sulcata pee - why does it smell so bad?!

[lvstorts]

Hi all,
Late last summer I took in 2 Sulcatas in need of rescuing. I was able to place the male and he's doing awesome but the girl is overwintering with me to fully assess her issues and put on some weight. This is the first Sulcata I've had with me for more than a month (and inside) and I've noticed her pee smells horrible!

Is that normal? I've had other tortoises in my house for periods of time (mine live outdoors primarily) but never had the smells she's putting out!

Is this just another 'quirk' of sulcatas?

 

[Torty Mom]

What is she peeing on? Newspaper? Puppypads?

 

[lvstorts]

indoor/outdoor carpet

 

[N2TORTS]

Ut Oh.....Dj is going to have fun with this one !

You need to get rid of the carpet and use a more suitable substrate. There are tons of threads about what kind to use .. and Iam sure peeps will chime in ..soon~ .. Depends where , how big the enclosure , size of tort ... but carpet is not good!

JD~

 

[SulcataSquirt]

I definitely don't think it's a quirk at all. I agree that I would get rid of the carpet and try a substrate. We use coco coir for ours, some really like cypress mulch as well. You can look around in the enclosure section to get some other ideas. I'd try this first and see if that helps with the odor. Hope that helps - others will probably chime in as well.

 

[Yvonne G]

Tortoise urine smells strong because they hold it for so long. By the time it comes out, its pretty well concentrated.