Vitamins for tortoises

Question
What vitamins would you recommend for a Sulcata tortoise if i am to keep it healthy and prevent MBD and pyramiding? With so many reptile vitamins on the market, it gets confusing. I am leaning towards Reptivite but would like you're opinion.
Irene C.
Reno, NV

Answer
If your basic care and feeding is rock solid, the vitamins would be a 'suppliment' designed to help ensure that the tortoise is getting the helpful vitamins and trace minerals. NOT some form of medicine to prevent illness or anything.

Look at the articles which I am sure you have already read...

Pyramidding and MBD are caused by a variety of factors but the common elements seem to be:

- Poor calcium/phosphorous ratio- too high in phosphorous. You  should aim for a ratio that is close to 1:1 or that favors calcium, but it does not take much to throw the ratio off wildly. Supplimental calcium can help but it is far better to approach this from the diet offered.

- Poor access to Vitamin D and natural sunlight. Unfortunately for our tortoises, the parts of sunlight that are needed for vitamin D production (UV rays) do not pass through glass or most plastics. You can suppliment this with a good balance of artifical light (especially a UV bulb for an hour or so a day) and supplimnetal vit. D, but natural sunlight is better.

- Nutritionally poor food choices, such as iceberg or most head lettuces. Tortoises used to arid areas do best a pretty 'dry' diet of foods with fiber, like that recommended here: http://www.petreptiles.com/Sulcata/suldiet.php3



OK, so what do *I* look for in a vitamin?
- Seperate calcium suppliment- whatever human-quality bonemeal or other suppliment I can find with no other ingredients, sometimes I use egg shells.
- Vitamin B13- this is the biggie since so few vitamins carry it. Orotic acid (B13) is found in root vegetables (hence the carrots in the above food list). This is NOT a make-or-break deal, however.
- If phosphorous is in the mix, I want an equal amount or more of calcium in it. No need to throw the balance off with my suppliment!

Otherwise I just want a decent mix of vitamins (A, B complex, D, E...) and minerals in a format that my tortoises readily eat- usually a fine powder sprinkled on moist food.

I don't recommend specific brands, but Reptavite is a good product made by a very reputable company. Other good products from other good companies will work fine.

Worry more about diet and other care issues- you'll get more health and enjoymnet that way!



An interesting article on this topic can be found at: http://www.anapsid.org/dietcons.html