# Tortoise bath



## blu rodriguez (Mar 2, 2015)

How often should they have a bath. Mine loves a good soak I just don't know if I should do it as often as a few times a wee or as little as a few times a month. Also how often should I apply his lotion


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## Tom (Mar 2, 2015)

What species and size?


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## Yvonne G (Mar 2, 2015)

My personal feeling is that tortoises don't need that type of topical applied to their shells.


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## blu rodriguez (Mar 2, 2015)

Tom said:


> What species and size?


About 5 and a half inches african spurred tortoise


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## blu rodriguez (Mar 2, 2015)

Yvonne G said:


> My personal feeling is that tortoises don't need that type of topical applied to their shells.


I've applied it twice before he doesn't like it getting applies to his shell but he does like it getting applied to his head and legs


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## Tom (Mar 2, 2015)

I would soak one that size two or three times a week. More soaks won't hurt and as long as he's drinking you could get by with fewer.

I would skip the tortoise lotion. Just not needed. If he likes head and leg rubs, I would just use your hands with no product of any kind. Or you could use water.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Mar 3, 2015)

Darling Tidgy likes a couple of baths a week, particularly when its very hot, or very cold! But if I bathe her everyday she seems to get a little stressed and tries to climb out. Usually, she stretches and yawns, drinks the water and often pees. Then I change the water! She also like to sit under the water tap on the terrace in our scorching Moroccan summer and let the water dribble slowly over her carapace. it gets in her eyes sometimes and she'll duck in, or give herself a quick rub with her legs, but she normally seems to enjoy this for about 10 minutes before she wanders off back into the sun, dries off and then heads for the shade.Simply adorable.


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## blu rodriguez (Mar 3, 2015)

Quick question do turtles cry a few weeks ago my tort had what seems tears in his eyes was it too hot for him? Or maybe something in his eyes he was outside when it happened


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## Tom (Mar 3, 2015)

blu rodriguez said:


> Quick question do turtles cry a few weeks ago my tort had what seems tears in his eyes was it too hot for him? Or maybe something in his eyes he was outside when it happened



One of the common names for sulcatas is "The Crying Tortoise". There is a really good out of print sulcata book with that title.


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## jeffb (May 5, 2015)

blu rodriguez said:


> Quick question do turtles cry a few weeks ago my tort had what seems tears in his eyes was it too hot for him? Or maybe something in his eyes he was outside when it happened


tortoises sweat from their eyes, they have no other place to emit sweat from


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## jeffb (May 5, 2015)

blu rodriguez said:


> How often should they have a bath. Mine loves a good soak I just don't know if I should do it as often as a few times a wee or as little as a few times a month. Also how often should I apply his lotion
> View attachment 120439


I use that exact brand on my salcutta, I apply it once a month to his head, and front and hind legs, you can apply it once in while to his shell, his shell will absorb it and it will moisten. The tortoise will love the feeling of the moisture and not feeling so dry all the time. If you spent time in the bath and under your heat lamps all the time you would appreciate a little moisturizer to your body sometime. Just keep in mind when you apply it to his shell its going to block some of the uva and uvb light that he needs on his shell. So after a couple days, I put my salcutta back in the bath and take a bristled brush and gently scrub and rinse. Repeat this procedure a few times and it will remove the moisturizer. Then wait another three or four weeks before reapplying to his shell. But you will see how he will like this, mine always looks like he feels like a million bucks!


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## Gillian M (May 19, 2015)

blu rodriguez said:


> How often should they have a bath. Mine loves a good soak I just don't know if I should do it as often as a few times a wee or as little as a few times a month. Also how often should I apply his lotion
> View attachment 120439


 I saw the above lotion at a store, but did not buy it. I have a Greek tort, and would like to ask you: has it done any good?

I'd very much appreciate an answer. Thank you.


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## Gillian M (May 19, 2015)

Yvonne G said:


> My personal feeling is that tortoises don't need that type of topical applied to their shells.


 Hi. Why not?


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## Tom (May 19, 2015)

jeffb said:


> tortoises sweat from their eyes, they have no other place to emit sweat from



There are no sweat glands in tortoise eyes.


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## Tom (May 19, 2015)

jeffb said:


> Just keep in mind when you apply it to his shell its going to block some of the uva and uvb light that he needs on his shell.



I don't believe this to be correct either. Have you somehow tested this theory? What is the SPF of this tortoise product? Even SPF 80 lotion for humans only blocks the UV rays for a few hours...

And D3 synthesis in tortoises is believed to happen in the skin, not the shell.


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## Alaskamike (May 19, 2015)

I don't use Vita Shell becasue I don't care for the igredient list, especially the alchohol and dye. There is a thread in Advanced Topics on Coconut Oil that might be worth looking at. It is long, full of debate, and detailed explanations of possible benefits as well as drawbacks.


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## johnsonnboswell (May 19, 2015)

I love vita shell on my calloused heels. Good for cuticles. I don't like it softening my guitar callouses, though. For tortoises: when one of mine made a tv commercial she had done on. Otherwise, no.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Jul 6, 2015)

Maybe I'll use it on Tidgy so she _thinks _she's doing a TV commercial.
I'm sure that'll boost her self-esteem if nothing else.


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## johnsonnboswell (Jul 6, 2015)

Tidgy's Dad said:


> Maybe I'll use it on Tidgy so she _thinks _she's doing a TV commercial.
> I'm sure that'll boost her self-esteem if nothing else.


Pity my poor old gulf coast turtle who failed the audition. His shell is flat and chewed, he's missing all the toes on one front foot, his coloring is drab... Flora the EBT won the part.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Jul 10, 2015)

Hollywood!
Always pick the prettiest one, never mind the talent! 
I don't know.


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## ascott (Jul 10, 2015)

[QUOTjeffb, post: 1095706, member: 60304"]tortoises sweat from their eyes, they have no other place to emit sweat from[/QUOTE]
This is not a correct statement. Soaking a tort is not going to harm the tortoise. As they age it gets a bit trickier but if you offer water in their yard and offer up wet type foods during heat stressed times the tort will work it out.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 10, 2015)

jeffb said:


> tortoises sweat from their eyes, they have no other place to emit sweat from



If a tortoise is very hot, especially the sulcatas and RF tortoises, they shed tears to help cool their heads.


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## Big Charlie (Jul 31, 2015)

Charlie's too big to give a bath but he loves to walk through the sprinklers! Unfortunately, now in California we are only allowed to water in the wee hours when he is usually sleeping. Sometimes he gets up in the middle of the night though. Sometimes if I put out a water bowl, he'll dunk his entire head. I made him a mud puddle the other day but he was only interested in drinking, not soaking.

I used to try to keep the sprinkler water out of his burrow; now I realize that it was probably good for him all along, as long as it didn't make him too cold.


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