No faeces?

[meticulous86]

Hi everyone,

I have had my tortoise for two weeks, and he is active, healthy, and has a great appetite. My concern is I haven't noticed any excrement. I soak him often, but he just tries to escape the little tub.

Anything I could do to stimulate it? Maybe I can't recognize it? Any suggestions?

Thanks, laura

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Hi meticulous,

What kind of tortoise do you have? If you could post a photo with details of its enclosure as well, you will get lots of good advice from the many experts here on TFO. For example, tortoises need plenty of warmth in order to digest (and then excrete) their food, so let us know what temps you are keeping it at.

Here's one easy way to post photos:http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-5245.html

I'm NOT an expert, but my Chaco tortoise often goes a long while without pooping.

 

[GBtortoises]

Keep in mind that what a tortoise expels in wastes is not what it has recently eaten but may be several days or weeks old, depending upon when they last ate and how much. It is possible that your tortoise hadn't consumed a large volume of food prior to you getting it. Also as Stephanie pointed out, it could be temperature related or even stress related due to your tortoise being in a new environment. More information is always better!

 

[meticulous86]

Ok, thanks. Sorry, I didn't describe my tortoise but I posted in the Russian area...

His temps are normal, and I will just wait to see if it is stress.

 

[tortoisenerd]

What kind of substrate is it? Sometimes the poop hides. How much is he eating each day? If a tort isn't eating, they won't poop. For example, some torts eat a pile of greens their own size, so you may think your tort is eating, but if it isn't a good amount then it may not be enough to produce poop. Usually a warm soak will help them poop (use a smaller container if he is becoming stressed so he can't move around)--up to 15 minutes if it is warm enough is ok. If you think the poop could be hiding in the substrate, or he may be eating it, you can put the tort on newspaper for a few days to see if you see poop or skid marks from poop. At two weeks, it is to the point if it was my own tort I would take it to the vet to rule out impaction (something blocking the intestine). Cactus pads are known to cause loose stools and are a great treat, so that is another thing to find (look in hispanic stores if they aren't carried in your grocery store). What was the temperature gradient when you last measured it with a reliable thermometer? "Normal" is not very helpful, sorry. Best wishes.