urates and calcium

[Bass.Isles]

So, I have 2 questions for yall.

firstly, Isla seems/acts perfectly healthy but I've noticed she hates cuttlebones, so I bought some Flukers liquid calcium. my question is, how in the world do I get her to take it? she flat out refused to drink her water if I put it in it. And how would I get liquid calcium to properly stick to kale, hibiscus flowers, clover or yard weeds? Do y'all think I could add some to her soaking water? like, would it be safely absorbed that way?

Second question: I acquired Isla about 6-7 weeks ago. I soak her 3-5 times per week. for the first 3 weeks I had her, she excreted that white granular stuff into her soaking water, which I know is normal. My question is that, she stopped doing it regularly. instead of 3-5 times per week, now she excreted it MAYBE once per week, while I'm still soaking her 3-5 per week. Is this something I should be greatly concerned about?

I'd greatly appreciate any polite insight or advice. Thank y'all!

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

 

[Bee62]

Hi,

do you have tried if your tortoise likes crushed cuttle bones ? That are small pieces of cuttle bones. My torts love it and eat it like drops but only if they need calcium, not every day.
To add liquid calcium to the soaking water is not enough. Can you get calcium powder ? That sticks fine to all greens.

 

[Bee62]

View attachment 207787

Yes @Grandpa Turtle 144 ,eggshells are a very good calcium source for torts.

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

Yes @Grandpa Turtle 144 ,eggshells are a very good calcium source for torts.

Thank you @ Bee62

 

[Big Charlie]

Don't worry about urates. They don't always produce them. They produce more if they eat a lot of protein or oxalates. Your tort might have been dehydrated in the beginning, which is why they were gritty.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I just have a twenty pound bag of pure, organic limestone flour,(calcium carbonate). With hatchlings and the young I sprinkle it on the food lightly every few days. With adults I just keep a pile in the yard for them to eat on when they seem to need it. But remember, to much calcium can be a bad thing so use caution when you feed it. Growing plants will also take up the calcium as they grow improving the amount of calcium they contain. You can find it at most feed/farm stores and it really is inexpensive.

 

[Bee62]

Thank you @ Bee62

You don`t have to thank me. I am the one who says "Thanks" to you.
I am a newbie compared to you.

 

[Bass.Isles]

I just have a twenty pound bag of pure, organic limestone flour,(calcium carbonate). With hatchlings and the young I sprinkle it on the food lightly every few days. With adults I just keep a pile in the yard for them to eat on when they seem to need it. But remember, to much calcium can be a bad thing so use caution when you feed it. Growing plants will also take up the calcium as they grow improving the amount of calcium they contain. You can find it at most feed/farm stores and it really is inexpensive.

what do you mean by 'growing plants? Do you mean, buy plants for her to eat, from a farm store? If so, what kind if plants? Also, I'm growing some tortoise grass in a 8x3 garden box, will that absorb calcium while growing as well?

 

[Bass.Isles]

Don't worry about urates. They don't always produce them. They produce more if they eat a lot of protein or oxalates. Your tort might have been dehydrated in the beginning, which is why they were gritty.

thanks so much, that makes me feel better.

 

[Bass.Isles]

Hi,

do you have tried if your tortoise likes crushed cuttle bones ? That are small pieces of cuttle bones. My torts love it and eat it like drops but only if they need calcium, not every day.
To add liquid calcium to the soaking water is not enough. Can you get calcium powder ? That sticks fine to all greens.

I Will definitely try the crushed cuttlebone method, but as for the liquid calcium in the soaking water, even if it's not providing an adequate amount, it won't hurt her to absorb SOME that way right? like through her skin, I mean?

 

[Bass.Isles]

View attachment 207787

I Will definitely take your idea into consideration! Thanks. Do you just sprinkle it on their food, after pulverising the egg shells?

 

[Markw84]

So, I have 2 questions for yall.

firstly, Isla seems/acts perfectly healthy but I've noticed she hates cuttlebones, so I bought some Flukers liquid calcium. my question is, how in the world do I get her to take it? she flat out refused to drink her water if I put it in it. And how would I get liquid calcium to properly stick to kale, hibiscus flowers, clover or yard weeds? Do y'all think I could add some to her soaking water? like, would it be safely absorbed that way?

Second question: I acquired Isla about 6-7 weeks ago. I soak her 3-5 times per week. for the first 3 weeks I had her, she excreted that white granular stuff into her soaking water, which I know is normal. My question is that, she stopped doing it regularly. instead of 3-5 times per week, now she excreted it MAYBE once per week, while I'm still soaking her 3-5 per week. Is this something I should be greatly concerned about?

I'd greatly appreciate any polite insight or advice. Thank y'all!

Feed your tortoise a good diet and include foods that are particularly high in calcium, and have a good Cal/Phos ratio.
Ensure your tortoise is getting the necessary UVB exposure - artificial or natural sun.
Leave a cuttlebone in the enclosure for your tortoise - if, and whenever it feels the need to chew on it.
Then... Don't worry about it!

