Feeding and Nutrition :: Avocado

[CheckeredTurtle]

My adult 7 inch (approximately) female turtle got too spoiled for a while and started feeding on shrimp, deli meat, and started refusing pellets. However, I was recently able to tempt her with some avocado (hopefully smoothing a transition to a more plant-based diet) but I'm not sure if avocado is good for her. Any ideas? Thanks for the help!

[roseK]

theres a list on the main site of fruits and veggies that are turtle safe.

give it a look.

[CheckeredTurtle]

Hm...just looked it up and it seems like it's toxic.

At least I only gave her a little bit. She seems fine and her appetite's good, so I just won't give her anymore.

[BiteyBits]

I was wondering about that as well, I gave my baby res some avocado when i first got them because I knew of other turtles that LOVED it with insanity.

It says on the site not to but avocado plants in with them, but what about just the flesh?

[marisa]

No avocado.

[BiteyBits]

Why no avocado? what is toxic about it?

[Spike 7.62]

If you find a berry bush that is toxic to humans, would you want to just try the leaf to see if that's bad for you too?

http://www.redearslider.com/index_nutrition.html

-Spike

[BiteyBits]

Um, yes. I would at least ask/research.

There are several plants where one part is toxic, and others not or even edible. For example, for humans- strawberries. The fruit is edible, the rest of the plant is toxic. Neurotoxin, I believe. It's a nightshade, like tomatoes etc. The wild strawberry is completely toxic. Plants have different chemical makeups in their various parts. They tend to make the fruit/seedbearing part edible though.
Like roses- you can't use the petals the same way you use rosehips, and you can't get essential oils from the stem.

So my question, specifically, would be- given that it is not recommended to put avocado PLANTS in with turtles because the leaves are toxic, would it be ok to scoop some of the FRUIT flesh and let them eat it?

And if not, what about the fruit is toxic? (Like we don't feed them spinach because it interferes with their vitamin/calcium balance.)

[marisa]

The fruit is toxic to tortoises. Do you want to chance it with your turtle?

A small amount probably won't kill him (perhaps it would do something else) but how do you determine what that "safe" amount is?

[Rollen]

It's like Spike said do you really want to put this up to fate? Personally I would stay away from it and spoil my turtle with something else.

[BiteyBits]

I'm not 'putting it up to fate' or risking anything. I am asking- Does anyone know what about the avocado fruit is 'toxic'? Does it effect their calcium? Is it just too fatty, and therefore not toxic just not good for them????

It's not like I'm feeding them it daily to find out, sheesh. If you don't know then you don't know.

I even checked the links on this site and couldn't find anything on the avocado fruit, I even found a list of no-no foods from a herpatologist that didn't list avocado at all.

[happycamper]

Bitey, I just googled around a little and it seems to me birds, goats and dogs are the only thing most websites talk about. Kind of interesting though! I guess the guy that wrote the article had damaged his kidneys from consuming too many avocados. I never would have guessed that!

"Avocados. The leaves, fruit, bark and seeds of avocados have
all been reported to be toxic. The toxic component in the avocado is "persin,"
which is a fatty acid derivative. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty
breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest,
abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause
signs is unknown. Do not feed your pet any component of the avocado."

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum ... topic=2004

[Melvira_Fox]

On top of all of that, avocado has a high fat content.

[BiteyBits]

Aaah, thanks! Happy, you're a better net trawler than me lol!
I found so much turtle feeding info my eyes unfocused, but nothing about avocado specific thanks.

There is a lot more info out there about 'common' pets. I was very glad to find this site with so much info in the same place. I hope I'm not eating too many avocados, I love them!