Tortoise with diarrhoea

[GreedySpeedy]

Hey

I'm just looking for a little advice about my russian tortoise Speedy who is about 20 years old and 450 grams. Speedy has had diarrhoea for the last 3 days (once a day)
He has had a few changes over the last week. He has a new rock/slab in his vivarium....could this cause diarrhoea? He has also been fed his usual vegetables as well as a few new food (brocolli, tomato, rocket, baby red lettuce and mizuna leaves) He has also had dandelions from the garden but he's had these many times in the past.

Does anyone know whether any of the above could be causing the diarrhoea and the possible best course of action to stop it?

Thanks in advance for any help and I look forward to hearing from you

 

[dmmj]

Diet or parasites are usually the cause. How much vegetables is he getting?

 

[GreedySpeedy]

I feed him an amount of food the same size as his shell as this is what I have been previously advised.

Also I forgot to mention before I have been sprinkling 1/2 a pinch of Nutribal on his food once daily. Is this advisable?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I doubt it's the rock.
Broccoli's not very good for torts,nor tomato or any fruit but shouldn't cause diarrhoea unless he's eating a lot of tomato which is high in water.
Even the red lettuce is 92.9% water and may be contributing.
A combination of too much watery food and the change in diet is possibly the reason.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Find some fibrous weeds from outside to feed him. Adding more fiber to the diet will tighten up the stool. You can even cut some clean grass with the scissors then cut it up into very small pieces and mix it in with whatever food he's eating. That will also add some fiber.

 

[dmmj]

I would cut back on fruit and veg and feed higher fiber foods

 

[JoesMum]

What species of tortoise do you have? I agree that more fiber is needed

 

[GreedySpeedy]

Sorry to be a pain but what foods can I give him that are high in fibre? Also should I feed him only fibre foods or a mix? How long should it take for the diarrhoea to 'clear up'? Also would it be an idea to not feed him for a day?

Thanks so much for all the replies

 

[JoesMum]

What type of tortoise do you have?. What we can do for its diet depends on the type of tortoise

 

[GreedySpeedy]

He is a russian tortoise

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
If you look at the diet section under the link above you will find the correct foods to be feeding.
The broad leafed greens and weeds in particular should have the fibre he needs.

 

[JoesMum]

Great. Cut back on the tomato... in fact cut it out completely for a while. Russians diet should be mostly leafy greens. Fruit, including tomatoes and peppers, and carrots are high in sugars and this can cause stomach problems in a Russian. Sweet foods should be an occasional treat fed in small amounts.

What your tort needs is weeds and lots of them. Dandelions, bindweed, plantain, etc. Many lettuces are exteremely watery and can cause runny poop as can cucumber. Broccoli should be fed in moderation like many brassicas. The key is variation. Ypu don't need to have a huge variety on one day, but if you buy food then buy something different each time.

Take a look at The Tortoise Table's plant booklet to see what's good http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_booklet_8595_40.asp

Also the Plant Database on the same website is great for looking up garden plants and things you can buy in the shop for suitability.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

By the way, I had a Greek tortoise named Speedy when I was a boy and he really lived up to his name.
Does yours?

 

[GreedySpeedy]

Thanks everyone for your help. I will have a look at the links and feed him accordingly

Just one last question how long should it take his gut to settle down?

By the way, I had a Greek tortoise named Speedy when I was a boy and he really lived up to his name.
Does yours?

Yes he really does live up to his name

 

[JoesMum]

I can't say how long it will take to settle down, but cutting out the fruit and bulking up the leafy green weeds should show results in a couple of weeks possibly quicker.

It is possible that your tort has acquired a sweet tooth and will sulk at the healthy diet. Don't panic if this happens, he will start eating again when he is hungry. They can go long periods without food, but not water so soak him regukarly if he does decide to go on hunger strike. You have to be the tough parent pointing oit to your child that a diet of sweets is not acceptable!