Problems with soaking

Noodleme123

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Hi guys, so I have a Russian tortoise and the first few times I soaked her she would do fine. She would just sit and relax but now every time that I soak her her poops a bunch and then squirms to get out. I clean her tub and add more warm water but she just poops again and then tries to get out. I don’t know what to do.
 

Blackdog1714

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Some just relax some scrape the sides. For babies soaks are a must for adults they can spaced out. My Russian went from scratching to a soaking lover. You just have to be stubborn for what’s best for them
 

Sa Ga

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Some just relax some scrape the sides. For babies soaks are a must for adults they can spaced out. My Russian went from scratching to a soaking lover. You just have to be stubborn for what’s best for them

I have to change the water several times per bath session. At first it irritated me but now I like it. I bathe her daily (for keeping her clean and because hydration is an issue for Morla) so this means she rarely goes potty in her cage and I can clean her up right after, keeping any smell in the cage or yuck on her to an absolute minimum.
 

TammyJ

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Hi guys, so I have a Russian tortoise and the first few times I soaked her she would do fine. She would just sit and relax but now every time that I soak her her poops a bunch and then squirms to get out. I clean her tub and add more warm water but she just poops again and then tries to get out. I don’t know what to do.
What's the age of your tortoise? It's natural for them to poop in warm water, it stimulates them to do it and it's good. If the water is a nice warm temperature and the container is a secure and safe one, I would keep up the soaks, whether it is every day for babies or less often for adults. Also, if your temps and humidity levels in the enclosure are correct, and the diet is the right one, there is even less to worry about.
 

Yvonne G

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If your Russian tortoise is full grown, you don't need to soak it daily. Once a week is ok as long as there's a waterer in the enclosure.
 

Maggie3fan

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Also.. It is my experience that if they are going to drink, they do it almost right away, and too much soaking leads to the poop being pushed thru their system faster so that all the nutrition is not being used by the tort. I am saying that soaking too long makes the poop come out too quickly. One 10 minute soak is good enough for small torts If your tort does not drink that's another story, generally speaking. A couple of poops a day in my opinion is too much
 

Tom

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Hi guys, so I have a Russian tortoise and the first few times I soaked her she would do fine. She would just sit and relax but now every time that I soak her her poops a bunch and then squirms to get out. I clean her tub and add more warm water but she just poops again and then tries to get out. I don’t know what to do.
You don't need to "do" anything. Its working as it should. They aren't supposed sit and relax. Its fine if they do, but its also fine if they get on their tortoise treadmill and do some laps.

That business about them pushing the poop out too fast and not getting enough nutrition is an old myth. Not true at all. I soak babies for an hour a day and they poop copious quantities every time. If they weren't getting enough nutrition they wouldn't thrive and grow as they do.

Just soak as you have been and don't worry about what the tortoise does in the soak. Keep the water warm, and replace the poopy water if you want to. In hot dry weather, I would soak an adult Russian two or three times a week. In mild weather or indoors in mild conditions, once or twice a week is plenty. Babies should be soaked daily. I like to soak babies daily until they reach 100+ grams. After that, I start skipping a day now and then.
 

Maggie3fan

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Tom..."That business about them pushing the poop out too fast and not getting enough nutrition is an old myth" I AM an 'old' lady, and that is my experience. My exotic Vet agreed with me....so even tho I love ya....
 

Tom

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Tom..."That business about them pushing the poop out too fast and not getting enough nutrition is an old myth" I AM an 'old' lady, and that is my experience. My exotic Vet agreed with me....so even tho I love ya....
Like so many other old myths, its not true. Its wrong. Been wrong since you and I both learned it 30+ years ago.
 

Maggie3fan

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It seems like, from a 'medical or physical aspect', that it makes sense. but if it really is that old guess I'll have to give it up...
 

JMM

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Medically it makes no sense and there is no data to back it up.
 

Yvonne G

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I believe years ago (thirty plus according to Tom) when this idea was offered it was because after seeing a couple of poops in the water, the poster then started seeing poops with half- or un-digested food in them. I realize that was anecdotal evidence, but it rang true to me.
 

Tom

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I believe years ago (thirty plus according to Tom) when this idea was offered it was because after seeing a couple of poops in the water, the poster then started seeing poops with half- or un-digested food in them. I realize that was anecdotal evidence, but it rang true to me.
I see it most commonly with all the Desert Tortoise people. They tell people that they will die if you soak them too much. I've heard the "too much pooping" thing and also that it "upsets their water balance". Both are made up myths and carry no water. ;) See what I did there? As we've seen over the last 10+ years. Daily soaks don't prevent them from getting nutrition, don't make them poop too much, and whatever "they" mean by "water balance" is not affected except possibly in a positive way. These same people are at a loss to explain why so many of their babies die or don't grow, while 100% of the babies I start survive, grow and thrive in every measurable way.

The take away for anyone reading is: Babies need water. All tortoise species. Soak them daily. It will not harm them in any way, and it will help to keep them healthy and thriving.
 

Maggie3fan

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Medically it makes no sense and there is no data to back it up.
I
I see it most commonly with all the Desert Tortoise people. They tell people that they will die if you soak them too much. I've heard the "too much pooping" thing and also that it "upsets their water balance". Both are made up myths and carry no water. ;) See what I did there? As we've seen over the last 10+ years. Daily soaks don't prevent them from getting nutrition, don't make them poop too much, and whatever "they" mean by "water balance" is not affected except possibly in a positive way. These same people are at a loss to explain why so many of their babies die or don't grow, while 100% of the babies I start survive, grow and thrive in every measurable way.

The take away for anyone reading is: Babies need water. All tortoise species. Soak them daily. It will not harm them in any way, and it will help to keep them healthy and thriving.

Well...#1; You are right...I AM a Gopherus agassizii person...but I have most of my experience with Sulcata. I have kept several different species of torts but those are my favorites...Truly I don't have the 'extensive' experience you have gotten. But I DO have experience head-starting a few hundred desert tortoise hatchlings to the age of 1 or 2 yrs. And a couple of hundred Sulcata babies in the same way. My sister, Yvonne, is the most experienced with 40 or so years, I only have abt 20. I talk about my own personal experience. I haven't had but a few die. I still believe it is not a good thing to have a fragile baby poop 3 or 4 times a day. It is also my personal experience that tortoises drink in the first 10 or so minutes of the soaking. My operation here is a small one, nothing on the scope of what you have accomplished, I rescue special needs turtles and tortoises. They are missing limbs, eyes, not eating or mentally off somehow. I rehab them and find them new homes. It is that experience that I call on. I am damned good with sick animals. My advice is common sense and experienced. It is not good for anything living thing to have too many bowel movements daily, in humans or chelonia, especially babies. So while I AM old...74...my experience in keeping turtles and tortoises is constant and 'hands on', not old fashioned, it's practical. You use the phrase 'old fashioned' like it's a bad thing. I really like and respect you Tom, but frankly you are not the be all end all of tortoise keeping. There are a lot of us with tried and true experience, we all have opinions and share it. There are some keepers that will disagree with what I do, however, it has worked for me all these years and I will continue to give the same advice that I know works...
 

Sa Ga

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Play nice, kids! ?<---See? A happy poop!
 

Tom

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Play nice, kids! ?<---See? A happy poop!
Maggie and I are friends. She is always welcome to share her thoughts and put me in my place when I need it. There is no animosity. Discussions like this are good as more viewpoints are expressed, and more people learn the whys and what for of all these things. Its all good. We're all friends here.
 
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