Feeding and Nutrition :: OSI Soybean meal-free turtle pellets

[V Lou]

My turtle Itai is not growing like her roommate, Otani. They started out at the same size last December and now Otani is much larger than Itai, both females.

Itai didn't like turtle pellets and I tried every brand out there. She would only eat cuttlebone and earthworm, tuna or salmon. Very expensive tastes.

Problem was, her diet was too heavy on protein and low on other nutrients. I withheld cuttlebone and meat until she had to eat the pellets. Unfortunately, she vomited up pellets (every brand) very violently. She couldn't hold the pellets down more than 5 minutes.

She was getting too thin; I was getting desperate and in tears. I looked at the turtle pellet labels and saw that the common allergen Soybean Meal was a main ingredient in each one, every brand.

Not that soybean doesn't have complete protein, but it is the only allergen on the lists, it is not natural in a wild RES diet and there are other complete protein ingredients listed on the labels. It does not have to be there.

I spoke with the manufacturers, hoping that there would be a soybean free version of turtle pellets. It was not a pleasant task. Phone calls ranged from indifferent to rude. Bottom line: No soybean meal free pellets.

But, I didn't give up. I finally found a good source: OSI (Ocean Star International: http://www.oceanstarinternational.com/TurtlePellets.htm). They make the only Soybean Meal Free turtle pellets that I could find. Wonderful! people to talk to on the phone! They RUSHED me a sample bottle to try. Itai ate some pellets and did not throw up!!!!! I was ecstatic!!! She still prefers earthworms, but she eats the pellets and is slowly weaning off of expensive meats.

From her perspective, she believed that pellets were not food and were only there to make her throw up. So, it is taking a while to uncondition her. Right now she is trying to train me to bring back earthworms; she is good at that . Anyway, she eats the pellets and has not thrown up OSI pellets ever!! I would like the world to know!

All you turtle parents whose turtles are not thriving and refuse to eat pellets, please give the OSI Soybean Meal Free pellets a try:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=15461
Otani and Itai love the shrimp turtle treats, too....

All you turtle pellet manufacturers: turtles can be intolerant or allergic to soybean meal (soy protein).

Thank you, OSI!! I think Itai is going to make it now.
Thank you, OSI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It STILL brings tears. Thank you.

[steve]

Very interesting story, glad you were persistent and found a solution. I don't think I've come across a similar story, but it's good to know there are a variety of choices out there.

Have you tried the jell-o shot recipe?

[V Lou]

I intend to, sounds delish, but I truly have more on my plate than I can do and haven't had time to make the jello shots. I wish there were 3 of me, so I could delegate some of my work load

And, thank you for your comment, Steve. I am so glad that OSI makes a product Itai can eat. It is good that there is a variety of choices.

Man, that was scarey when it dawned on me that soy might be the problem and found that all the big manufacturers use soy in every product. And, now that I've been able to test my hypothesis and am certain soy actually is the problem, WoW! I am extremely glad that OSI makes their soy-free product.

I wonder how many others of us might benefit from soy-free turtle pellets? It is one of those things, one where the need might increase over time, the more turtles are exposed to soy. As with poison ivy, you can go from not sensitive to sensitive at any time. That's the way it is with common allergens. Soy didn't used to be a common allergen, but it has become one over the last, I guess, 20 years or so, for humans. There are no turtle studies with soy. But, we have so many members on this forum, we could do our own study. The data would be a bit subjective, but most nutrition studies are.... Maybe I should post a query. When I get a chance, I will try to compose something. Ehhh?

[V Lou]

Well, since April 27, the day Itai showed me she could keep OSI pellets down and actually digest/ingest them, it has been a long haul; major reconditioning on Itai's part and major patience and trying to read Itai's mind correctly on my part. We had such communication barriers to overcome.

It took all this time for me to convince Itai that pellets were not torture capsules and that earthworms were not essential for life. I began by dragging my finger pad along the glass under the aquarium (their aquarium is suspended on a frame) from Itai's nose, practically, to the worm which Itai wasn't seeing on her own, and she had to hurry to get it before Otani would. She soon learned to swim quickly following my finger. She even learned that my finger leads to food in general, because she finally made the leap from earthworm to OSI pellet. That took a while . Now, Itai and Otani even understand that my "hand" signal, a similar finger fluttering that they use in their own language, means "come to dinner over here". Fun! The little puppy dogs.... I haven't noticed if they wag their tails or not as they come running, LOL.

Anyway, I give Itai small OSI pellets because she swallows them very easily. She eats only OSI now (plus a little cuttlebone and there are lots of plants in their aquarium - although I haven't seen Itai eat plant material, yet). It is Awesome!!! She is eating pellets the way she should have been all along. And, Yea!!! I don't have to buy earthworms anymore, except for the occassional treat, many months from now, like Christmas.....

Itai has much more energy today, too, so I am finally seeing positive results from her OSI diet, including the pellet vitamins which she wasn't getting from the worms. I should weigh her today and once a week to track how she is growing over time. I'll use Otani as the standard (such a little piggy ).

It's so cute. Otani and Itai are such good friends. Sometimes while they eat, Itai rides on Otani's back by holding on to Otani's shell at her shoulders. It's affectionate, because she does it at various times during the day, but also she does it because otherwise, Otani is so competitive for the food that she pushes Itai either underwater or away from the food any-which-way she can. But, Otani can't get the upper hand while Itai is riding on her back .

Related to that, one sign that Itai has more energy today is she resisted Otani's aggressions toward eating; Itai was strong enough to not be pushed underwater and she actually struggled successfully, for the very first time, to eat the pellets Otani was trying to get. Awesome!!!!

Two more weeks and I think Itai and I can forget there ever was this issue over eating. Ahhhhhhh......

Thank you OSI....Ocean Star International!!! Their Marine Lab facility in Utah makes these soy-free turtle food pellets and regular fish food, too.