Adult sulcate not pooping

Lygatoba

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Nov 27, 2017
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Oklahoma city
Hi there. This is my first post on here. I know this is a LONG post, but I would greatly appreciate some feedback.

I have a 50-60 pound male Sulcate. Guessing about 7-10 yrs old. His name is “Art.”

I rescued him in July 2014 while walking at the lake. Witnesses saw someone dumping him off.
Art and I fell in love with each other immediately and he followed me around! Obviously, he was someone’s pet. I figure he got out of a yard and someone picked him up and unknowingly took him to the lake. He was about 17 pounds then.

After unsuccessful at finding his owner,
I have been on a crash course for all things Sulcate for the last 3.5 years! Like I said, I am in love with him!!

We have survived several Okla winters together, but this year is different.

I have been living with and caring for an 83 year old friend and she loves having Art here with us! But at my home he has more accommodations - when I live there. But I am here full time for now.

Oklahoma has widely varied temperatures daily. Some days high of 62 and sunny with nighttime lows of 22. We also have periods of several days that it doesn’t get above freezing.

I built a custom box for him outside while here at this house, but with the fluctuating temps, I couldn’t keep up with regulating the heat lights. The box just isn’t large enough to provide the needed various temperature spaces.
He really needs one three times the size so he can go out when its sunny during the day, then come in to his enclosure but have various zones. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to get to happen before the end of this year’s cold winter.

Since I cant keep up with fluctuating temps, I bought from the reptile store a large plastic stock tank. It is about 4’x5’. ($167.00!!)
It is inside the house with us with ambient temp about 72.

Here is the biggest dilemma. . .He has grown too heavy for me to lift at all.
So, Unfortunately, he is not getting any exercise. I have my son come by occasionally and lift him out for a bit, and while we visit, Art can roam around.
But not nearly often enough. So he’s going 10-12 days stuck in that tub.

Art eats great! Still. Everyday he eats a head of some sort of lettuce. Usually romaine, an apple, a cucumber, some shredded carrot or a yellow squash.

I have never seen Art drink. Not even in the summer. I always keep fresh water for him, but again, I have never seen him drink. (In the summer, I hose down his mud holes under bushes and spray him down when it 100 degrees.) but for now, winter, in the house, he still never drinks.

He pees a BOUNTY!
But he is not pooping at all.
I am worried.
Its been days.
He usually poops massive amounts.

I have been soaking him right in that giant tub, but That is a pain in the @$$! Because then I have to bale it out and its only a couple inches deep, but broad.
I would love suggestions or ideas to make that easier. Im sure I would soak him more frequently. Also it is so broad that water gets cold too fast.

I have thought of a rabbit cage tray about 24x30 with about 4 inch sides to put on the base of his tub to fill with warm water and schooch him over into it. He likes his soaks so he wont crawl out or I could put a simple wall across the space.
But i am looking for more ideas that might even be better for the next few months. But remember, I cant lift him.

Big question: How often should a 55 pound Sulcate soak?

At Art’s tub, I have a rack with a ceramic heat “bulb”, a daytime UV on a timer, a nighttime heat bulb.

I was just keeping temps around 78 or so - then a couple days ago when I started researching him not pooping- I am seeing it recommended the basking area should be as high as 95 to aid with digestion.
I did not know that, so I have cranked up his basking light to maintain the higher temps and he is going to that area all the time. (It is 19 degrees outside right now- I think he knows it)

I do not have a handle on humidity at all! I really need advise about that.
I have a little human humidifier for when kids get a cold. Should I just turn it on near his tub? Do I need to go buy another special reptile something?

I will you know!

I try to mist him often with a spray bottle but maybe that isn’t enough.

??How long is it ok for a 55 pound sulcate to go without pooping??

I bought several variety of lettuce and leaves to see about mixing up his fiber and greens- still nothing.
I gave him some orange slices and he instantly pooped about a thumb size poop. It wasn’t hard, rather more like wet clay. Usually when he is outside he eats a lot of yard grass and that shows in his poop. We just don’t have any yard grass right now. Im trying dandelion leaves, kale, and other store bought greens. He has never eaten alfalfa or other hays. Just ignores it totally.
I read to try canned pumpkin, I bought a can but haven’t tried it yet.

Like i said, he is still eating full amounts. But I just don’t even know how long it has really been since he pooped.
I am in grad school and lose track of days when I am writing big papers, but it might even be 2-3 weeks since he’s pooped! I am pretty sure it is definitely at least 10 days.

