Gassy Redfoot

[artemiss]

Hi all, strange question.

Ive noticed lately that my redfoot is VERY gassy. I have her table in my living room, and when im watching TV at night, I can hear her let one rip maybe every 20 minutes. Every night. Her appetite has slowed down a little as well over the past couple weeks, but she still eats. I know that farting is normal for all creatures, but Im starting to worry about stomach issues. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas what might be causing this? Its not like I feed her chili or mushroom omelettes or anything, just the standard greens and fruits, etc.

 

[Yvonne G]

Cut back on the fruits a bit. Have you every had a stool sample tested for parasites?

 

[artemiss]

She only gets fruit every 3 days, and only a little (I dont want to get her addicted and have her not eat anything else, waiting for fruit) I was thinking of taking her in for a fecal test. At first it was funny, but then it got more frequent and Im starting to worry.

 

[Madkins007]

Can you describe the diet better?

 

[artemiss]

Mixture of dandelion, collard greens, hibiscus flowers and leaves, plantain, endive, sometimes mango, papaya, pear, strawberries (a bit of fruit only every few days as a treat) and a few Mazuri pellets mixed in once a week.


Also, this is unrelated but I have a feeling that she is old, as in elderly. The scales on her head arent as robust as other pictures Ive seen, they look a little wrinkled and she seems to be a slow mover since I got her. I know there is no definitive way to tell the age (unless Ive raised her since hatching), but is there any way to approximate?

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Upload a pic and let us see her.

I feed mine similarly and haven't noticed any gas ever.

 

[dmmj]

I can't say I notice gas from mine either and he is in the computer room with me where I spend most of my time. now my RES they are another story all together.

 

[artemiss]

Ill upload some pics tonight when I get home.

Theyre all squeakers too, and long, not just a little toot but a full 5-second trumpet blast. I hope nothings wrong with her digestive system, maybe the fact that she isnt eating as much lately has something to do with it.

 

[HarleyK]

Well in humans the more high in fiber diet we consumer, the more gas we produce. I can only pass along this fact. Although I have heard my rf hatchling toot as well.

 

[Madkins007]

Mixture of dandelion, collard greens, hibiscus flowers and leaves, plantain, endive, sometimes mango, papaya, pear, strawberries (a bit of fruit only every few days as a treat) and a few Mazuri pellets mixed in once a week.


Also, this is unrelated but I have a feeling that she is old, as in elderly. The scales on her head arent as robust as other pictures Ive seen, they look a little wrinkled and she seems to be a slow mover since I got her. I know there is no definitive way to tell the age (unless Ive raised her since hatching), but is there any way to approximate?

Diet sounds OK. Age can be roughly guessed by size, but not very accurately. How big is she?

---

I'm having a bit of a problem with MY tortie .... in the past couple days she has stopped eating, she won't even take her favourite treat from me anymore. She is also seeming to be quite constipated. She has to really push and grunt and strain just to get a small amount of fecal matter out. Plus her pee isn't semi-solid white urates like it should be. It's pure clear urine in big puddles which I'm told is another sign of constipation.

I feed her watercress, redleaf lettuce, Zoo-Med Forest Tortoise Diet in a mash form, a crushed multivitamin, and for fruits she gets a variation every week. Pineapple is her favourite but I've given her mango, kiwi, strawberry and green grapes. I'm going to try papaya and see if she'll take that.

Kemp

I've always thought that clear urine was the norm in Red-foots, and for many torts, too much of the white stuff was a sign of dehydration.

This may sound odd, but how long is your tortoise and what does it weigh? It may be dehydrated. If you take the weight in grams to the third power and multiply by 0.191, you should see the minimum desired weight in grams.

I would also stop the vitamins if you are using a prepared diet- they usually have all you need in them. Personally, I would stop the prepared stuff- the rest of the diet is pretty good.

 

[Kemperly_Williams]

How can I encourage her to drink more. I mist her tank several times a day and also have a humidifier on a timer. I've looked in her mouth, no mucus. Pink, healthy tongue, clear eyes. She soaks in a warm bath everyday and swims about between poops. And she just did that now, and then went to her bowl to eat. I'm just wondering if maybe the rapid temperature decline in my area did it. My parents are trying to save $$$ and are waiting til we really really need the furnace on before using it. So my house temp is around 71 F during the day and it drops a bit at night. I have 2 heat lamps on and a UVB as well. Wonder if she needs MORE heat....

 

[dmmj]

One trick I use to get a tortoise to drink more is I spray down their food with a mister so as it eats it is taking in moisture.

 

[tortoisenerd]

A fecal test for parasites is about $10-20 and very simple. I think it is very important to get done on a regular basis, as in every 6-12 months. If you have a vet established, you can just drop off the sample and they will call if you need to pick up meds (they will need an accurate weight for the tort). If not, then its good to get a check up and bring in the sample. You can stick it in the fridge--the fresher the better. That can tell you if there is anything going on in that department.

Gassiness makes me think bacteria or gut flora though...some people give a Total Nutrition for Tortoises supplement with probiotics from Carolina Pet Supply. Anyone have thoughts on that?

What are the temps like in the enclosure? What kind of thermometer are you measuring with? I'd recommend a temp gun.

Off topic-I'd mix some greens into the diet that aren't high in oxalic acid (like dandelion and collard greens--spring mix is great and is a lot of variety for he cost too--although pick out any spinach and chard).

Good luck!

 

[Madkins007]

How can I encourage her to drink more. I mist her tank several times a day and also have a humidifier on a timer. I've looked in her mouth, no mucus. Pink, healthy tongue, clear eyes. She soaks in a warm bath everyday and swims about between poops. And she just did that now, and then went to her bowl to eat. I'm just wondering if maybe the rapid temperature decline in my area did it. My parents are trying to save $$$ and are waiting til we really really need the furnace on before using it. So my house temp is around 71 F during the day and it drops a bit at night. I have 2 heat lamps on and a UVB as well. Wonder if she needs MORE heat....

Is it dehydrated? Use the formula offered and see where she falls. If she is light, you can try things like misted food, really moist foods (watermelon, soaked pellets, etc.), etc.

It is possible she just needs some fiber. Canned pumpkin, soaked prunes, etc. can help as well.

As far as temps, guessing is not a good idea. I use both an infrared sensor and behaviors to help me adjust temps. Hiding in the warm area? Boost temps. Hiding in the cool area? Cool it a bit.