Pasta

[Dandelion]

I left my tortoises with my mother and she fed them cooked lentils with some pasta and they ate it all up. Will they be ok? I know some have warned against feeding them grains (the ingredients of the pasta were just wheat), and I just wanted to find out why and if my tortoises will be ok.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi there. Will probably be alright as a one-off. Wheat isn't a poison to tortoises and I doubt lentils are either.

[Dandelion]

Thanks! I'm so glad it won't harm them! I wonder what the side effects are to feeding them this every once in a while?

[ClareandCo]

Originally Posted by Dandelion

Thanks! I'm so glad it won't harm them! I wonder what the side effects are to feeding them this every once in a while?

One off put it down to your Mother making a mistake, but no way would you feed it to them again. They wouldn't find cooked pasta and lentils in the wild!

I imagine it might make them a bit "squitty".

[sandy]

It makes you wonder why your mother thought pasta and lentils were ok for a tortoise:0) :0)

[Ozric Jonathan]

I'd say no don't feed this every once in a while!

[Shelled Lady]

Originally Posted by Dandelion

I left my tortoises with my mother and she fed them cooked lentils with some pasta and they ate it all up. Will they be ok? I know some have warned against feeding them grains (the ingredients of the pasta were just wheat), and I just wanted to find out why and if my tortoises will be ok.

They are opportunist's! And yes, they do like pasta and cooked beans, particularly green beans. Your tortoise will be fine but I don't recommend feeding it instead of green food

[Dandelion]

Thank you all so much!!! I found a little scientific explanation for anyone else who is curious.

"Wheat is high in omega 6 fatty acids which has a negative effect on health. They also have an acidifying effect which causes a leeching of bone. They are high in phytate which binds calcium and other minerals. They also have an unfavorable ca/ph ratio and a low ca/mg ratio which has a negative impact on calcium metabolism. Grains alter Vit D metabolism. Diets high in grains can have a negative impact on bone growth in spite of adequate exposure to sunshine. "

Looks like it won't harm my tortoises since it's a one time thing, but now I'm considering not eating as much pasta and bread as I do. lol!

[Shelled Lady]

It's good you have done your research. We all eat to many carbs.! It's everything in moderation, even for tortoises
And for anyone else with a dog - Now you know why it is bad to feed dogs a dry diet with all these grains in.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Man-made foods for tortoises are (I think) usually based on grains but I don't think it's wheat. More often oats. I'm not putting a word in for manufactured diets here, just thinking that maybe wheat is specifically not good for them when other grains might not be so much of an issue.

The other point I wanted to make is that reptile digestion is not the same as large mammal digestion and I don't think that wheat has an impact on calcium absorption etc in humans.