# My tortoise pooped out some white stuff-discussion



## Candy

Well you learn something new everyday.  I'm going to bookmark this Yvonne I sure appreciate you posting it.


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## dan masters

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

ive heard that alot from manny people . 

i think its normal.once in a while.

mine have done that as well.


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## Maggie Cummings

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



flyinghome said:


> It will be much better to give a picture at the same time, it can be easier to understand
> 
> I am new in raising tortoise, is the white substance in the picture the urates? I hope so.



Yes, that is urates and from looking I would have to say you tort is not hydrated enough. You need to soak him more I would suggest every other day for a while...


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## flyinghome

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

thank maggie

the picture was on the second day she arrived my home. Now, I soak her in warm water about 35oC degree for about 40 min every three days. She doesnt pool out such stuff any more recently. she urinates about every five to six days, the urine is a little viscous, I think the urates has been dissolved in her urine.

But, in another aspect, if the tortoise had not been hydrated enough, why did she urinate so much? it could be more than a cup.


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## tortoisenerd

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I would decrease the soak time to no more than 20 minutes as the water gets cold and I don't think that long of a soak does any better than 20 minutes. Once you are past the new tort stage, if she uses the water on her own in the enclosure, I would forgo the forced soaks. Up to you though. I like to warm up the water in the enclosure and place my tort in it, and then let him get out on his own. The consistency of the urates can conclude that she is dehydrated or has had too much oxalic acid, not the amount of urine (torts pee a lot more than we would expect, but it is normal and means that they have took in that much fluid as they only pee when they have replaced it). If those urates were right after she came to your home, that means the dehydration or diet high in oxalic acid (or that the tort is just prone to that; my tort has gritty urates no matter what I do) was well before you got her. You want to see the urates more milky and not as chunky.


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## flyinghome

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

thanks tortoisenerd
when i soak my tortoise, i will mix some warmer water to the cooling water. i dont think the forced soak is the best way to hydrate my tortoise, since no man would take care of them in wild life. But i heared soaking is the best way to help them pee and defecate. i find that my tortoise would not pee if the soaking is less than 40min. i would really worry about her if i soak her less. And when I put her in water, she just stay their quitely without strugglingÃ£â‚¬â€š seems she likes the soaking.

i also put a water tray in her enclosure, so that she can drink if thirsty. But the tray i use is only 10
cm in diameter and the she is more than 20cm long. so she cant put herself in water. can this be ok?


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## tortoisenerd

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I would use a dish in the enclosure large enough for her to soak, or what might be the reason she doesn't use it. What acout a plant saucer or paint tray? I like to put warm water in my tort's dish and then put him in it and see what he does--he is 50/50 on staying in there for 10-15 minutes or getting right out, but less stressful for him that not being able to get out. I also wet his greens to get some water in him.


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## flyinghome

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

thanks you all
i will do better for my tort
hah


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## j156ghs

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Most birds and lizards combine urine and feces in a single elimination and that's what produces the white in, well, pigeon poop on your windhsield, as one common example. Actually, it's surprising that tortoises, being reptile, don't produce white excretions more often.


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## qessnce

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

That picture is representative of what I've also seen from Abel when he pees. I snapped a picture of this type--appears to be nearly the same texture as his solid feces. This is the first time he's done this poop/white stuff combo. Regularly, there's a bit of the powdery/dissolving kind every other day when soaked. 

Also normal?


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## tortoisenerd

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Yes. If you are seeing the urates every day, take a look at what you are feeding. Lots of greens high in oxalic acid (spinach, chard, mustard, dandelion, collard greens)? If so, you may want to cut back on those. Typically we'd like to see urates not more than a couple days a week, but some torts do have them more often. The less gritty/chunky, the better.


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## lisalove

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

On a serious note...
I've had my baby for 2 weeks now. For the last 5 days, I've seen urates daily-a bit on the pasty/gritty side. Fecal material looks normal and is daily as well.
I'm feeding spring mix (no spinach), weeds/grass, mazuri 2x a week, calcium w/D3 sprinkle 2x a week. I've also given pumpkin once and sweet potato once. Nodder is not to keen on the cactus just yet-still adding it to the mix.
I soak 2x daily for 20 minutes each
Water in the enclosure
Humidity 85-90% in the hide at 82 degrees 
70-80% in the rest of the enclosure.
Soaked substrate
Hot spot 100-108
Cool side 70-80
Warm side 85-95
Vet says a bit gritty is normal, but I thought I would ask the pros...what do you think?


