Hi, I have a red footed tortoise that has not been pooping regularly for about a month. I feed him kale with bell pepper or squash and he also has a calcium bone that he can eat too. I keep his enclosure moist and he has a little pool he can get into if he wants (I clean the pool everyday). I take him out to soak as well every day or other day for at least 30 minutes. I have given him canned pumpkin in the past to help him poop, which did help a little, but it hasn't fixed the problem. I don't know if he could have an illness or something that is affecting his pooping. He still eats well, which makes it confusing. I do have high heat bulbs, one set to 95, then his night one as well as UVB bulb.
Difficulty pooping
- Thread starter Dude92203
- Start date
Welcome to the forum. How old is your tort & how long have you had him? What's the humidity level in his enclosure, if he's indoors & is it a closed or open enclosure? How big is the enclosure? What substrate are you using? Photos of your tort & his enclosure & setup would be helpful if experts are to help.
Photos of tort and enclosure please. What do you mean when you say night bulb? How long have you had the tortoise, how old is it? Same questions Jan asked.
We need a lot more info to be able to help. Kale, bell pepper and squash is not a very great diet if that is the entirety of it. It seems like torts will often continue eating when things get blocked up so dont rely on that.
We need a lot more info to be able to help. Kale, bell pepper and squash is not a very great diet if that is the entirety of it. It seems like torts will often continue eating when things get blocked up so dont rely on that.
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Thank you! He is about 10 years old. I’ve had him for 9 years but I wasn’t the one taking care of him until this year. I made this enclosure for him it’s 4 ft by 2 feet but he also walks free range around the house (don’t worry I clean the floors before he does so there’s nothing he can eat off the floor). I’m using a dirt substrate I got from petco but I am going to look into adding orchid bark. I have a humidifier next to his enclosure as well. Also what food do you recommend me feeding him? I had looked up different websites to go off of and that’s why I kind of fell kale bell pepper squash sometimes apple and pears. Good news, he actually pooped yesterday but it still concerns me that he doesn’t seem to have a schedule for it. I moved apartments 6 months ago and before he used to do his business in the shower with running water, but he doesn’t do that anymore.
At his age, he really needs a bigger space of his own. If you invest in a bigger enclosure that is sealed, he can exercise under the proper temperature and humidity and it will aid his digestion.
Red foots thrive on a variety. Here's a really awesome thread about all of the different things people feed their torts. The emphasis for red foots should be on weeds and tropical fruits (not citrus). If you can forage wild plants, that is considered best. Since I can't wild forage here (pesticides on everything), I rely a lot on store-bought dandelions, a different green each week, cactus, mango and berries, some mushrooms, and a variety of fish and canned bugs/snails.
If your tort will occasionally eat bagged food like Mazuri or Zoomed that is soaked in water, the fiber content in that can help him poop too.
Red foots thrive on a variety. Here's a really awesome thread about all of the different things people feed their torts. The emphasis for red foots should be on weeds and tropical fruits (not citrus). If you can forage wild plants, that is considered best. Since I can't wild forage here (pesticides on everything), I rely a lot on store-bought dandelions, a different green each week, cactus, mango and berries, some mushrooms, and a variety of fish and canned bugs/snails.
If your tort will occasionally eat bagged food like Mazuri or Zoomed that is soaked in water, the fiber content in that can help him poop too.
