# What's going on? I'm so confused! Help please!



## Ashmash (Apr 16, 2010)

So I went up to Frank's pen just now to water the plants, fill his bowl and spray him down and all's going well until I notice a strange cream colored slighty foamy liquid/slime that Franks behind left on the ground. I spray him down to rinse it all off and I notice his tail is swaying back and forth and he's pooping more of the stuff. He was also scraping at the back of his shell/tail area with his back legs. What's happening? Is it diarrhea, sperm, or or something else? He's very active and responsive. The only thing I've noticed besides this is that his eye lids seem more of a whiteish/blue color than the rest of him. Is that normal? I've noticed the eye color thing since one morning my boyfriend came over to check on him and he said Frank was very cold and one of his eyes had popped out of his socket so he ran to go call a reptile expert and when he returned the eye was back in place. This happened after Frank first woke up from hibernation and it still got cold at night. That was about a month or more ago, and nothing's happened until today with the weird poo. Can you please help me help my little guy?


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## Maggie Cummings (Apr 16, 2010)

I'm *guessing* that he is releasing urates a concentrated urine. DT's store any fluid they take in and process all the liquid out of the fluid and what is left is basically solid urine called urates. I wish i could explain it better for you but I can't think lately. But if it is urates that's nothing to worry about...


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## N2TORTS (Apr 16, 2010)

maggie3fan said:


> I'm *guessing* that he is releasing urates a concentrated urine. DT's store any fluid they take in and process all the liquid out of the fluid and what is left is basically solid urine called urates. I wish i could explain it better for you but I can't think lately. But if it is urates that's nothing to worry about...



Your exaclty right ..... and the reasons for tortoise's to produce such "uriates" .. is to conserve on " water" in the bodys' system. Thus they are able to rid waste with some sort of solid/liquid mass" .. yet use least amount of waterwaste from the body. Thus being able to go lengths of time without H20. Its an EVOLUTIONARY thing .. actually ...


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## Laura (Apr 16, 2010)

just be sure he now gets a good warm soak.


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## Candy (Apr 16, 2010)

How old is your DT?


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## Ashmash (Apr 16, 2010)

Thanks, that makes me feel much better. Frank is supposed to be around 20-30 years old. Any idea about the eye thing or why he was scraping with his legs?

Also, aren't urates supposed to be solid? This wasn't...


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