2 quick questions!!

[Kymiie]

Just bought a new substrate for Crush as his alfafa pellets kept going moldy, he now has 50% play sand with 50% top soil bought from pets at home...

He has just eaten around 3-5 mouth fulls of the stuff... will it harm him, will he be ok?

He just had some urates come out of him but they are in a poo consistancy, is this becuase he is dehydrated that they have gone abit harder??

Thanks xxx

 

[Kymiie]

Can I please have some feedback on my questions please, I really dont know the answer xx

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Alfalfa pellets are dry and not really good as a substrate so I'm guessing that Crush is dehydrated a bit so his urates are thicker than they should be. I don't think that sand is a much better replacement as it causes impaction. I personally would either use just plain topsoil without the sand or get orchid bark or cypress mulch. I don't guess that a few mouthfuls will hurt him but more than that isn't good. I would say he is dehydrated and his substrate is the problem. This with the sand is not much better. How much are you soaking him? Daily? That's what he needs especially since he is passing urates...thick urates...

 

[Stephanie Logan]

So is Crush improving?

Is he behaving normally other than eating a bit of substrate?

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I have used 50% sand as well and never had an issue. I've switched over to plain coco coir (keeping the top layer dry and the under layers moist.) Mine eat it (now and then) and have had no issues.

 

[Kymiie]

Crush is still eating it untill I feed him, then he wont eat it!!
His urates have improved!! Just his eating habbits!! TUT xx

 

[GBtortoises]

Tortoises most likely consume dirt and other substrate in an attempt to take in minerals that they're lacking, calcium being one of, if not, the main one. I would try placing a small, shallow dish of calcium carbonate powder, along with some small broken up pieces of cuttlebone into the enclosure on a permanent basis. There's a good possibility that your tortoise will begin consuming the calcium instead of the substrate.

I also agree with Maggie about the use of sand as a substrate. I used to use it and found problems with doing so including it clinging to a tortoise's eyes and mouth and on their food, which can obviously be ingested. I now use a combination of Organic potting soil (top soil would work equally as well), coconut coir and ground sphagnum and leaf litter. I've found that this combination still allows for good substrate moisture retention, allows for solid footing and digging but doesn't stick to the tortoises nearly as much as sand did.

 

[Kymiie]

Heres my plan, as I paid 15 pounds for this substrate I am going to use this all up on him then change him to some substrate I have found in another store only £4 a bag its like bark and leaves and dirt kinds thing I could be wrong and I will put him on that, He has cuttle bone :/ tried the powder ... he just nocked ti everywhere :/ lol xx