How to Offer MegaDiet

• MegaDiet is a complete tortoise food. Don’t dilute it with vegetables. Adding vegetables only creates an unbalanced diet. After eating the recommended amount of MegaDiet, allow your tortoise to browse on the grass, flowers and other nutritious plants in your yard.

• Soften MegaDiet using equal amounts of water and MegaDiet.
  Wait 20 minutes until completely soft, like cookie dough (not juicy). Mix enough for 2-3 days.

• Offer softened food when tortoises are out, have finished basking, are eating available forage or are letting you know that they are ready for what you might have for them. Place food on grass or in a shallow dish. Feed individually to avoid competition. If refused, return food to container immediately. Discard uneaten portion if you can find it but don’t leave out any substantial amount.

• You may want to tempt tortoises used to vegetables by softening pellets with lettuce liquefied in a blender, unsweetened apple juice or grated fresh sour apple. Mix with the finely shredded broccoli, zucchini, or other vegetables they are used to – no lettuce. Use fresh, never frozen. Gradually lessen the amount of vegetables. Once you start using MegaDiet, never feed vegetables by themselves. Tortoises will tend to hold out for them and may never accept MegaDiet.

• Don’t give vitamins or mineral supplements, corn or other sweet fruit. All can cause serious medical problems.

• Offer dry pellets in a low, heavy dish about 3” in diameter. Place dish in same dry shaded place each day. Countersink the dish if possible. Take the dish in before dark – cockroaches love MegaDiet. Tortoises smaller than 3½” in shell length needsoftened pellets. Tortoises larger than 3½” in shell length may eat dry pellets, but start with softened pellets.

• Be patient! Use tough love! It may be several days or weeks until your tortoises accept MegaDiet, and they will. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when”. A tortoise will not starve if it has access to grass, flowers, and dandelions. Drinking water should always be available. Keep MegaDiet in the refrigerator. Never freeze.