Expert advice needed...

[nina]

What a beautiful horsfield you have! If you're in the States, you can use a 50/50 mixture of topsoil and playsand, or I know lots of people use 50/50 bed-a-beast and playsand. Some good sites for information on horsfields are:
http://www.thetortoisehouse.com/ (UK site)
http://www.russiantortoise.org/ (USA site)

[Jacqui]

Sumbody you have a beautiful and very lucky Russian! Also welcome to this forum. As to the pet store sounds like they were giving incorrect care, but I doubt it's anything deemed serious enough for a Humane Society, Animal Control whatever, to do anything about. You might let them know what you have learned and help educate them yourself.

[EJ]

To be more correct you might say the shop was giving advice that this list does not agree with. Whether it is right or wrong is highly debatable.

The second part of your comment seems to imply that you understand the point I'm trying to make.

Originally Posted by Jacqui

Sumbody you have a beautiful and very lucky Russian! Also welcome to this forum. As to the pet store sounds like they were giving incorrect care, but I doubt it's anything deemed serious enough for a Humane Society, Animal Control whatever, to do anything about. You might let them know what you have learned and help educate them yourself.

[chelonaki]

"You might let them know what you have learned and help educate them yourself"

That sounds as a better idea. But if the shop will not change methods or will say that it will not change methods, then it should be reported: feeding tortoises canned beans for 6 months, not knowing the species of the tortoise is not a matter of opinion. Moreover, SumbodyZMom felt it was something wrong with the tortoises looking sleepy. Also, the advice that is given for the tortoise can not be anything at all, it is not always a mattre of debate. Advising to feed the tortoise just canned beans and pellet food should not happen if the seller had any knowledge on tortoises. I trust SumbodyZMom's feelinf that there was something wrong with that shop.

[EJ]

There are some very well researched pelleted foods on the market that are more beneficial than what the average keeper can put together in terms of nutritional balance. Natural is definately better but unless you can provide the variety to compensate for the nutritional balance an animal needs the animal suffers.

As to the shops, most do the best they can for a temproary situation. I can think of one shop in all the years (and I visit many because of conversations like this) that I found unacceptable. Most shops in the current age try to take care of the animls the best they can because that is what keeps them in business.

Originally Posted by chelonaki

"You might let them know what you have learned and help educate them yourself"

That sounds as a better idea. But if the shop will not change methods or will say that it will not change methods, then it should be reported: feeding tortoises canned beans for 6 months, not knowing the species of the tortoise is not a matter of opinion. Moreover, SumbodyZMom felt it was something wrong with the tortoises looking sleepy. Also, the advice that is given for the tortoise can not be anything at all, it is not always a mattre of debate. Advising to feed the tortoise just canned beans and pellet food should not happen if the seller had any knowledge on tortoises. I trust SumbodyZMom's feelinf that there was something wrong with that shop.

[chelonaki]

Well, I am sure that SumbodyZMom can tell us more about whether that shop was giving those 'high quality pellets' you say!

""I can think of one shop in all the years (and I visit many because of conversations like this) that I found unacceptable""
Well, I think that this talks by itself...

[EJ]

I'd like to note here for other readers is to be aware of posters taking comments out of context for whatever reason.

Originally Posted by chelonaki

Well, I am sure that SumbodyZMom can tell us more about whether that shop was giving those 'high quality pellets' you say!

""I can think of one shop in all the years (and I visit many because of conversations like this) that I found unacceptable""
Well, I think that this talks by itself...

[chelonaki]

My context is always the interests and welfare of tortoises. What's yours EJ ?

[EJ]

My interest is the keeping of tortoises, and more importantly, the people who have the same interest.

Originally Posted by chelonaki

My context is always the interests and welfare of tortoises. What's yours EJ ?

[chelonaki]

""the keeping of tortoises""

I have to admit: you are honest!