OMG what is this??

[bookwurm1982]

Ok so my little Sheliford was taking his nightly bath and when I went to rinse out the tub I use I found this. It is really hard like a rock. My little guy is little. He fits in the palm of my hand and is only 54 grams and this huge thing came out of him. I can't imagine this being normal. What is it and what do I do? I know about urates and sometimes he will pass a little and its no big deal but can this be urates? I am totally confused and worried right now. One other question...Can a tortoise give you grey hair? lol

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Looks like a urate. See "white poo sticky".

 

[wellington]

Urate would be my guess. It is large. How often and how long do you soak? Also, what does his diet consist of? Not sure if that size would be considered normal or not.
Second question, OMG YES LOL

 

[bookwurm1982]

Looks like a urate. See "white poo sticky".

I thought of urates but this thing is hard as a rock and gigantic. That must of really hurt his poor little bottom

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Urate would be my guess. It is large. How often and how long do you soak? Also, what does his diet consist of? Not sure if that size would be considered normal or not.
Second question, OMG YES LOL

He is soaked twice a day for 20 minutes each. His substrate is kept moist and I mist his enclosure several times a day. I feed him spring mix, timothy hay, zoo med tort pellets, mustard greens, cilantro, and watercress. I just bought some endive today and will be trying that. I would say he eats mostly the spring mix and the mustard greens. Those are his favorite and he picks through.

 

[RGB]

Certainly looks like "solidified" urates forming a bladder stone. Could always consider something it ingested as well... Torts love eating white things such as pebbles and stones.

Sounds like you keep it well hydrated (numerous baths) so it should be low risk for stone development.

Whichever it is, I know it's better out than in!!
Bob

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

There could be more stones too. Has he had a normal bowel movement since you found it?

 

[RedfootsRule]

Its a bladder stone....Which is odd, since you seem to keep him well hydrated. Another cause could be calcium oxalate crystals, but none of your foods are to high in oxalates.
However, even on the best of diets, best of hydration, best of housing, etc., bladder stones can still develop. Just very rare.

On a side-note, your not supplementing with calcium, are you?

 

[bookwurm1982]

Certainly looks like "solidified" urates forming a bladder stone. Could always consider something it ingested as well... Torts love eating white things such as pebbles and stones.

Sounds like you keep it well hydrated (numerous baths) so it should be low risk for stone development.

Whichever it is, I know it's better out than in!!
Bob

Definitely better out than in

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There could be more stones too. Has he had a normal bowel movement since you found it?

This was just a bit ago so no I haven't seen any other poo yet.

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Its a bladder stone....Which is odd, since you seem to keep him well hydrated. Another cause could be calcium oxalate crystals, but none of your foods are to high in oxalates.
However, even on the best of diets, best of hydration, best of housing, etc., bladder stones can still develop. Just very rare.

On a side-note, your not supplementing with calcium, are you?

Actually I did start giving him a calcium supplement a couple weeks ago. I sprinkle some on his food maybe twice a week. Maybe I should stop?

 

[RedfootsRule]

I really can't think of anything else that could possibly cause it, other then calcium. But even calcium is unlikely...Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it if he seems otherwise healthy. Every once in a while, they store to much of the wrong things in their livers, and out comes a stone....

 

[Dizisdalife]

My baby sulcata passed a stone just like that. I could not believe that it had come out of him. That was 2 years ago. Have not seen another stone since that time.

 

[sibi]

Count your blessings that it came out. My tort had a stone that was 1" in diameter! Obviously, he couldn't pass it on his own. I soaked my tort 2-3 times a day, had a good diet, had a humid enclosure, and he still formed this stone in his bladder. I, too, gave calcium supplements. The stone was a.result of too much calcium. Owners beware.

 

[bookwurm1982]

Count your blessings that it came out. My tort had a stone that was 1" in diameter! Obviously, he couldn't pass it on his own. I soaked my tort 2-3 times a day, had a good diet, had a humid enclosure, and he still formed this stone in his bladder. I, too, gave calcium supplements. The stone was a.result of too much calcium. Owners beware.

Thank you. I might stop giving him the calcium or maybe just a couple times a month instead of twice a week.

 

[james1974]

Its urates pass in the urine all tortoises do this.."its natural" extra calcium will pass out though the body it will not harm your tortoises but to much d3 can so i use calcium with d3 once week and calcium without twice a week for my babys and breeding females other adults once a week with d3...my vet recommend this to me...

 

[Tim/Robin]

Calcium supplementation will NOT cause a bladder stone!

 

[biochemnerd808]

Yeah, I agree.
I only have 5 years experience in tortistry, but as a biochemist I can tell you that a tortoise's urea excretion has very little to do with calcium, except that urea and calcium are both white. To go extra geeky, the molecular formula of urea is "CO(NH2)2" - which means it consists of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Counter to common belief, urea excretion also has fairly little to do with oxalic acid - (COOH)2... but that's off topic.

Calcium supplementation will NOT cause a bladder stone!