Adult Sulcata Soaking

[tortoiseplanet]

Do adult Sulcatas have to be soaked? If so, how often?

 

[chris8348.cl]

Do adult Sulcatas have to be soaked? If so, how often?

Once or twice a week to drink and flush their system

 

[Tom]

Do they "have" to be soaked? Not necessarily…

But I think they should be soaked. I soak my larger ones once or twice a week in summer in large cement mixing tubs and horse water troughs. Its never an easy task, but its good for them and keeps them from forming stones or getting constipated. I never have any health problems and I have to think the right diet (Grass, weeds, leaves, opuntia…) and good hydration have something to do with that. Proper night temps aren't hurting either.

Might they survive without this effort? I think so. My old ones did back when I followed the old incorrect advice, but I think my current ones are thriving while my older ones merely survived. I see a huge difference in many ways.

 

[tortoiseplanet]

Do they "have" to be soaked? Not necessarily…

But I think they should be soaked. I soak my larger ones once or twice a week in summer in large cement mixing tubs and horse water troughs. Its never an easy task, but its good for them and keeps them from forming stones or getting constipated. I never have any health problems and I have to think the right diet (Grass, weeds, leaves, opuntia…) and good hydration have something to do with that. Proper night temps aren't hurting either.

Might they survive without this effort? I think so. My old ones did back when I followed the old incorrect advice, but I think my current ones are thriving while my older ones merely survived. I see a huge difference in many ways.

Make sense thanks. Will hosing the big guy work (that would be much easier)? I’m thinking if I get a water dish large enough for him to sit in he will soak himself — do they freely soak themselves (if he does, that would be much easier as well)? I’m thinking of a water heater pan as the water dish. Let me know what you think. Thanks again.

 

[Tom]

Make sense thanks. Will hosing the big guy work (that would be much easier)? I’m thinking if I get a water dish large enough for him to sit in he will soak himself — do they freely soak themselves (if he does, that would be much easier as well)? I’m thinking of a water heater pan as the water dish. Let me know what you think. Thanks again.

Hose won't do it and self-soaking doesn't do it. I think the hose and a large water dish are both good in summer, but not a substitute for soaking.

 

[Jay Bagley]

Do adult Sulcatas have to be soaked? If so, how often?

Good question, I'm glad you asked it. I was kind of wondering the same thing and how people went about doing it.

 

[tortoiseplanet]

Good question, I'm glad you asked it. I was kind of wondering the same thing and how people went about doing it.

Glad it helped you as well!

 

[TriciaStringer]

Do adult Sulcatas have to be soaked? If so, how often?

Our vet said, “It would be ideal to soak him twice a week, every week, for the rest of his life.”

 

[Tom]

Our vet said, “It would be ideal to soak him twice a week, every week, for the rest of his life.”

That is an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. Sounds like you found a good one.

 

[orv]

By placing our totroise's food and water dishes just a few inches apart, we've taught our CDTs to enjoy going in for a soak in their water dish by offering them a favorite food to go into the water. Now they go in for a soak on their own. I've got to change the water between soaks though . . . the torts love to drag dirt into and pee in their dish. They don't seem to go in for a swim until the ambient temperature reachs the mid to upper seventies, which is often where we live.

 

[Shedon's mom]

Make sense thanks. Will hosing the big guy work (that would be much easier)? I’m thinking if I get a water dish large enough for him to sit in he will soak himself — do they freely soak themselves (if he does, that would be much easier as well)? I’m thinking of a water heater pan as the water dish. Let me know what you think. Thanks again.

Tom, aren't your torts huge? How do you manage to lift and soak them? I am already finding it hard to lift our tort in and out of the large utility sink that we are using to soak him in, and he has nearly outgrown that sink so I was looking for some alternatives to use in his outdoor enclosure. I see some folks referring to little ponds, baby pools or mud sinks but.....I can only picture how gross that water might get with tort excretions each time.

On the same note, what have people found that work for stable water dishes and setups that won't get immediately walked over, or just ignored? Our tort walks over anything that is shallow and does not seem to recognize drinking water in a larger/deeper pan. I am concerned about dehydration. He does drink when soaking but we are only soaking him a couple times a week.

Ideas, anyone??

 

[TriciaStringer]

Tom, aren't your torts huge? How do you manage to lift and soak them? I am already finding it hard to lift our tort in and out of the large utility sink that we are using to soak him in, and he has nearly outgrown that sink so I was looking for some alternatives to use in his outdoor enclosure. I see some folks referring to little ponds, baby pools or mud sinks but.....I can only picture how gross that water might get with tort excretions each time.

On the same note, what have people found that work for stable water dishes and setups that won't get immediately walked over, or just ignored? Our tort walks over anything that is shallow and does not seem to recognize drinking water in a larger/deeper pan. I am concerned about dehydration. He does drink when soaking but we are only soaking him a couple times a week.

Ideas, anyone??

I took a kiddie pool flipped over and crushed/flattened it. He climbs right in. I also put it near his spot that he “patrols” so he walks through it. I finally saw him in it yesterday laying down and moving his legs like he was swimming. I think he was trying to splash himself. I sprayed him with water and filled it up again. It is very light. I dump it out, wash it out and refill it almost everyday. I do still pick him up and put him in a large container to soak him twice a week. I also have a large terra cotta saucer in his enclosure. I see him drink from it and walk through it a lot.

 

[Shedon's mom]

Very helpful, great idea!!!! Thx for the photo too. That does not look so bad to clean daily. It is good to know your tort drinks from the terra cotta dish. That is what I have been using but had concluded that maybe it was giving a bad flavor to the water or otherwise offending him somehow. I only see him drink when soaking. Thanks again.