Watery Poop and gritty urates

[MizzyMaree]

Hello!



My 2-month old Sulcata just pooped that watery poop. So that means s/he is getting too much water, right?

But, look at her urates...


Her urates look gritty. So that means she is dehydrated?

She is in an open enclosure with ambient temp of 26-27 during day and 25-26 at night. Basking temp is 35-37. She gets 30mins to 1 hour of sun outside on the lawn every day or every other day.

Her diet is a variety of carabao grass, chinese cabbage (pechay), water spinach (kangkong), and romaine lettuce. She gets snacks like opuntia cactus, hibiscus flowers or Squash once every week. We feed her pellets 2-3 times a week and sprinkle a bit of calcium with d3 2-3 times a week.

She passed urates a couple of days ago that were grittier so I upped her soaks to two times a day. But it seems I overdid it with her poop coming out watery now.

Is there anything I need to adjust with her basking, soaking, or diet so she passes healthier poop and urates? Thank you!

 

[Blackdog1714]

Please refer to this earlier post. Watery poop is fine and the urates look fine just vary the diet more. Change the enclosure and temps before you get a sick tortoise

UVB Lighting

Hello! We have a 2-month old sulcata and I noticed s/he has been rubbing her eyes lately. We have her in an open enclosure. We live in the Philippines and the temperature and humidity are just right. I just recently read that CFL can cause blindness in tortoises so I'm worried that might be...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[MizzyMaree]

Okay. Thanks! We are going to change the enclosure and temps ASAP. ???

 

[Tom]

Hello!

View attachment 316802

My 2-month old Sulcata just pooped that watery poop. So that means s/he is getting too much water, right?

But, look at her urates...
View attachment 316804

Her urates look gritty. So that means she is dehydrated?

She is in an open enclosure with ambient temp of 26-27 during day and 25-26 at night. Basking temp is 35-37. She gets 30mins to 1 hour of sun outside on the lawn every day or every other day.

Her diet is a variety of carabao grass, chinese cabbage (pechay), water spinach (kangkong), and romaine lettuce. She gets snacks like opuntia cactus, hibiscus flowers or Squash once every week. We feed her pellets 2-3 times a week and sprinkle a bit of calcium with d3 2-3 times a week.

She passed urates a couple of days ago that were grittier so I upped her soaks to two times a day. But it seems I overdid it with her poop coming out watery now.

Is there anything I need to adjust with her basking, soaking, or diet so she passes healthier poop and urates? Thank you!

I wouldn't worry about one poop like that. Your tortoise was likely dehydrated before you got it because most breeders don't start them correctly, and its finally getting well hydrated and passing the urates.

The runny poop is likely due to the change in diet from the breeder to you, and the tortoises system is still getting used to it. Sounds like too much grocery store greens and not enough weeds and grasses. I'd cut out the cabbage, or greatly reduce it. Romaine isn't a good food. Use more hibiscus leaves. For a baby, try to pick tender young hibiscus leaves. You are feeding squash once in a while and that is good, but can you get the squash leaves? Those are great tortoise food too. Grow your own in pots if not. What about all the local weeds? Can you get endive, escarole, cilantro, arugula, dandelion greens?

What type of pellets?

Your night temps are just a few degrees too cool, but not a big deal. A little warmer would be a little better.

A closed chamber will hold in heat and humidity much better. Even though you are in a humid area, its not that humid in an indoor enclosure with heat lamps.

 

[MizzyMaree]

I wouldn't worry about one poop like that. Your tortoise was likely dehydrated before you got it because most breeders don't start them correctly, and its finally getting well hydrated and passing the urates.

The runny poop is likely due to the change in diet from the breeder to you, and the tortoises system is still getting used to it. Sounds like too much grocery store greens and not enough weeds and grasses. I'd cut out the cabbage, or greatly reduce it. Romaine isn't a good food. Use more hibiscus leaves. For a baby, try to pick tender young hibiscus leaves. You are feeding squash once in a while and that is good, but can you get the squash leaves? Those are great tortoise food too. Grow your own in pots if not. What about all the local weeds? Can you get endive, escarole, cilantro, arugula, dandelion greens?

What type of pellets?

Your night temps are just a few degrees too cool, but not a big deal. A little warmer would be a little better.

A closed chamber will hold in heat and humidity much better. Even though you are in a humid area, its not that humid in an indoor enclosure with heat lamps.

Okay, will cut out the romaine and cabbage. And add the hibsicus leaves and squash leaves.

Those aren't really weeds here but I'll see what I can do about growing some in the garden. We are gonna be getting some Mulberry soon as well.

The pellets are called Exoprime. Here is their ingredient list:


Thanks! ?

 

[Tom]

Okay, will cut out the romaine and cabbage. And add the hibsicus leaves and squash leaves.

Those aren't really weeds here but I'll see what I can do about growing some in the garden. We are gonna be getting some Mulberry soon as well.

The pellets are called Exoprime. Here is their ingredient list:
View attachment 316835

Thanks! ?

I have no experience with that food, but it looks like it would be an okay supplemental food to me.

 

[Blackdog1714]

I have no experience with that food, but it looks like it would be an okay supplemental food to me.

At 4.5% calcium and the spinach and bok choy does she even need to sprinkle a calcium supplement?

 

[Tom]

At 4.5% calcium and the spinach and bok choy does she even need to sprinkle a calcium supplement?

I would. Won't hurt anything. If the tortoise already has enough calcium, it will pass through unused.