Dark pee..?? Help!!

Meela21

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Jun 19, 2016
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Lately I've noticed my 1yr old Sulcata's pee is sometimes a dark brown. I gave him a couple extra baths and each time he pees in the bath water and it's 'normal'.. Maybe a little chalky, but it's white. But today when I came home he peed a little on his basking rock and it's a dark brown again..?? Should I be worried or just continue to give him more baths weekly. Right now I give him 1-2 baths/week. And when it seemed to clear up, I had given him 4 baths that week. So when it got better and I didn't notice anymore brown pee, I went back to 1-2/week. Maybe I should just continue with lots of baths, or is this a sign of some kind of infection?? Any suggestions/advice would be much appreciated!!
 

Meela21

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Also, when I first brought him home, he was trying to eat the cypress mulch bark that's in the enclosure. So I took him out and he now on a white towel till I can get something different, that's when I started noticing the brown on the towel.. I tried again a few weeks later and he still ate the bark, so I removed him again. Is there anyway that the bark has hurt his insides..?? :'(
 

dmmj

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he's probably dehydrated, does he have acoes tovwatet? You could also sprayed down his food when you feed him so he's getting extra moisture that way
 

Yvonne G

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When I fed my horse an overabundance of alfalfa hay her urine was very dark brown. Has your sulcata been eating alfalfa?
 

Tidgy's Dad

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It's got to be diet.
What are you feeding your tortoise ?
Use coco coir packed down nicely (in my opinion)
Dandelions sometimes change the colour of a torts urine.
Do you feed a lot of these ?
Not necessarily bad, but can effect the pee colour.
 

sibi

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I think it's a combo of the cypress bark he's eating and not enough water. I would soak him where the water is just below his chin. He'll be able to sip some water and absorb it from behind. Let him soak for at least 30 minutes daily for a week or two. Then, if your tort is not very heavy to lift, I would continue warm soaks two or three times weekly. With no brown staining bark to eat, his pee would return to normal and you eliminate the chance of dehydration.
 
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