Urates?

[BowDownBowser]

When I first got my hatchling Sulcata 2 weeks ago I noticed urates when I soaked him. Now I don't really ever seem to notice it. I soak him everyday and he has a water dish available in his enclosure that I clean and refill daily. I don't really ever see him drink but I notice him put his mouth at water level at times while he's soaking. I soak for 20-30 minutes per day. He doesn't seem like anything is wrong. He is very active and eats like crazy. His bowel movements seem normal too. I am just switching him from the grocery store diet to a diet of grasses and weeds that I am growing from sulcatafood.com. His humidity is from 80-85% and temps range from about 82-95 and a basking area that ranges from 98-102. Like I said he seems fine. I just want to make sure it's okay that I'm not seeing anything. Should I be or is this normal?

 

[Barista5261]

As long as you keep your temps and humidity up, keep warm soaking him, and keep a filled water dish in his enclosure, I think he'll be just fine. [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH] just keep doing all of that, and I wouldn't worry about the urates or lack thereof.

I have 2 10 month old sulcatas and I have NEVER seen them drink hahaha. They know I want to watch them be all cute and take a drink, so I am convinced they do it when I'm not looking.

 

[Dizisdalife]

Babies seem to drink real fast. Hard to catch them at it. When you see his mouth (actually his nose) touch the water he is probably sucking up some water. One day you will see his head go into the water and stay for what seems like a minute. Then you will see him raise his head as if to say "ah". Then you will know he has had a big drink.

When my sulcata was a baby I didn't see urates very often. As he got to be around a pound and he began to eat cuttlefish bone I noticed more urates. Are you adding any calcium supplement to his diet?

Here is Chuck taking a drink.

 

[erica anne]

Wait, it seems as though you all see urates as a good thing? Isn't that a sign of some level of dehydration?

 

[ascott]

Some species produce urates....just their make up....designed due to variables in access to water in their natural environment....so, when the tort in question begins to have access on a normal basis to water, he will begin to pass more urates and eventually you will see the urates lessen to none...

I have the CDTs here that when they come out of brumation they have some urates...they will generally take about a month before their urates are cleared out to offer up clear urine....this is always a private goal of mine...

So while they are "normal" in some species, not all, the less the better---if they are well hydrated and offer no urates that is a good thing

 

[sibi]

Do you know how your baby started out? Was he hatched and raised wet or dry? Many breeders don't hatch and raise hatchlings in a humid environment. They also don't soak babies often. If your baby wasn't raised humid, it may manifest trouble with dehydration later down the road. Like Ascott said, a well hydrated baby that don't expel much urates, that's a good thing because that means he's eating the right foods and isn't expelling excess amounts of unused calcium.

 

[BowDownBowser]

Re: RE: Urates?

Do you know how your baby started out? Was he hatched and raised wet or dry? Many breeders don't hatch and raise hatchlings in a humid environment. They also don't soak babies often. If your baby wasn't raised humid, it may manifest trouble with dehydration later down the road. Like Ascott said, a well hydrated baby that don't expel much urates, that's a good thing because that means he's eating the right foods and isn't expelling excess amounts of unused calcium.

I think he was started off dry. So less is good? I know as far as what I'm doing he should be hydrated and he doesn't act like he's dehydrated.

Some species produce urates....just their make up....designed due to variables in access to water in their natural environment....so, when the tort in question begins to have access on a normal basis to water, he will begin to pass more urates and eventually you will see the urates lessen to none...

I have the CDTs here that when they come out of brumation they have some urates...they will generally take about a month before their urates are cleared out to offer up clear urine....this is always a private goal of mine...

So while they are "normal" in some species, not all, the less the better---if they are well hydrated and offer no urates that is a good thing

So this is normal for my tortoise to not have visible urates?

Babies seem to drink real fast. Hard to catch them at it. When you see his mouth (actually his nose) touch the water he is probably sucking up some water. One day you will see his head go into the water and stay for what seems like a minute. Then you will see him raise his head as if to say "ah". Then you will know he has had a big drink.

When my sulcata was a baby I didn't see urates very often. As he got to be around a pound and he began to eat cuttlefish bone I noticed more urates. Are you adding any calcium supplement to his diet?

Here is Chuck taking a drink.

I sprinkle rep-cal on his food twice a week and there is a cuttlebone in his enclosure he takes a bite from now and then

 

[Jlant85]

Babies seem to drink real fast. Hard to catch them at it. When you see his mouth (actually his nose) touch the water he is probably sucking up some water. One day you will see his head go into the water and stay for what seems like a minute. Then you will see him raise his head as if to say "ah". Then you will know he has had a big drink.

When my sulcata was a baby I didn't see urates very often. As he got to be around a pound and he began to eat cuttlefish bone I noticed more urates. Are you adding any calcium supplement to his diet?

Here is Chuck taking a drink.

I love your sulcata! Beautiful shell! also love the peach and flower pictures! sneaky lil guy you have....

 

[Dizisdalife]

Here is Chuck taking a drink.

I love your sulcata! Beautiful shell! also love the peach and flower pictures! sneaky lil guy you have....

Thanks! Chuck is a pleasure to be around. I am fortunate to have him.

 

[Tortugal]

Chuck is so handsome!

 

[ascott]

So this is normal for my tortoise to not have visible urates?

Yes. A species of tortoise that is native to an "arid" environment has a system designed to retain water due to scarcity ....so once that tort realizes it has continuous access to a reliable water source it will begin to the "exchange program" (for lack of better descriptives) old for new water---while this occurs you will see possible the gritty urates become smoother, like toothpaste, to liquid texture to eventually none....so if you are sure you offering up proper hydration I would not be worried if you eventually achieve a tort with no urates....

 

[BowDownBowser]

So this is normal for my tortoise to not have visible urates?

Yes. A species of tortoise that is native to an "arid" environment has a system designed to retain water due to scarcity ....so once that tort realizes it has continuous access to a reliable water source it will begin to the "exchange program" (for lack of better descriptives) old for new water---while this occurs you will see possible the gritty urates become smoother, like toothpaste, to liquid texture to eventually none....so if you are sure you offering up proper hydration I would not be worried if you eventually achieve a tort with no urates....

Thank you. I believe I'm offering proper hydration. He is soaked 20-30 minutes a day. his enclosure stays at about 80-86% humidity and he has a water dish in his enclosure to soak and drink in freely.