Shelled Warriors Forums
 

Go Back   Shelled Warriors Forums > Tortoise Information > Tortoise Health and Vets

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 15-07-2012, 12:44 AM   #1
BirdieF18
Member
Incubating
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 198
Question Does eating small stones every now and then offer any health benefits?

I have noticed my horsfield sometimes eats a small stone every now and then i know this is fine as long as they are passed which they are I was just simply wandering if eating these has any health benefit to tortoises. I thought it might clear out their system or something. I was wandering if someone could tell me if there is any health benefit to this?
Thanks
__________________
Three cats-Mitzi, Tilly, Luna
Two dogs-Cara, Brodie
Two Horses-Ruby, Murfy
One budgie-Poppy
One Horsfield Tortoise-Pumpkin
One Nosy Ankarea Panther Chameleon-Boggles
BirdieF18 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-07-2012, 12:52 AM   #2
shaz
Senior Member
Sub Adult
 
shaz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Mid glam, South Wales, but born in Bristol
Posts: 1,590
Default

I would be worried if i knew my torts were eating stones, as if they dont pass they may cause serious problems to the tort
shaz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-07-2012, 01:16 PM   #3
emmajh
Member
Hatched
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 446
Default

My thbs eat stones, one in particular goes out looking for them constantly!! I caught her yesterday trying to eat a huge one! I now break up bits of cuttlefish to resemble stones and place them in her fave hunting ground and she happily eats them instead
emmajh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-07-2012, 08:37 PM   #4
Bindi
Super Moderator
Adult
 
Bindi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 11,157
Default

My theory is that they are either looking for calcium -emmajh's suggestion is a great one - or the stones are an aid to digestion
__________________
Bindi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-07-2012, 02:15 AM   #5
BirdieF18
Member
Incubating
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 198
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by emmajh View Post
My thbs eat stones, one in particular goes out looking for them constantly!! I caught her yesterday trying to eat a huge one! I now break up bits of cuttlefish to resemble stones and place them in her fave hunting ground and she happily eats them instead
I will try this with my tort thanks
__________________
Three cats-Mitzi, Tilly, Luna
Two dogs-Cara, Brodie
Two Horses-Ruby, Murfy
One budgie-Poppy
One Horsfield Tortoise-Pumpkin
One Nosy Ankarea Panther Chameleon-Boggles
BirdieF18 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-07-2012, 02:21 AM   #6
cherylahutch
Senior Member
Adult
 
cherylahutch's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 2,170
Default

My horsfield elvis used to do this all the time, he loves white ones so probably is a calcium thing tho he has never bothered with his cuttlefish fish even tho I always give him some
__________________
Proud owner of Elvis, Padme, Bella,Ruby and Daisy the Horsfields, Mork and Mindi the Indian stars, Toby and Scarlett the Redfoots Yoshi and Cleopatra the Egyptians and Sam the Labrador. .
cherylahutch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-07-2012, 08:21 AM   #7
Alan1
Super Moderator
Adult
 
Alan1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Sunny Scotland
Posts: 21,512
Default

one of my torts passed a huge stone the other day, it was a brown one with jagged edges
Alan1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-07-2012, 12:56 PM   #8
Bindi
Super Moderator
Adult
 
Bindi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 11,157
Default

...Ouchie
__________________
Bindi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-07-2012, 03:12 PM   #9
emmajh
Member
Hatched
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 446
Default

My torts never ever bother with a cuttle fish in fact they trample in! But if I break it up to stone size pieces some big some small and leave it outside in the pouring rain and mud they are quite happy to eat it then!
emmajh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-07-2012, 10:08 PM   #10
shellonia
Senior Member
Sub Adult
 
shellonia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: central s england
Posts: 1,534
Default

Well I guess they do in the wild as there's no-one there to tell them not to! I guess they actually eat all manner of stuff in a rough mediterranean/ Afghan etc terrain. I mostly leave them to it unless it's obviously sharp or jagged. My 4 year old spurthigh passed 14 medium sized stones leading up to hibernation last year! Because I know she has this habit I always give her fibre pellets in the weeks leading up to it as this smoothes the passage!!
shellonia is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
eating, health, passing, stone, substrate


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.