dry tortoise shell?

[EppsDynasty]

Car rides are great at getting them to poop .... especially when you don't need them too.

 

[zolasmum]

Car rides are great at getting them to poop .... especially when you don't need them too.

Not Zola - he has sat on my lap for very long car journeys and usually manages not to poop - although we try to have peeing stops at appropriate places !
Angie

 

[Yingg]

Car rides are great at getting them to poop .... especially when you don't need them too.

😂 mine never poops in the car, she just hides and doesn't come out 😂

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

shoot i forgot to buy mineral oil oh my god 😭 do you have brands by chance? i might just order it off amazon. for now i'll keep trying aloe vera though, she seems to like it. how much aloe is too much?

and yes, i will clean out a bigger tub ^^ she's always moving anyway.

Unfortunately as I am from Finland I can't really recommend a brand. But they are also sold as paraffin oil or baby oil, you should find one that is 100% petroleum.

 

[Yingg]

Unfortunately as I am from Finland I can't really recommend a brand. But they are also sold as paraffin oil or baby oil, you should find one that is 100% petroleum.

i've been looking online and i can only see the ones with fragrances. (johnson's brand) is fragrance okay or should i keep searching?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

i've been looking online and i can only see the ones with fragrances. (johnson's brand) is fragrance okay or should i keep searching?

You need pharmaceutical grade laxative mineral oil, not skin treatment. So no fragrances, other plant oils and stuff. This one should work:

Equate Mineral Oil Lubricant Laxative Liquid for Constipation, 16 fl oz (474mL) - Walmart.com

Buy Equate Mineral Oil Lubricant Laxative Liquid for Constipation, 16 fl oz (474mL) at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

 

[EppsDynasty]

😂 mine never poops in the car, she just hides and doesn't come out 😂

While she is in a hide box cover it with a small blanket, sheet or towel and then move her to the car. You can also try to put her in the car a half hour prior to departure. This will allow her to 'settle in' before all the activity starts. The mineral oil will work as well just letting ya know another tool in the Tort Tool Box.

 

[EppsDynasty]

Not Zola - he has sat on my lap for very long car journeys and usually manages not to poop - although we try to have peeing stops at appropriate places !
Angie

Zola is a 'Experienced Traveler' and most likely chomping at the bit to go somewhere and see the sights. Zola (I would assume) loves car rides.

 

[Yingg]

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.

yesterday, she pooped and it was very.... liquidy. it didn't really look undigested, but it definitely had 0 form. today, i soaked her again in the larger tub like you said with warmer water, and she pooped out this? I don't even know what it is. What is it????

her appetite is very small. she only eats a few bites of her hibiscus and ignores everything else. i will measure her weight in a bit to see if it changed drastically

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

That could be just some undigested fibers, what has he been eating lately? Like the last week.

 

[Yingg]

That could be just some undigested fibers, what has he been eating lately? Like the last week.

that was the ONLY thing that she pooped out btw, and she ate some frisée lettuce and hibiscus leaves, along with aloe. for the aloe, she snuck in a bit of the exterior green part while i wasn't looking. no grass or anything, just her comfort food

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

What substrate are you using? I was wondering could it be possible that he ate the substrate and the fibers are from that?

 

[Yingg]

What substrate are you using? I was wondering could it be possible that he ate the substrate and the fibers are from that?

coco coir and orchid bark. i attached pictures a while back in the thread if you want to see ^^

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Does your coco coir have these longer fibers? Here is a photo of some that I have sifted out from mine:

 

[Yingg]

Does your coco coir have these longer fibers? Here is a photo of some that I have sifted out from mine:

yes i think it does , though she never pooped just a straight line so i'm kinda confused and concerned lol

 

[EppsDynasty]

A tortoise digestive process is NOT like ours. It is at least 10-12 days after consumption (eating) of something before it is expelled via poop. This becomes a problem when constipated since (if fed regularly) there is so much food in the system. I would assume the 'watery' stool is from the things you have done to get her to poop.

 

[Yingg]

A tortoise digestive process is NOT like ours. It is at least 10-12 days after consumption (eating) of something before it is expelled via poop. This becomes a problem when constipated since (if fed regularly) there is so much food in the system. I would assume the 'watery' stool is from the things you have done to get her to poop.

oh that makes sense. I gave her aloe, yes. her poop was a bit watery even before the aloe though.

i believe the timeline goes like: waterypoop, aloe, watery poop, line poop (very little of each) something along those lines.

i'll offer her the food, and if she wants to eat it she can. for now, i'll go buy the mineral oil. thanks for ur replies !