I would also love creative ideas for ways to hoist him out of the tub so he could cruise around a bit each day.

Ive seriously been looking online at hydraulic lifts and pulley systems and trying to be creative to conjure up a solution without breaking the bank.

Oh another question: I have been using newspapers in his tub to soak up pee. I got to thinking about the inks and wonder if that could cause any adverse reactions. Just a thought. Trying to cover all my bases.


Thoughts anyone??? I would really appreciate any ideas and expert advise you all can offer.

Thank you so much!
Lygatoba
 

SULCY

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I am far from an expert but to me it looks like you are feeding him too many wet foods he should be getting more grass or hay and as many weeds as you can. Exercise is very important to get his bowels going so that could also be a problem plus his temps should be closer to 85 not in the 70's so that he can digest his food properly. In the wild they walk and walk and walk. Hope this helps a little i am sure people will chime in soon with more experience. Also fruit is not good for them.
 

Tom

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You have a giant tropical reptile there. They need large spaces to roam everyday and warm tropical temps. Living in a heated box at 72-78 degrees is literally a death sentence. Even an entire room is too small for a sulcata that size. Your 4x5' tub? That's an okay size for a 3-4" juvenile, but not a 55 pound adult.

You are running into the same problems that all people in cold climates run into with this species. It is not practical, cheap or easy to maintain a giant tropical reptile that needs 1000's of square feet to roam in a cold climate that has snow and freezing temps all winter. Some people manage to get by and keep the tortoise alive, but it is not a good situation. I wouldn't even attempt it if I lived in a climate like that.

I don't have a solution that will work for you in that area, but the problem is obvious. You need a large heated space where this tortoise can roam about and get the GI tract moving, and you need the correct temps for this species. The correct high fiber grassy weedy diet would help too. Wish I had more encouraging news, but it sounds like this tortoise needs to be housed in a warmer climate, unless you can figure out a way to give it what it needs where you are.
 

Yvonne G

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I think your main problem is because he can't do a lot of walking. Walking is what keeps the 'inner works' working. Living in the tub just isn't a good idea. Some people in cold climates convert the garage or basement for the tortoise. Some give over one of the bedrooms. Not knowing your living arrangements, I'm at a loss to know what to suggest. I'm sorry I don't have any better suggestions for you.
 

Ajbuer0325

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You need a plastic shed from lowes, hay bails for bedding, industrial plastic sheeting like for a walk in freezer (to use as door covering) and an oil heater like in a bathroom and a fenced in yard that they can't see through. He needs excise constantly and the shed would be converted to become heated house for those cold days
 

Lygatoba

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Thank you all for your feedback. I am reaching out to other sulcate owners in Oklahoma region for advise too.

I will update soon.
 

Tom

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Thank you all for your feedback. I am reaching out to other sulcate owners in Oklahoma region for advise too.

I will update soon.

Definitely reach out and learn what you can, but please realize that most people are misinformed about this specie's needs, and they do it wrong. I used to be one of them. That's how I know the difference.
 

Stuart S.

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Thank you all for your feedback. I am reaching out to other sulcate owners in Oklahoma region for advise too.

I will update soon.

I'm just South of you in Paris, Texas my Art is much bigger than my Spur. I understand the weather though, it has been a crazy winter. I'm planning Spur's outdoor enclosure (it's going to have to be huge) and will start constructing it this Spring. I hope he gets better soon!
 
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Tom

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You need a plastic shed from lowes, hay bails for bedding, industrial plastic sheeting like for a walk in freezer (to use as door covering) and an oil heater like in a bathroom and a fenced in yard that they can't see through. He needs excise constantly and the shed would be converted to become heated house for those cold days

I realize you are trying to be helpful, but that won't even work in a mild climate like mine. I tried it and watched several other people try it. And hay bails for bedding does nothing for an ectotherm that doesn't produce its own heat. Also, there is not enough square footage in a shed to keep a large tortoise locked up for weeks or months at a time. They need room to roam.
 

Ajbuer0325

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I realize you are trying to be helpful, but that won't even work in a mild climate like mine. I tried it and watched several other people try it. And hay bails for bedding does nothing for an ectotherm that doesn't produce its own heat. Also, there is not enough square footage in a shed to keep a large tortoise locked up for weeks or months at a time. They need room to roam.
I'm sorry, I guess I misread the post but it sounded like he's having trouble with temp fluctuations through the season. Didn't realize there were weeks or months of standard freezing temps.
 
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