Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
No worries, you’ll have a better idea once they arrive, chances are your humidity is fine, and yes it’s fine to mix them😊
dry tortoise shell?
- Thread starter Yingg
- Start date
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
With tortoise not eating, not pooping and dragging back legs I would suspect a constipation. Do you have some aloe plants or opuntia cactus pads? They can help too.
Yingg
Active Member
oh yes i have aloe (i think.) should i feed it to her?
Yingg
Active Member
okay thank you ❤️
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Yes, it has laxative effect. Try to feed as is first, if it doesn't work - mix with usual food.
Yingg
Active Member
what should i do if she doesn't even eat her normal food?
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Make sure she is well hydrated (soakings), warm at night (75-80F). You may try applying mineral oil to cloaka area. @The_Four_Toed_Edward has recently fought with bladder stones - maybe can have some more hints.
Yingg
Active Member
i don't have mineral oil. i think i will buy some. might walk to walmart today. i just checked outside, and the aloe plant died haha. is there aloe you can buy that's safe for tort consumption?
glad to see the temps are okay 👌 it is 73 in the morning, but at night it is 75-81.
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Probably, it would be easier to find opuntia cactus pads ("nopales") in Mexican grocery stores. It's better than aloe in terms of nutrients and has laxative effect too.
Yingg
Active Member
oof i only have a walmart in walking distance... i will try looking for those at walmart though. how do i prep it for a tortoise?
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
No special preparation is needed - just remove the large spines with a knife. Usually, you don't even need to cut it (they can bite off chunks) but for my redfoot I cut it in thin slices.
Yingg
Active Member
i gót this one. is it correct?
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Yingg
Active Member
i managed to get her to eat aloe, by tempting her with a hibiscus flower.
...and she's definitely also eating the substrate that she drags into her food. she often grabs her food and brings to the edge of the slate, then eats it there and eats some of the substrate every time. hopefully that isn't too concerning. i just realized maybe that can make her constipated? it is coco coir btw.
i only noticed now because she dragged her aloe into the dirt as a watched, then gobbled it up. ... 😭
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Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Yes, these oval pads is what you need. Sorry for the late reply - it was a night across the pond
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Small amounts of substrate should pass. You can place a shallow dish for food on top of the slate to reduce amount of substrate eaten.
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
If he is eating his normal food you can try rolling up mineral oil in a lettuce leaf, preferably with soaked pellets inside. This way you should be able to lubricate the whole digestive track. I did this on top of what Alex suggests. The thing is mine luckyli didn't stop eating. He had a short constipation period though.
Also, if your tortoise scrambles during soaks, try soaking him in a bigger dish now that he is constipated. This will ensure that your tortoise will get more movement in hopefully resulting in a poop.
