Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a california desert tortoise that hasn't put on much weight. His brother is 50% larger. It doesn't seem to have as good of an appetite and the vet says that the tort is not sick.

Will it be ok to give it some monkey chow just to beef it up a bit??
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir

That would have been a good question to ask your Vet. I would say it's a bad idea, to high in protein and fat to be healthy.
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Tim Madsen

Nobody cares how much you know,
Until they know how much you care.

I wouldn't, although it was formerly popular. Perhaps a bit of Mazuri tortoise chow would help. Most monkey chows are very high in sucrose, generally frowned upon with tortoises. Recognize that tortoises, even siblings, commonly have differing growth rates. Maybe you don't have a nutritional problem, just a slow grower. Mazuri tortoise chow can be ordered through Feed & Grain stores with Purina accounts. It is controversial, but I have had good success with it as a supplement, combined with a varied diet of high calcium, low phosphorous, high fiber, low protien diet of weeds, grasses and select produce that I grow.