to supplement calcium in the med. tortoise's diet as mine hates anything put on his food. Could bathing his shell in dissolved calcium powder work or use calcium sand as a substrate make a difference? Also is there a readily absorbable lotion that could be massaged into the weaker parts of his shell? Just throwing some ideas out as mine always has been a fussy eater... __________________ Hi from Amph

13-03-2013, 08:01 PM	#2
pagan queen Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Kent Posts: 6,073	You could try putting some free range washed eggs shells in for him to eat and if you haven't already got some cuttle fish bone in there maybe try that. Also try giving high calcium plants or growing weeds in high calcium soil by mixing in limestone flour with the soil. You can also buy liquid calcium called zolcal which also has D3 so care should be taken not to overdose with it. __________________ 1.0.1 TG Ibera 1.0.0 Chinese Frise dog 0.1.0 African Grey Parrot 0.1.0 Hahns Macaw 0.1.0 Pearly Conure 0.2.0 Guinea Pigs 0.2.0 Chickens 1.0.0 Bearded Dragon 7.4.0 Budgies 1.1.0 Cockatiels 1.3 Kids 1 Husband Last edited by pagan queen; 13-03-2013 at 08:03 PM.

13-03-2013, 08:41 PM	#3
kazzabb Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedfordshire - the middle of nowhere Posts: 430	Hi amph55, have you tried Nekton MSA? I'm just about to order some, because a couple of my torts don't seem to like Nutrobal, and apparently Nekton MSA doesn't smell as bad. You can buy it via Amazon. Karen __________________ 19 TG Ibera, 3 dogs, 1 husband.

13-03-2013, 10:25 PM	#4
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	My torts did not like Nutrobal so I got this Calcium + D3 stuff that has no smell. It only contains calcium and D3 no other vits, made by Exo Terra http://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/rept...FcbKtAod7hcAEg Cuttlefish bone is good. I don't think putting stuff on the shell will help, it will have to be eaten. Snail shells washed or boiled for a few seconds maybe and crushed oyster shell are others Last edited by Alan1; 13-03-2013 at 10:29 PM.

14-03-2013, 11:26 AM	#6
kazzabb Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedfordshire - the middle of nowhere Posts: 430	Mine would just poo and wee all over the piles of limestone powder, then trample it all over their enclosure, and the paste would end up looking like some kind of (wattle and) daub type mixture The Nekton MSA I'm getting, would be in addition to the limestone flour though. Karen __________________ 19 TG Ibera, 3 dogs, 1 husband.

14-03-2013, 08:09 AM	#5
Andy Robertson Member Hatched Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Aberdeen Posts: 339	Hi there, I put down small saucers with a pile of limestone flour on them that I bought from SW shop. All my torts just eat from it including my juveniles. You can tell when they have been eating it as there faces are white. Andy

14-03-2013, 05:52 PM	#7
suttysue Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: UK / Eng / Yorkshire Posts: 1,483	I have changed to the NEKTON MSA as my torts wouldn't eat anything with NUTRABOL on. The NEKTON is just ignored as they eat. So I recomend it without hesitation. I have also scraped CUTTLEFISH onto thier food to enhance thier Calcium intake.

14-03-2013, 09:55 PM	#8
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	I suggest feed plants that are low in potassium and high in calcium, with a ratio of 4:1 or better. The mineral content of plants can be found on various websites including the Plants for a Future Database. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

15-03-2013, 07:54 AM	#9
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	Where do you buy natural chalk?

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