I used corncob for bedding since it is okay to be ingested. However, Sulcata Station asked us to avoid corncob because they “do not digest easily and can cause potentially fatal blockages if the tortoise eats enough of them”. I checked with the vet and he said it is ok to use corncob. Tun Tun eats at her eating tile usually so it should not be a problem. We may shift to grass hay when Tun Tun is older and the hay won’t be too sharp for her.
Corncob substrate is also easy to clean. We just need to scoop out the dirty part. Also it is free from small particles that may cause problem to Tun Tun’s respiratory system. I did not use paper pellets because they are similar in colour with Tun Tun’s feces so I miss a cleaning spot. And I worry about the small paper particles get into Tun Tun respiratory system.
When Tun Tun was very young and was on veggies, she ate her poo poo. I guess the indigestible thing still smells like veggies to her. I scooped out the poo poo a.s.a.p. to avoid her to ingest any corncob. I soaked her quite regularly and frequently so usually she did her business in water. Now that she has shifted to hay feeding, she shows no interest in her poo poo.
If you soak your tortoise regularly in a set time, he may defecate and urinate regularly during soaking so the substrate stays pretty clean. That is my experience.
Substrate should be changed regularly to avoid build up of microbes if your tortoise is messy. I would say every month to every 3 months depends on how clean your tortoise is.
More info:
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/substrates.html
Hi Mimi, I am a new african spurred tortoise owner and have been reading ur blog for a while now! I think your blog is very informative and I really like it! please keep writing and share your experiences with all tortoise owners (: My tortoise's name is Dash by the way haha (:
ReplyDeleteI went to the vet last sunday because of Dash's runny nose.. It has been there for weeks and I originally brought him to another vet who claims that she is able to treat tortoise.. turn out that she cant (and please let me know if you would like to know her name so u dun have to suffer what Dash and I suffered) we ended up taking him to another vet, who is very professional and caring, and he recommended not to use corncob as bedding at all! the corncob is not just hard to digest, but indigestible! that is especially the case for baby tortoise.. I hope this information is useful to u.. we now buy something like hay/grass pellet which is something that the specialised vet recommended, and it is also way better than corncob... i wish to let all tortoise owners know that it is way better to use those grass pellet rather than corncob (which those pet shops tend to sell!!!)
i wish you and Tun Tun all the very best! xoxo
Dear YoYo,
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog.
sorry I hv not update anything about Tun Tun. She is still the same, only bigger and got some 女仔脾氣。She is very healthy and there is no more vet visit after the time i wrote in my blog.
Regarding to the substrate, I read sth saying corncob is not the best. I know it is indigestible too. But last time I asked the vet, he said corncobs is ok coz whatever the tort swallowed will be excreted. I wanted to use Timothy grass but I was concern w the dust that might coz allergy to Tun Tun. And the sharp end might poke her eyes.
Grass pellet sounds good. I guess it is better than paper pellet (dust-allergy concern).
Tun Tun is really big now. She is around six inches. It is getting harder for me to grab her as my hand is really small. She is smarter too and will try to escape when I feed her. I need to watch her carefully. Maybe I need a lock for the sliding door really soon.
The cage may not be big enough for her so I need to think about how to construct her a new home using tiles on the windowsill. Maybe next summer.
I maybe able to change to Timothy hay or grass really soon. But Tun Tun is v stubborn and does not like any change in her environment.
Thanks again for yr comment. Wishing u and Dash all the best.
Mimi
Regard