Urates?? Help Needed Please!!

aparadis328

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Sorry for the graphic photosFEBFE9B0-F49C-4DFF-83E9-CA3644E583A2.jpeg8CC1F103-427F-47A8-BFD0-0629708789B6.jpeg3BCD86E9-E45F-4059-A190-49E1A066055E.jpeg but I just gave my girl a soak and this is what came out. What could this be? Why is her urine so dark? Nothing has changed with her diet or set up. She went to the vet a couple of weeks ago and checked out ok. Vet said her fecal came back with non-pathogenic pinworms that didn’t need to be treated. Could that have something to do with this? Should I have gotten her treated for worms? I just want to do what’s best! She’s my first tortoise ever so please be kind!
 

aparadis328

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Looks like a good fiber poop with lots of hydration in. Normal soaking poop
Thanks for the reply! I was just shocked at the color of what I am assuming was her urine because it just seemed so dark. And the amount/consistency of the urates was different too. We’ve had her a month and this is the first time it’s ever looked like this. But if you think it’s ok I won’t panic! She’s totally acting fine too ?
 

Maro2Bear

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Looks like a good fiber poop with lots of hydration in. Normal soaking poop

Hey @Blackdog1714 , do you really think that “stuff” looks normal? It’s all a bit out of focus, but all that “jelly-like” mass sure doesn't look like digested food/fiber or urates. Just saying, i could be wrong here. Could be I guess depending on what was eaten & digested.... but, I’m still with the jury still looking at the evidence.
Maybe Dr @zovick can lend his expertise here.
 

Blackdog1714

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Hey @Blackdog1714 , do you really think that “stuff” looks normal? It’s all a bit out of focus, but all that “jelly-like” mass sure doesn't look like digested food/fiber or urates. Just saying, i could be wrong here. Could be I guess depending on what was eaten & digested.... but, I’m still with the jury still looking at the evidence.
Maybe Dr @zovick can lend his expertise here.
Crap literally I didn't zoom in on that monster. Does this tort roam on the floor in the house?
 

aparadis328

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Hey @Blackdog1714 , do you really think that “stuff” looks normal? It’s all a bit out of focus, but all that “jelly-like” mass sure doesn't look like digested food/fiber or urates. Just saying, i could be wrong here. Could be I guess depending on what was eaten & digested.... but, I’m still with the jury still looking at the evidence.
Maybe Dr @zovick can lend his expertise here.
It was jelly like! And she’s definitely had urates before and this was definitely different. We’re in Maine and it’s winter so she eats store bought greens right now, spring mix, dandelion greens, escarole. I do have dried weeds and flowers I put with her greens as well.
 

Yossarian

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weird, I have not seen feces like that with mine. If its a one off then I would no worry but keep an eye on it for a while.
 

zovick

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Sorry for the graphic photosView attachment 316599View attachment 316600View attachment 316601 but I just gave my girl a soak and this is what came out. What could this be? Why is her urine so dark? Nothing has changed with her diet or set up. She went to the vet a couple of weeks ago and checked out ok. Vet said her fecal came back with non-pathogenic pinworms that didn’t need to be treated. Could that have something to do with this? Should I have gotten her treated for worms? I just want to do what’s best! She’s my first tortoise ever so please be kind!
If you still have that whitish mass, show it to your vet. It doesn't look like urates to me. Perhaps it is a large worm (definitely not a pinworm) or a fluke which died and was passed through the GI tract. Those are just guesses, though.
 

Maggie3fan

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I also think it's a worm of some kind. Tapeworm? Hey @aparadis328 did you touch that worm looking thing with your bare hands? Could you pick it up and it would stay in one piece? I think the black is actually liquid feces, but that wormy thing is odd. Was it gritty or all creamy?
 

aparadis328

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I also think it's a worm of some kind. Tapeworm? Hey @aparadis328 did you touch that worm looking thing with your bare hands? Could you pick it up and it would stay in one piece? I think the black is actually liquid feces, but that wormy thing is odd. Was it gritty or all creamy?
I didn't touch it with my bare hands....I scooped it up into a little cup and it stayed together. It was longish and looked stringy (?) but looked creamy. The black stuff was definitely feces but I'm definitely concerned about the white thing and the darker urine. When it all came out it seemed like the consistency of egg whites (the urine) and then I noticed the glob of whitish stuff.

I've just sent a message to her vet...I wonder if it could be a tape worm?

Ok, here's an updated picture from my daughter this morning. It seems to have "settled" overnight and has this weird bluish/purplish tinge. Now it doesn't look so worm-like....I will add that last night when it came out it did have a bluish tinge to it as well. Just not as pronounced as now. 63362827326__371BF74D-F13D-40BC-A853-B6317AF1EA69.jpg
 
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Maggie3fan

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Well, I've seen lots of urates over the years, that ain't urates. Did you keep it? Feel it, gritty or semisolid. I rarely say this but if that were MY tort, he'd go off to the Vet. I don't know how they get tapeworms, maybe when outside grazing? But I think she needs to go back to the Vet, and I hope you took that stuff to the Vet
 

aparadis328

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Well, I've seen lots of urates over the years, that ain't urates. Did you keep it? Feel it, gritty or semisolid. I rarely say this but if that were MY tort, he'd go off to the Vet. I don't know how they get tapeworms, maybe when outside grazing? But I think she needs to go back to the Vet, and I hope you took that stuff to the Vet
Thank you...I'm waiting to hear from the vet now and yes I'll make sure it goes with us. Thanks!
 

Tom

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Looks like your tortoise finally let go of a bunch of urates and "crud" that it was holding on to.

