cactus pad

Question
I just bought a Optunia cactus for my tort. I just chop and gv it or giving the whole pad to it? how abt the torns or prickers? how to get rid of it?

Answer
Hi Michelle,

If it has the large spines, you can burn those off using a gas stove.  The smaller prickers (glochids) don't seem to bother tortoises.  Depending on the size of your tort, chop it up or feed it whole--a whole pad for a sizable sulcata, for example, or a piece of pad for a Russian.  Opuntia is very good for them!