Tortoise peeing white!

[lkwagner]

I have a year old Sulcata tortoise and no matter what I try it won't stop peeing white, please help me!

 

[ascott]

What are your food offerings or what is he grazing on? How often are you soaking him? How long are his soaks when you do feed him? How often is he outside in the warmth and sun? How long is he outside when he goes out?

 

[Laura]

that is pretty normal... its waste that needs to be passed.. is it liquid or gritty?

 

[lkwagner]

gritty!

 

[lkwagner]

I am feeding him timothy hay (half his substrate is hay and the other half is top soil and sand) and I also feed him kale and collard greens. He gets soaked once a day for about 20 minutes. It is pretty cold in Michigan still so he tends to spend most of his time in his 6 foot by 4 foot enclosure with two UVB lights. It is really gritty and I don't know if I should take him to the vet or what because I got him 6 months ago and it won't stop. I've been trying everything and making it a priority to give him a bath once a day. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi lkwagner:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

In the wild, tortoises hold their urine inside because they never know when they'll be able to find another drink. Their body uses and re-uses the urine and what is left over is called urates. It is usually pee'd out and looks like anything from white liquid, to cottage cheese to hard rocks.

It is perfectly normal for a tortoise to excrete the urates. You're not ever going to be able to make the tortoise stop this. All you can do is make sure he has fresh water to drink and soak him in a tub he can't climb out of occasionally.

 

[ascott]

enclosure with two UVB lights

Are these the MVB type lights? I am thinking that two is a bit much...perhaps one MVB and a simple lower power heat bulb to help with temps....

If your tort has gritty white urates that is a significant sign of dehydration....how long is the soak you are doing each day? I would say that your tort should be soaked at least one hour in warm water in a tall sided soaking container...it is acceptable for the urates passed to have a toothpaste texture or even liquid texture...but gritty is not good.

What are the temps in your enclosure? What is the humidity in your enclosure? What is the ratio of hay/soil/sand that you have in your enclosure for him? soil should be the main substrate with some hay for munching on but not as the substrate (in my opinion hay and sand are too dry and dusty).

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?mode=main&catID=529

I would also expand the variety of greens that you offer him...kale and collard greens are good in moderation and not as a primary source of food offerings...these things as part of a varied diet are fine but it this is a large part of his diet it is high in oxalates.


Oxalates

Oxalates are the salt of oxalic acid; tiny sharp colourless crystals that could cause irritation to the mouth, throat, tongue and digestive system. Oxalates may also contribute to the formation of bladder and kidney stones. Plants containing high amounts of oxalates are fine to feed to tortoises providing they are fed in small quantities and as part of a varied diet. Several foods known to contain high amounts of oxalates should not be fed at the same time.


A tool for additional information;

http://www.sulcata-station.org/diet.html

Please adjust his diet and provide the lengthy soaking --those would be two of my main concerns....along side of the enclosure set up

 

[Laura]

i would also try to give a better variety in the diet..

 

[lkwagner]

What else should it feed it? Thanks for the help!

 

[DesertGrandma]

I don't see where you are from, so don't know what would be native for you. You can feed prickly pear cactus, grape leaves, hibiscus leaves and flowers, rubelia, spring mix from the grocery store, mulberry leaves, just to name a few. I am sure others will chime in with some others. Oh yeah, and you can feed Mazuri tortoise diet that has been moistened until soft.

 

[wellington]

Check out the threads at the bottom of my post, by my signature. All good reads for Sulcata's. Also, check out thetortoisetable.org for edible plants and weeds. I am not sure where you are in Michigan, but you should be having grass, dandelions and even hostas available at this time, unless you are way north. Lots of weeds can be picked from a pesticide free area, check out the tortoise table to identify the edible ones. The cactus is a great source. You can order it on line, spineless prickly pear kind and even grow it in Michigan. Mazuri tortoise food can also be ordered online.
It might also help us help you if you give us a complete run down of your set up. Temps, humidity, lights you are using, heat you are using, etc.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I like and respect Angela but I believe one hour soaking is too much. Regular 20 minute soakings every day are enough. The grit is most likely caused by the oxalates not dehydration. Bob is 14 years old and I have done every thing but drown him and his urates are still gray in color and gritty with fairly good sized rocks. Now you may say that's because I didn't soak for one hour...but that's not true. I soaked for MORE than one hour, soaked 2 times a day, soaked his food with water, and used Lactated Ringers injections daily sub Q. Infusion, is that the word I want? Anyhow, nothing I've done has changed Bob's urates and made them not gritty. Or actually not made them any less quantity. I can scoop up and hold his chunks of urates in my hand. Here's a recent picture of Bob. Look at his mouth, he drinks on his own and drinks a lot...it's the oxalates. Back off on the kale...feed more of a variety

Here's some great reading for you...

http://africantortoise.com/diet.htm

follow this diet as good as you can and watch the oxalates. Also follow Angela's advice except for the hour soaking. Her advice is excellent...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[ascott]

I like and respect Angela but I believe one hour soaking is too much.

Ah Maggie, I love ya lady and I too have great respect for you...

This is the great thing about a Forum such as this...there is a bunch of advice offered for any one topic---we can then pull from that bunch until we see what works for our individual set ups....both Maggie and myself (along with the others) have only the best interest of our shelled buddies in mind and want everyones to be as healthy and happy as possible...

So, you rock on Ms. Maggie

 

[lkwagner]

I live in Michigan near Pontiac and Detroit. I am definitely going to order some food for her this week. Thanks again!