My tortoise has a few symptoms

sri kurmam

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2024
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Hyderabad
Today while bathing my tortoise, it tortoise urinated a white sludge like it's a white phlegm and it's mouth was foaming it's skin was also slightly peeling. What is happening. I put my tortoise in an indoor enclosure with cocopeat substrate. I feed it some lettuce and loot of greens that are safe to feed it. recently I fed it some cauliflower stem or stamen. What should I do.
 

sri kurmam

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2024
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Hyderabad
Today while bathing my tortoise, it tortoise urinated a white sludge like it's a white phlegm and it's mouth was foaming it's skin was also slightly peeling. What is happening. I put my tortoise in an indoor enclosure with cocopeat substrate. I feed it some lettuce and loot of greens that are safe to feed it. recently I fed it some cauliflower stem or stamen. What should I do.
I just read its bad for my tortoise to eat cauliflower. What should I do
 

Alex and the Redfoot

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2023
Messages
2,656
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
Hello!
Can add photos of peeling skin? And more details how do you keep it (inside or outside, roaming free in the house, what temperatures at daytime and nightime).

White phlegm (goo or something like this) can be indigested food. Foaming is often a sign of overheating.

A small amount of cauliflower won't do harm.
 

Littleredfootbigredheart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2023
Messages
2,203
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Hello and welcome! I’m so sorry this is happening! Some more information would definitely be helpful!

What kind of tortoise is it? Do you have a rough age?
What are your temperatures? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb) overall day temps and night temps?
What kind of set up? Indoor or out?
What kind of lighting/heating are you using? Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity? What are you using for substrate?

Any answers to the above questions along with a photo of your full set up, and the tortoise, would be great🙂
 

sri kurmam

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2024
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Hyderabad
I just read its bad for my tortoise to eat cauliflower. What should I do
Thank you for the help everyone I took my tortoise to vet and he informed me that due to a bit high temperature my tortoise was dehydrated and the white sludge was urate. I panicked because I've never seen my tortoise release a urate and it was foaming in mouth to regulate its temperature the peeling occured due to high temperature as well making its skin dry. Guess I need to regulate the temperature and keep it hydrated and moist.
 

Alex and the Redfoot

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2023
Messages
2,656
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
Thank you for the help everyone I took my tortoise to vet and he informed me that due to a bit high temperature my tortoise was dehydrated and the white sludge was urate. I panicked because I've never seen my tortoise release a urate and it was foaming in mouth to regulate its temperature the peeling occured due to high temperature as well making its skin dry. Guess I need to regulate the temperature and keep it hydrated and moist.
Some urates are normal if they look like a toothpaste, if they look like sand - your tortoise needs more hydration. Also, check the diet - more protein in diet results in more urates, so avoid legumes and feed less high protein grasses like alfalfa or clover.

You are right about hydration and controlling temperatures, if your tortoises stays outside make sure it has shady areas to hide from the sun.
 

New Posts

Top