Dov
Member
Why is my russian tortoise eating its own poop and is there any way to stop it from doing so?
Why (Eats Poop)
- Thread starter Dov
- Start date
It's a pretty common act among animals, especially those in which all available nutrients may not have been processed on the first time through...
No, there's probably nothing you can do to stop it, unless you post a watch 24/7 and police the poop as soon as it comes out.
Jamie
No, there's probably nothing you can do to stop it, unless you post a watch 24/7 and police the poop as soon as it comes out.
Jamie
Dov
Member
I'm afraid it may cause an impaction
You can soak the tortoise more often and for longer time periods so that it poops in the soak water and not in the enclosure.
Dov
Member
I will do that. Thanks
Dov
Member
Yeah but there's substrate that sticks to it
As noted by Tom above, soak more often (daily) and for longer periods of time in larger container in nice warm water so your tort has room to swim and move all about. This daily exercise & soaking really encourages good BMs.
Dov
Member
2-3 years
Look online for this product: Miner-All manufactured by Sticky Tongue Farms. Chances are pretty good that your baby's diet isn't providing all the vitamins and minerals he needs.
Dov
Member
I was thinking too. I try to feed her pellets but she doesn't eat them.
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My thought as well
SanctuaryHills
Active Member
Every tortoise I've owned loves the damn pellets. But they do have their individual personalities so I believe you. Are you soaking the pellets? I make sure to soak the pellets with distilled water so that way they don't smell like chlorine or whatever might be in the tap water.
But yeah, I'd say the best advise was already given. 80% of the time that I give them a soak in warm water they will poop in the water (one of them specifically only poops if it's been in there for about an hour).
All and all it's most likely not hurting her to eat poop, they do it in the wild.. although as others have pointed out I'd make sure she is getting all her nutrients. Now don't go overboard.. Keep in mind that these guys are natural scavengers, it's probably easier to cause issues by overdosing their food with nutrient powders etc than not.
But yeah, I'd say the best advise was already given. 80% of the time that I give them a soak in warm water they will poop in the water (one of them specifically only poops if it's been in there for about an hour).
All and all it's most likely not hurting her to eat poop, they do it in the wild.. although as others have pointed out I'd make sure she is getting all her nutrients. Now don't go overboard.. Keep in mind that these guys are natural scavengers, it's probably easier to cause issues by overdosing their food with nutrient powders etc than not.
Dov
Member
Yeah I've tried soaking the pellets. She just sniffs them and that about it. What I will do is grate some carrots and mix in some crushed up pellets.
