some help please

[annemarie]

hi im new to all this so i apologise in advance. i have just become the proud owner of a 7 year old spurethighed tortoise. he is lovely. all is going well but i went to his enclosure this morning and saw a lot of water. im assuming it was wee but was totally clear and seemed alot for a little tortoise. is anyone able to tell me either this is normal or not. thanks in advance x

 

[Annieski]

Congratulations on your "new addition". Perhaps if you could give a little more info on your tortoise and how you are keeping him,--what kind of substrate and diet-- is there water readily available in the enclosure?--and if inside--what are the temps--- it might be easier to answer your question.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Annemarie:

to the forum!!

It might be a good idea for you to post a picture of your tortoise so we can be sure of the type that you have.

They do seem to pee a fairly large amount.

 

[t_mclellan]

Here's a thought to go along with the other comments.

There is a chance that your tort was a bit dehydrated when you received it.
If so, Then, If you have provided a constant available water source.
Then the animal dose not need to retain as much water & is now expelling what is not needed.
Just a thought, as more info. would get a more accurate answer.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Here's a thought to go along with the other comments.

There is a chance that your tort was a bit dehydrated when you received it.
If so, Then, If you have provided a constant available water source.
Then the animal dose not need to retain as much water & is now expelling what is not needed.
Just a thought, as more info. would get a more accurate answer.

As far as I'm concerned there isn't a more accurate answer!

 

[t_mclellan]

I was just trying to give a nudge in the right direction.
Kinda the warm fuzzy approach.

 

[moswen]

hi anniemarie! when i first brought my greek home i thought my husband had spilled a glass of water before i figured out it was tula pee! however, i set up a set up (haha) under my pool table, and she had free range of our house including hard wood floors, which is where i saw the pee. i would like to ask you if you have your "family member" on any substrate at all? i know you want the best for your tortie, which is why you joined here, but just the fact that you see pee is interesting to me, it sounds like there was no substrate to soak it up? sorry if i'm wrong! but not having any substrate or carpet at all can cause a condition called "splay foot" which is basically deformed legs because they have nothing to grip onto when they walk... i'm sorry if you do and my mental image of your situation is just wrong!! but, yes, torotise pee is A TON, or sometimes it looks like "a dollop of daisy" sour cream, that's called urates, and that's normal pee as well. that's just a tortoise's body only expelling the amount of water that it can afford to lose. at any rate, welcome and we hope to hear more from you and your new sulcata!

 

[annemarie]

I was just trying to give a nudge in the right direction.
Kinda the warm fuzzy approach.

this is my tortoise . he currently has a indoor enclosure which is where i noticed the wee as it is wood, he sleeps in at night as still cold and spends warm days outside. there is currently no substrate in this enclosure but when he walking about in house he has curtain to walk on. any more advice anyone has please feel free but not in a nasty way please im only trying to do best for my tortoise thanks in advance

 

[moswen]

omg i'm so retarded... you have a beautiful GREEK tortoise... i see "spur" and i think i stop reading the rest of the word! i love black greeks, you're so lucky!

i only have one concern about not using substrate, even if it is at night, that if your tortoise pees, as he seems to have done here, it will just soak through the curtain and into the wooden box you're keeping him in if it's cloth, or just sit on top if it's plastic, and either way that's probably not the best. if it soaks through, and gets in the wood, it's going to just stay in the wood and the smell and amout of pee is eventually going to accumulate and it's very likely that it will make your little guy sick. also, if it just sits on top of the plastic then he's likely to walk through it, sit on it, rest his plastron on it, and any number of things that aren't necessarily bad for one over night experience, they're just not ideal... if you understand? i would rather flush my pee down the toilet than walk through it and lay in it.

also, i hope you have read up on all the correct temperatures that your guy needs to have, regular access to a shallow dish of clean water, lots of high fiber foods, a colder end of the enclosure and a warmer basking spot with a uv light if he's not getting regular sunlight, which i believe you have said he is getting, so that's not necessary in the summer, but if you could put some substrate in there it should be something like coconut coir or soil or cypress mulch or something that retains moisture, no sand or hays... and regularly pour water on the substrate to keep it moist, change it out once a month or as needed, if he's only in there at night.

if you haven't introduced yourself yet in the introductions section of the forum, you should do that and tell us what your temperatures are, substrate, the foods you're feeding, any hides, pictures are always awesome! and everyone on here can give you some suggestions or pats on the back if you're doing everything perfect! we try not to be mean here, as you're obviously trying to do the right thing for your tortoise, since you're taking the time to sign onto a forum and ask questions!! your baby is awesome!!

 

[annemarie]

omg i'm so retarded... you have a beautiful GREEK tortoise... i see "spur" and i think i stop reading the rest of the word! i love black greeks, you're so lucky!

i only have one concern about not using substrate, even if it is at night, that if your tortoise pees, as he seems to have done here, it will just soak through the curtain and into the wooden box you're keeping him in if it's cloth, or just sit on top if it's plastic, and either way that's probably not the best. if it soaks through, and gets in the wood, it's going to just stay in the wood and the smell and amout of pee is eventually going to accumulate and it's very likely that it will make your little guy sick. also, if it just sits on top of the plastic then he's likely to walk through it, sit on it, rest his plastron on it, and any number of things that aren't necessarily bad for one over night experience, they're just not ideal... if you understand? i would rather flush my pee down the toilet than walk through it and lay in it.

also, i hope you have read up on all the correct temperatures that your guy needs to have, regular access to a shallow dish of clean water, lots of high fiber foods, a colder end of the enclosure and a warmer basking spot with a uv light if he's not getting regular sunlight, which i believe you have said he is getting, so that's not necessary in the summer, but if you could put some substrate in there it should be something like coconut coir or soil or cypress mulch or something that retains moisture, no sand or hays... and regularly pour water on the substrate to keep it moist, change it out once a month or as needed, if he's only in there at night.

if you haven't introduced yourself yet in the introductions section of the forum, you should do that and tell us what your temperatures are, substrate, the foods you're feeding, any hides, pictures are always awesome! and everyone on here can give you some suggestions or pats on the back if you're doing everything perfect! we try not to be mean here, as you're obviously trying to do the right thing for your tortoise, since you're taking the time to sign onto a forum and ask questions!! your baby is awesome!!

im off to get substate in the morning i have a uv light for a basking spot so hoping the little guy will be very comfy with that, the weather here has cooled down again so making sure he keeping warm. he does seem to pace up and down his enclosure alot it is 6ft long and he goes up and down alot is this normal or is he bored maybe?