# New tortoise not pooping/peeing.



## ccskye (Aug 26, 2012)

Hi everyone. I've had my 3 month old Hermann's tortoise for ten days now, and I have not seen her poop yet. 
I also haven't seen any urates in her baths for a few days so I'm not sure if she's peeing.


I bathe her in warm water once a day, but have started doing it twice a day now. 
I often see her drinking in the bath, but I've never seen her drink from the water I put inside her table.

She is eating perfectly well. I feed her dandelions, lamb's lettuce, sometimes frisee, weeds from my garden, occasional rose leaves and petals, and some plants from Shelled Warriors "Quick growing mix" that I grow both in her table and on my windowsill. 
I sprinkle Nutrobal on everything I give her.
I take her outside as often as possible, and she often chomps away happily at weeds out there.

She is very active and sleeps like clockwork every night at 8pm, until 9am when I turn her lights back on.

She seems absolutely perfect in every way, except for this.  Any help or advice at all would be much appreciated.


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## wellington (Aug 26, 2012)

She may be eating the poop they will do that. The nutrobal Calcium, correct, should not be given everyday. Only two to three times a week. That's what I was told and even less if getting outside for natural sun every day.


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## Tom (Aug 26, 2012)

If she's eating she's pooping. Many tortoises will poop and then turn right around and eat it. Does it ever look like she's wearing dark green or black lipstick?

BTW, a cheap timer on your lights makes everything a lot easier. More consistent for your tortoise too.

About the water bowl: If it is going untouched, you may need a different type. Many times people get sold an inappropriate water bowl for tortoises. Seem of them are death taps literally. I don't know what you are using, but the fact that your tortoise avoids it tells me that you might need to switch. I have found terra cotta plant saucers to work the best. They are shallow with low sides and offer good traction to little tortoise feet. You might need to set her in there a few times over a period of days and just let her walk out, to show her that the water is not too deep and there is no reason to fear it.


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## ccskye (Aug 26, 2012)

Tom said:


> If she's eating she's pooping. Many tortoises will poop and then turn right around and eat it. Does it ever look like she's wearing dark green or black lipstick?
> 
> BTW, a cheap timer on your lights makes everything a lot easier. More consistent for your tortoise too.
> 
> About the water bowl: If it is going untouched, you may need a different type. Many times people get sold an inappropriate water bowl for tortoises. Seem of them are death taps literally. I don't know what you are using, but the fact that your tortoise avoids it tells me that you might need to switch. I have found terra cotta plant saucers to work the best. They are shallow with low sides and offer good traction to little tortoise feet. You might need to set her in there a few times over a period of days and just let her walk out, to show her that the water is not too deep and there is no reason to fear it.




I watch her a lot and have never seen her eat anything that looked like it might be poop, but I guess I could have missed it. 

I plan on buying timers next time I'm out. 


I have a plant saucer with very shallow water, and also a jam pot lid with water in there too. I've never seen her go near any of them by herself, but I've placed her inside the plant saucer before only for her to walk straight out.


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