Russian Ate Perlite - Please Help!

[ambbeeee]

Hi everyone! I recently upgraded my Russian tortoise to a new enclosure and added some potted spider plants. I put a mixture of peat moss and perlite in the bottom half of their pots and topped them off with coco fiber bedding so it wouldn’t look appealing to my tort. Well I just came home and found that he knocked over one of the pots, which spilled the mixture everywhere and I am pretty sure he was munching on the perlite. Should I be concerned?? I know I should keep him hydrated and wait for him to poop, but is there anything else I can do? Should I be overly concerned?

I’m planning on repotting the plants in full coco fiber now so it’s safer in the meantime. But any advice would be so helpful.

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone! I recently upgraded my Russian tortoise to a new enclosure and added some potted spider plants. I put a mixture of peat moss and perlite in the bottom half of their pots and topped them off with coco fiber bedding so it wouldn’t look appealing to my tort. Well I just came home and found that he knocked over one of the pots, which spilled the mixture everywhere and I am pretty sure he was munching on the perlite. Should I be concerned?? I know I should keep him hydrated and wait for him to poop, but is there anything else I can do? Should I be overly concerned?

I’m planning on repotting the plants in full coco fiber now so it’s safer in the meantime. But any advice would be so helpful.

I know of nothing that can be done for this. Hopefully, in time, lots of high fiber foods will eventually push it all out.

 

[Minority2]

Hi everyone! I recently upgraded my Russian tortoise to a new enclosure and added some potted spider plants. I put a mixture of peat moss and perlite in the bottom half of their pots and topped them off with coco fiber bedding so it wouldn’t look appealing to my tort. Well I just came home and found that he knocked over one of the pots, which spilled the mixture everywhere and I am pretty sure he was munching on the perlite. Should I be concerned?? I know I should keep him hydrated and wait for him to poop, but is there anything else I can do? Should I be overly concerned?

I’m planning on repotting the plants in full coco fiber now so it’s safer in the meantime. But any advice would be so helpful.

Russians knocking over potted plants is a common occurrence. This is one of the numerous reasons why it's so challenging to build an indoor planted enclosure. The only thing I can add is possibly mixing high fiber foods with cactus pads in hopes that they'll be more likely to poo from a laxative like effects of the pads.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Agree with above posts.. One good thing really is that perlite is kind of a benign substance. No harm, no foul really. But not the best thing to chow down on. That said, lesson learned. Torts are mischievous & do the unexpected. Provide lots of wet stuff to help stuff move through...

 

[ambbeeee]

Russians knocking over potted plants is a common occurrence. This is one of the numerous reasons why it's so challenging to build an indoor planted enclosure. The only thing I can add is possibly mixing high fiber foods with cactus pads in hopes that they'll be more likely to poo from a laxative like effects of the pads.

Yes I have learned my lesson. He is a brat but I just want to make sure he’ll be okay. Thank you! I have some cactus pads in the freezer that I can thaw out and give him. I appreciate it!

 

[ambbeeee]

Agree with above posts.. One good thing really is that perlite is kind of a benign substance. No harm, no foul really. But not the best thing to chow down on. That said, lesson learned. Torts are mischievous & do the unexpected. Provide lots of wet stuff to help stuff move through...

Okay, great. Thank you! That makes me feel so much better. I have learned my lesson for sure! I’ll increase his fiber and soak multiple times during the day for the next week or so, and hopefully he’ll be okay! Thank you for the advice!