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## dav3

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



maggie3fan said:


> flyinghome said:
> 
> 
> 
> It will be much better to give a picture at the same time, it can be easier to understand
> 
> I am new in raising tortoise, is the white substance in the picture the urates? I hope so.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, that is urates and from looking I would have to say you tort is not hydrated enough. You need to soak him more I would suggest every other day for a while...
Click to expand...


yes but remember not to soak him too much or he/she will get shell rot


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## Yvonne G

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Hi Dave:

A tortoise will usually get shell rot from being on wet substrate. Soaking every day, even a couple times a day won't contribute to shell rot. We DO recommend a once a day soak for baby tortoises.


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## Jessicap

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I have been soaking George (T.G.G) about 4 times during the week for at least 1/2 hr each time. I never see him drink though and he has alot of urates. I feed only spring mix greens with some flowers (rose, prim rose) and celery. (no spinach) What else can I do to lessen the amount of urates he seems to pass each day?


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## dav3

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

i like to bath my tortoise once a week only for about 30 mins and scrub the shell with a toothbrush ( obv just the tortoise's) as i find it keeps the shell in excellent condis

just like my squirtle


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## CtTortoiseMom

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I just found my first urate this morning after Leia's soak. It was a little bit smaller than a dime which seems pretty big to me. Rob would not let me photograph it or touch it (joy kill). So I shook her soaking container a little to see if it would break up but it did not it was very solid. So my question is: Is this urate an indication of a mistake I am making in her diet, or are urates just a fact of tortoise life that happen occasionally?


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## Jacqui

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

The answer is it can be both. It's is normal for the every so often (even up to several days a week) and the soft kind. The everyday, the hard kind, and the really gritty types are more an indication of things like not being hydrated enough or the types of foods they are eating. If caused by diet, that too can be a bit normal. Such as if a wild tortoise stops and grazes on a food item that is currently available, it throws it's diet percentages off temporarily, so it may make more urates during that time depending on what it is eating. Even the lack of hydration can happen in the wild, but this type really should never happen in a captive animal to my way of thinking.

Having a "bad" type urate is not something to go panicking about in my opinion, if it is just a day or even two it happens. It is something to pay attention to and to make you take a double check look at how your caring for this tortoise.


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## Yvonne G

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I don't usually find urates in my leopard tortoise pen. I don't know if that means that leopards aren't prone to them or if it means my tortoises are well-hydrated.


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## CtTortoiseMom

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



CtTortoiseMom said:


> I just found my first urate this morning after Leia's soak. It was a little bit smaller than a dime which seems pretty big to me. Rob would not let me photograph it or touch it (joy kill). So I shook her soaking container a little to see if it would break up but it did not it was very solid. So my question is: Is this urate an indication of a mistake I am making in her diet, or are urates just a fact of tortoise life that happen occasionally?



I might have figured out what I did wrong this week... I think I incorporated collard greens as a snack too much this week. I am going to keep a written log. I am feeding the correct spring mix sans spinach since Jeffbens0n and Mao helped set me straight. Any other idea's, I am definitely taking this as a warning sign.


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## Seiryu

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



CtTortoiseMom said:


> I might have figured out what I did wrong this week... I think I incorporated collard greens as a snack too much this week. I am going to keep a written log. I am feeding the correct spring mix sans spinach since Jeffbens0n and Mao helped set me straight. Any other idea's, I am definitely taking this as a warning sign.



I have 2 Leo's (2 years and 1 year old). I have yet to see any urates so far.

I personally don't feed spring mix anymore as I feel there are better options (turnips, radish, collard, endive, escarole to name some). But I did feed Thor some when he was younger.

I think if you feed collards that day you can skip calcium supplements. I do calcium 3x a week with vitamins once or twice. And then they have a cuttlebone (which they rarely use) if they need it.

Princess Leia is likely just getting more calcium than she needs I think.


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## Jacqui

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



CtTortoiseMom said:


> I am going to keep a written log.



