im a little worried!!

[philg12]

my hermann had a white poo yesterday! she also had one last week! i picked it up with toilet paper and it was pretty hard almost chalky! it was about 3 times the size of a pea. i know they get urates in ther urine but this is worrying me as this has never happened?!

any ideas??

 

[GBtortoises]

Thicker chalky consistency urates can be a sign of the tortoise not being well hydrated enough or as often as necessary. Depending upon the age (and size) of your tortoise most young Hermann's under a year old should be kept well hydrated either by constant, clean, easily accessable drinking water or by "soaking" at least two or three times weekly. Every other day would be even better if it's possible. Not all will drink everytime that it's offered or when they're soaked but they should be given the opportunity to do so. This is especially true this time of year when tortoises are kept indoors and house heat which tends to be dry influences their environment. I "soak" all of my young Northern Mediterraneans two to three times a week and spray their enclosures twice daily, soaking the enclosure down and then stirring up the substrate thoroughly once a week. Urates will always be present, it's normal, but by keeping them well hydrated this will dilute and make the urates easier for them to expel more often. Ideally, the urates being passed in a well hydrated tortoise should be a very creamy consistency with no form or shape. It should easily flow with the urine that is expelled.

 

[philg12]

Thicker chalky consistency urates can be a sign of the tortoise not being well hydrated enough or as often as necessary. Depending upon the age (and size) of your tortoise most young Hermann's under a year old should be kept well hydrated either by constant, clean, easily accessable drinking water or by "soaking" at least two or three times weekly. Every other day would be even better if it's possible. Not all will drink everytime that it's offered or when they're soaked but they should be given the opportunity to do so. This is especially true this time of year when tortoises are kept indoors and house heat which tends to be dry influences their environment. I "soak" all of my young Northern Mediterraneans two to three times a week and spray their enclosures twice daily, soaking the enclosure down and then stirring up the substrate thoroughly once a week. Urates will always be present, it's normal, but by keeping them well hydrated this will dilute and make the urates easier for them to expel more often. Ideally, the urates being passed in a well hydrated tortoise should be a very creamy consistency with no form or shape. It should easily flow with the urine that is expelled.

when i first got her i was advised to soak her for 20 minutes twice a week, so ill start to do it every other day!

iv got a rectangle tub with shallow water in her enclosure that she can fit into, but she hardly ever goes near it?? i would like to think if she was so dehydrated she would jump in for a soak and have a drink??

ill get a spray bottle and start to spray her substrate twice a day

thanks for your help

 

[GBtortoises]

There usually isn't a time limit, 20 minutes is usually more than most Hermann's tortoises care to be sitting in water. Most will drink, then once done begin to try to climb the sides of the container. It's best to take them out then so that they don't become stressed or end up wrongside up. It is also a good time to mist your tortoise with water when first put in to soak. Northern Mediterraneans often associate "rain" with an opportunity to drink. It also cleans them off!
Most Hermann's tortoises don't intentionally sit in water to drink. They will typically keep their body out of the water and just submerge their head. Although a few of my adult Hermann's do often sit in the water to drink when outdoors. But I've always wondered if they have become accustomed to doing so because they get watered that way when indoors.