How long have you had the tortoise? What is your soaking routine? What do you feed the tortoise?
 

aparadis328

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Looks like your tortoise finally let go of a bunch of urates and "crud" that it was holding on to.

How long have you had the tortoise? What is your soaking routine? What do you feed the tortoise?
I've had her for one month today (her name is Patricia :) ) She gets soaked 2-3 times per week, she's roughly 6 years old. She eats mostly store bought greens because we are in Maine and it's cold here. So her main things are escarole, spring mix, dandelion greens, chicory and radicchio if I can find it (she loves it). I also have dried weeds and flowers that I put with her greens, I ran them through the food processor to make them small pieces so she would eat them. She also has a Total Nutrition (TNT) powder sprinkle that I use 2 times per week on her food.

Right before she let all this out she drank a LOT. More than I've seen her drink in a while. She just kept gulping...my daughter and I found it to be quite adorable and then she let it all out the other end.
 

Tom

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I've had her for one month today (her name is Patricia :) ) She gets soaked 2-3 times per week, she's roughly 6 years old. She eats mostly store bought greens because we are in Maine and it's cold here. So her main things are escarole, spring mix, dandelion greens, chicory and radicchio if I can find it (she loves it). I also have dried weeds and flowers that I put with her greens, I ran them through the food processor to make them small pieces so she would eat them. She also has a Total Nutrition (TNT) powder sprinkle that I use 2 times per week on her food.

Right before she let all this out she drank a LOT. More than I've seen her drink in a while. She just kept gulping...my daughter and I found it to be quite adorable and then she let it all out the other end.
Yep. They empty their bowels and bladders when they are able to refresh. Its very common to see urine and urates around the water dishes in outdoor tortoise pens too. As the tortoise takes in fresh water on one end, they release the old reserves they were holding on to out the other end.

I don't see any major problem here, but you might want to start soaking every other day for a while. Indoors in winter in our heated homes can be quite dry. Much drier than when they are outside in summer and able to utilize little humid microclimates in the dirt or at the bases of plants.

With your winter grocery store diet, be sure you are adding amendments. Herbal hay from tortoisesupply.com, an assortment of dried leaves from kapidolofarms.com, soaked ZooMed pellets (all 3 types are good), soaked Mazuri (both types are good), and you can even soak horse hay pellets and mix in a little of that for fiber. Start slow with the mix-ins. Just use a tiny amount at first. It will take some time for your tortoise to get used to all the new add ins.

P.S. I think the picture is deceiving because there is no size reference. I don't think people can easily tell that we are looking at a close up in a small plastic bottle cap. It looks like a HUGE amount of "stuff" in your close up picture.
 

zovick

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I've had her for one month today (her name is Patricia :) ) She gets soaked 2-3 times per week, she's roughly 6 years old. She eats mostly store bought greens because we are in Maine and it's cold here. So her main things are escarole, spring mix, dandelion greens, chicory and radicchio if I can find it (she loves it). I also have dried weeds and flowers that I put with her greens, I ran them through the food processor to make them small pieces so she would eat them. She also has a Total Nutrition (TNT) powder sprinkle that I use 2 times per week on her food.

Right before she let all this out she drank a LOT. More than I've seen her drink in a while. She just kept gulping...my daughter and I found it to be quite adorable and then she let it all out the other end.
Now the new photo and your explanation of the fact that the tortoise has only been with you a month lead me to believe that those are urates. Probably the tortoise was kept too dry previously and the new diet plus close to adequate soaking caused the built up urates to be excreted yesterday.

Keep soaking at least 3-4 times weekly (I always soaked my tortoises daily) to keep the tortoise well-hydrated and prevent the urates from hardening and forming a stone.
 

aparadis328

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Yep. They empty their bowels and bladders when they are able to refresh. Its very common to see urine and urates around the water dishes in outdoor tortoise pens too. As the tortoise takes in fresh water on one end, they release the old reserves they were holding on to out the other end.

I don't see any major problem here, but you might want to start soaking every other day for a while. Indoors in winter in our heated homes can be quite dry. Much drier than when they are outside in summer and able to utilize little humid microclimates in the dirt or at the bases of plants.

With your winter grocery store diet, be sure you are adding amendments. Herbal hay from tortoisesupply.com, an assortment of dried leaves from kapidolofarms.com, soaked ZooMed pellets (all 3 types are good), soaked Mazuri (both types are good), and you can even soak horse hay pellets and mix in a little of that for fiber. Start slow with the mix-ins. Just use a tiny amount at first. It will take some time for your tortoise to get used to all the new add ins.

P.S. I think the picture is deceiving because there is no size reference. I don't think people can easily tell that we are looking at a close up in a small plastic bottle cap. It looks like a HUGE amount of "stuff" in your close up picture.
Thanks @Tom for the advice. I will start soaking her more. She's been urinating passing urates since we've gotten her just never that amount so I wasn't entirely sure if that's what I was looking at.
She does have the herbal hay (I couldn't think of the name when I replied before). I'll get some Mazuri. Do you recommend they eat timothy hay?

Here is another picture that might be a better reference. IMG-7967.jpg
 

aparadis328

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Now the new photo and your explanation of the fact that the tortoise has only been with you a month lead me to believe that those are urates. Probably the tortoise was kept too dry previously and the new diet plus close to adequate soaking caused the built up urates to be excreted yesterday.

Keep soaking at least 3-4 times weekly (I always soaked my tortoises daily) to keep the tortoise well-hydrated and prevent the urates from hardening and forming a stone.
Got it! Ok, I'm starting to feel better. I will soak daily for sure. Thank you :)
 
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