That is a VERY smart thing to do. That way you can see how *your* animal reacts to certain foods, stress, ect..,


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## nharr2

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I let my leopard (who has had some issues lately ... not eating, not opening its eyes, but it has improved 100% in the last 3 days) soak for 30 minutes and when I took him out all kinds of clear liquid came out of what I thought looked like where poops from... im assuming this isnt normal?? Any thoughts are appreciated!


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## wrmitchell22

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



flyinghome said:


> thanks tortoisenerd
> when i soak my tortoise, i will mix some warmer water to the cooling water. i dont think the forced soak is the best way to hydrate my tortoise, since no man would take care of them in wild life. But i heared soaking is the best way to help them pee and defecate. i find that my tortoise would not pee if the soaking is less than 40min. i would really worry about her if i soak her less. And when I put her in water, she just stay their quitely without strugglingÃ£â‚¬â€š seems she likes the soaking.
> 
> i also put a water tray in her enclosure, so that she can drink if thirsty. But the tray i use is only 10
> cm in diameter and the she is more than 20cm long. so she cant put herself in water. can this be ok?



I think the reason we need to soak our Tortoises in captivity is because you cannot completly replicate a tortoises habitat or activities. So although no man would interfere with a wild tortoise, we are interfering in every aspect of a captive tortoises life, so..... 

Boulder excreted urates the day after I got him and I know that the breeder I bought him from keeps her torts very dry and I didn't see any water in there tank, also she fed them mostly alfalfa hay and romaine. I haven't seen any urates since that day which was about 2 months ago. I soak Boulder every other day for 20 mins in warm water, but I have also seen him drink from his bowl. He also lays in his water bowl everyday  so I am lucky he is pretty good at soaking himself.


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## Yvonne G

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



nharr2 said:


> I let my leopard (who has had some issues lately ... not eating, not opening its eyes, but it has improved 100% in the last 3 days) soak for 30 minutes and when I took him out all kinds of clear liquid came out of what I thought looked like where poops from... im assuming this isnt normal?? Any thoughts are appreciated!



Sometimes after finding a place to take a nice long drink, a tortoise will get rid of the urine he's been holding. He was probably just pee'ing.


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## Tortoise

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Does it depend on species the visible urate thing?

My old hermanns did it all of the time. My red foots and Bells Hinge-never yet as far as I have noticed?

The Hermanns I gave calcium too constantly, less for these though. They do have cuttle bone at all times however.

I always wondered as I expected all torts to do this based on my first tortoise-a hermanns


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## Yvonne G

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Yes it does. Some species don't have visible urates. I've never seen them in my Aldabran pen or in my Manouria pen.


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## Tortoise

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



emysemys said:


> Yes it does. Some species don't have visible urates. I've never seen them in my Aldabran pen or in my Manouria pen.



Thanks Emysemys I always wondered and never knew who on earth to ask such a question.
I am always learning on this forum!!


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## angel_82

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



emysemys said:


> Quoted from The Reptile Channel:
> 
> 
> Tortoises produce urine and urates. Urine is the liquid portion stored in the urinary bladder. Urine contains waste products and toxins that are filtered from the bloodstream. Reptiles also have one more type of excretion product, called urates or uric acid. This is the end product of protein digestion and is also stored in the urinary bladder as a creamy, off-white pasty semi-solid. In reptiles, uric acid is cleared from the bloodstream by the kidneys. When the tortoise urinates, it will pass the liquid urine and the semi-solid urates at the same time. A tortoise may urinate and defecate at the same time, which may leave urate deposits on the fecal material. This will make the feces appear as if it is white or off-white.



thank you for explaining this, it been bothering me when Tokyo's done this... its not all the time which is why I was unsure if it was 'normal' - so it is not an indication of too much calcium?


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## CtTortoiseMom

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Angel, it can be an indication of too much calcium. Just watch what you feed and cut back on anything high in calcium when you see it. For instance, In the winter I was feeding my Leo mixed greens and then giving a midday snack of collard greens. That proved to be too much calcium for her and she had a urate. Now collards are once a week mixed with mazuri. It is a delicate balancing act.


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## tyguy35

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

In the 5 months I've owned my Leo he's never pooped the white stuff


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## Yvonne G

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



tyguy35 said:


> In the 5 months I've owned my Leo he's never pooped the white stuff



I'm not a scientist or an expert, so I don't know the reason, but not all tortoises have urates. Of the types of tortoise that I keep, the leopards, Manouria and Aldabrans do NOT have urates.