Some Foods REALLY high in Calcium and low in phosphorus:
Opuntia cactus pads (prickly pear cactus pads)
Grape leaves
Dandelion (the WEEDS. the Chicory sold in stores as dandelion is still very good, but has 1/2 the calcium)
Kale
Mulberry leaves
Turnip greens

 

[Tom]

So, I have 2 questions for yall.

firstly, Isla seems/acts perfectly healthy but I've noticed she hates cuttlebones, so I bought some Flukers liquid calcium. my question is, how in the world do I get her to take it? she flat out refused to drink her water if I put it in it. And how would I get liquid calcium to properly stick to kale, hibiscus flowers, clover or yard weeds? Do y'all think I could add some to her soaking water? like, would it be safely absorbed that way?

Second question: I acquired Isla about 6-7 weeks ago. I soak her 3-5 times per week. for the first 3 weeks I had her, she excreted that white granular stuff into her soaking water, which I know is normal. My question is that, she stopped doing it regularly. instead of 3-5 times per week, now she excreted it MAYBE once per week, while I'm still soaking her 3-5 per week. Is this something I should be greatly concerned about?

I'd greatly appreciate any polite insight or advice. Thank y'all!

Question 1: Many tortoises will ignore cuttle bones for months. If they don't need the calcium, they don't bother with it. Then, one day, they walk over and eat half of it in one sitting. Just leave it in there.
1a. Put the liquid calcium on the food and stir it all up.
1b. Use a tiny pinch of calcium powder and stir it all up with the food. I like RepCal or ZooMed brands.
1c. Tortoises do not absorb things through their skin. They also don't sweat or lose any water through their skin. This helps them conserve water and survive in dry time in dry climates. There is evidence that they can absorb water throughout their cloaca, and they can drink it of course, but soaks are also good for their shell. Water is good for tortoises in general.

Question 2: When times are dry and water is scarce, tortoises will concentrate their urine. The drier it is, the more they concentrate their urine into urates. The longer this goes on the harder and grittier the urates become. I'm going to guess that Isla's previous owner did not keep her hydrated enough. Now that you are providing an abundance of water and good hydration through soaks, her body was clearing out the concentrated stuff. Once the urates were expelled, and there is now a continuous source of water, your tortoise can simply flush out the waste products in a more liquid form during the soaks since there is no need to conserve water and form urates.
2a. Urates are a by-product of protein digestion. Higher protein diets will result in higher levels of urates. Not a problem for a well hydrated, regularly soaked tortoise. Definitely a problem for an overly dry, dehydrated tortoise.
2b. If you continue feeding a good diet and soaking 3-5 times a week, you might stop seeing urates entirely. What you have observed so far means you are doing a good job.
2c. Urates have nothing to do with calcium supplementation.

Hope that sheds some light...

 

[Bee62]

@Tom
Thank you for that explanation above. It was very interesting.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

what do you mean by 'growing plants? Do you mean, buy plants for her to eat, from a farm store? If so, what kind if plants? Also, I'm growing some tortoise grass in a 8x3 garden box, will that absorb calcium while growing as well?

What I meant was that I'll broadcast the limestone in the tortoise yard. As it rains, its absorbed into the soil, from the soil its absorbed by the plants then eaten by your tortoise.

 

[Yvonne G]

I add crushed oyster shell to my soil for that same purpose.

 

[Bass.Isles]

Question 1: Many tortoises will ignore cuttle bones for months. If they don't need the calcium, they don't bother with it. Then, one day, they walk over and eat half of it in one sitting. Just leave it in there.
1a. Put the liquid calcium on the food and stir it all up.
1b. Use a tiny pinch of calcium powder and stir it all up with the food. I like RepCal or ZooMed brands.
1c. Tortoises do not absorb things through their skin. They also don't sweat or lose any water through their skin. This helps them conserve water and survive in dry time in dry climates. There is evidence that they can absorb water throughout their cloaca, and they can drink it of course, but soaks are also good for their shell. Water is good for tortoises in general.

Question 2: When times are dry and water is scarce, tortoises will concentrate their urine. The drier it is, the more they concentrate their urine into urates. The longer this goes on the harder and grittier the urates become. I'm going to guess that Isla's previous owner did not keep her hydrated enough. Now that you are providing an abundance of water and good hydration through soaks, her body was clearing out the concentrated stuff. Once the urates were expelled, and there is now a continuous source of water, your tortoise can simply flush out the waste products in a more liquid form during the soaks since there is no need to conserve water and form urates.
2a. Urates are a by-product of protein digestion. Higher protein diets will result in higher levels of urates. Not a problem for a well hydrated, regularly soaked tortoise. Definitely a problem for an overly dry, dehydrated tortoise.
2b. If you continue feeding a good diet and soaking 3-5 times a week, you might stop seeing urates entirely. What you have observed so far means you are doing a good job.
2c. Urates have nothing to do with calcium supplementation.

Hope that sheds some light...

Thanks SO much, man! Awesome.