Sulcata Poop

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janiedough

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When I first got Percy, he pooped very little and it was hard as a rock. Now they are more soft and freakin huge.

He did the traditional peeing on me when I carried him for a "walk" one day and it had like sand in it??

This is gross kind of - but I just don't know what is normal - should his poops be soft and big or hard and small? Should his pee be clear or darkish - is it normal for him to have the gray sandy pee?

He eats mostly grasses and clovers, hibiscus flowers and leaves but I have been feeding him turnip greens in addition since he has been so hungry.
 

Jentortmom

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Poop should be soft but not running. I don't remember my torts urates being sandy. Do you keep him on sand?
 

janiedough

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no - it wasn't necessarily sandy but it had grey stuff in it that didn't look like sand - more like soggy throwup
 

Crazy1

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That grey soggy throw-up looking stuff was probabley urates. This is not unusual. It's just how they get rid of that particular type of waste. It is sometimes gray and sometimes white and sometimes they have a lot other times they may have none or just a little.
 

janiedough

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cool - so he isn't sick or anything?

sorry i ask so many questions, i just want to keep him healthy
 

Jentortmom

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doesn't sound sick to me! Perfectly normal. Don't be sorry for asking questions thats how we all learn!!
 

Crazy1

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Hey I posted one of mines first Poos. Guess we all are kind of obsessed when it comes to our torts.:D
 

Laura

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Poop should be like a cigar is what I read somewhere. I think that means you should see all the grasses and fiber in it.. :)
The white stuff is like bird poop. How there is a white spot and a colored spot.. the white is bird Urine.
Now here is a question.. Is it normal that thier poop is long? After a good few days of munching down, I swear some of them have left trails and might be 3 feet long!!
 

Crazy1

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Laura, when ya gota go you gota go. Depending on the tort, yes they can have rather large/long poos.
 

Yvonne G

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janiedough said:
He did the traditional peeing on me when I carried him for a "walk" one day and it had like sand in it??

Hi Janiedough: (Are you by any chance related to the infamous "Jane Doe" of tv police-show fame?)

Tortoises are programmed to not pee until they're sure there is going to be more water to replenish what is in their bladder. So they hold on to their urine, and uric acid, or urates, accumulates. So, when the finally do pee, it looks like whitish clumpy "stuff." This is perfectly normal.

Yvonne
 

janiedough

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Hi Janiedough: (Are you by any chance related to the infamous "Jane Doe" of tv police-show fame?)

Tortoises are programmed to not pee until they're sure there is going to be more water to replenish what is in their bladder. So they hold on to their urine, and uric acid, or urates, accumulates. So, when the finally do pee, it looks like whitish clumpy "stuff." This is perfectly normal.

Yvonne

LOL - no relation - my name is Marissa, but JanieDough is a name I use on forums.

Thanks for the info!
And I want yall to know I really did look to see if there was another thread on poop on here before I post.
 

Yvonne G

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janiedough said:
And I want yall to know I really did look to see if there was another thread on poop on here before I post.

No Problem. Us sulcata keepers (in fact, probably ALL tortoise keepers) love to talk about our tortoise's poop!

Yvonne
 

Crazy1

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Just to let you know I celebrated yesterday my new baby the youngest Greek born 3/24/08 pood for the first time. Yeah. we do Love our poo.
 

cvalda

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Isn't it funny what we'll get excited over?!?! I get excited when my littlest tort poops... it's so cute and tiny... and when my biggest torts poop... SO HUGE! The only time I"m not excited about their poop, really, is when I pick up a tort and find poo mashed onto their plastron and I have to clean it off. Blech!
 

janiedough

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Percy's poop stunk so bad I had to spray the bathroom afterward - he pooed in the sink.
 
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