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## blanco1982

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I imagine this was quite the shock, especially if it was unexpected


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## heather.annie43

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

I was wondering why he was pooping white stuff. thanks for the info!


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## paper_boy

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Mine urinated some white stuff. but after reading everyones comments, it seems to be normal. can anyone confirm?


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## pdrobber

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

very normal. just want it to be smooth and pasty not gritty


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## Jason M

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

What about if it is more like white jelly.....what does that mean.
By the way very good thread and very informative
I have horsfields


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## laramie

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Hi Yvonne,
I was wondering,is it normal for torts to do this every once in a while? I have noticed that Wilbur has done this a few times.


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## JoesMum

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

The occasional white smooth/jelly like poop is not a concern. Large quantities of it, more than 2 or 3 times week or a gritty texture need further investigation into health and diet.


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## laramie

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



JoesMum said:


> The occasional white smooth/jelly like poop is not a concern. Large quantities of it, more than 2 or 3 times week or a gritty texture need further investigation into health and diet.



Thanks JoesMum


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## bakexlove

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

My Russian urates usually a couple times a week. Today tho it looked pinkish, should I be concerned? I've been feeding him a bit of kale with his mixed greens and the calcium powder 3 times a week.


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## nh112166

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



emysemys said:


> Quoted from The Reptile Channel:
> 
> 
> Tortoises produce urine and urates. Urine is the liquid portion stored in the urinary bladder. Urine contains waste products and toxins that are filtered from the bloodstream. Reptiles also have one more type of excretion product, called urates or uric acid. This is the end product of protein digestion and is also stored in the urinary bladder as a creamy, off-white pasty semi-solid. In reptiles, uric acid is cleared from the bloodstream by the kidneys. When the tortoise urinates, it will pass the liquid urine and the semi-solid urates at the same time. A tortoise may urinate and defecate at the same time, which may leave urate deposits on the fecal material. This will make the feces appear as if it is white or off-white.



I have had my Male sulcatta for 17 years and he does a lot of that right after hibernation especially and sometimes when he hasn't eaten enough fruit..I always assumed it's because he is dehydrated and nneds more fluids since he doesn't like drinking water. When I give him berries and melons it usually goes away.


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## Yvonne G

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



nh112166 said:


> I have had my Male sulcatta for 17 years and he does a lot of that right after hibernation especially and sometimes when he hasn't eaten enough fruit..I always assumed it's because he is dehydrated and nneds more fluids since he doesn't like drinking water. When I give him berries and melons it usually goes away.



Hello nh112166:

Two things you have said here give me cause for concern:

1. Sulcatas don't hibernate. They come from a climate that doesn't get cold enough for them to have evolved to hibernate. You should be keeping him warm in the winter and feeding him.

2. Grass-eating tortoises shouldn't be given fruit very often. It can be a sometimes treat, but not part of the regular diet. 

Because you've had your tortoise for 17 years, it tells me that we all still have a lot to learn about turtles and tortoises. May I ask what your climate in the winter is like and how cold it gets where you keep your big guy?


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## tyrs4u

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*



emysemys said:


> Quoted from The Reptile Channel:
> 
> 
> Tortoises produce urine and urates. Urine is the liquid portion stored in the urinary bladder. Urine contains waste products and toxins that are filtered from the bloodstream. Reptiles also have one more type of excretion product, called urates or uric acid. This is the end product of protein digestion and is also stored in the urinary bladder as a creamy, off-white pasty semi-solid. In reptiles, uric acid is cleared from the bloodstream by the kidneys. When the tortoise urinates, it will pass the liquid urine and the semi-solid urates at the same time. A tortoise may urinate and defecate at the same time, which may leave urate deposits on the fecal material. This will make the feces appear as if it is white or off-white.



Thank you so much I was trying to remember what it was called the "Urate" that is.


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## Maggie Cummings

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

No, it sounds like somebody is just trying to get us stirred up Yvonne...


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## Mert

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

This is what mert did today. I have never seen so much before. Usually just dots in urine. Normal? Should i change something? Sorry for the gross picture! Haha


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## dmmj

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

It looks gritty, he is more than likely dehydrated, it should look like tooth paste.


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## Mert

*RE: My tortoise pooped out some white stuff*

Okay i will soak him. He has water there all the time but i never see him drinking. He eats dandelions everyday is that okay?


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