Hi, I’ve had my tortoise for about 3 months now. Her name is Dudley and recently she’s been having pink in her urine. I feed her romaine lettuce and carrots. I soak her between everyday to every other day. Please help with any info you have.
You have no UVB light?She is a Russian tortoise. She was not a hatching when I first got her, she is roughly 4inches in size (I don’t know how old she is but she is younger).
I use a daylight blue 100 watt lightbulb for heat and I have forest floor substrate for her tank. The heating lamp is on one side of the tank so she has a cooler side and a warmer side.
Too much sugarAre there specific foods I should start giving her first? Also just out of curiosity why are carrots bad?
You have no UVB light?
No I do not have a UVB light. When I was doing research on how to care for a Russian tortoise, I didn’t find anything about needing a UVB light.You have no UVB light?
Oh okay, I did not realize that carrots had so many sugars in them. Is romaine lettuce still okay to feed her? To get her on a better diet, I buy 2 of the foods you listed and mix that in with some of the Romaine lettuce, correct?Too much sugar
Russian tortoises can not process sugars and it will damage the kidneys.
That may or may not explain the urine.
Start with any dark leaf greens. No lettuces and no spinach
UVB is critical.No I do not have a UVB light. When I was doing research on how to care for a Russian tortoise, I didn’t find anything about needing a UVB light.
You can include Romaine. Yes. But it alone has little nutritional value.Oh okay, I did not realize that carrots had so many sugars in them. Is romaine lettuce still okay to feed her? To get her on a better diet, I buy 2 of the foods you listed and mix that in with some of the Romaine lettuce, correct?
Is there a specific watt of UVB light I need to get?UVB is critical.
Without it your tortoise will suffer badly
The good news is that you don't have to rush out and buy one. You can let your tort get some outside sunlight if it is warm enough outdoorsView attachment 319017
Is there a specific watt of UVB light I need to get?
Thank you, all of this information is very helpful. I do have one last question, because Dudley is peeing pink and yellow do I need to take her to the vet? I’m only reluctant to take her to the vet because I am in college and vet bills are usually a lot to pay even if it’s just a check up.ZEROPILOT has given you excellent advice.
The Reptisun fixture he showed in his post is what you want. They aren't bought by wattage. They come in different strengths of UVB light. You would need a 10 or 12%. They also come in different lengths. Unless you have a giant indoor enclosure, a 22in should be great.
The first time you buy one, you need the fixture and the bulb. After that, you only need to replace the bulb. Here's a link for that light and fixture.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HJG7TJ4/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
For the foods, start with the ones I listed in post # 2. Just get 3 or 4 of them. Cut the new food into tiny pieces, and mix it with the romaine. Torts are reluctant to try new foods, so a very small amount works best. Once Dudley gets the taste of the new food, she will slowly accept it. Then you can give larger amounts of it, and can start adding another new food. It's a process to follow if she doesn't immediately eat something. Try just giving her some of the new food...maybe some time in her past she ate some and will eat it again. If she doesn't, cut it tiny and follow the process.
Here's the care sheet...
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...www.tortoiseforum.org