Wrong on every thing so far! (Update - we had the surgery- warning graphic pictures)

efrey18

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hello everyone! So I recently adopted what we thought was a female suclata about 6 months ago. Turns out he is a 15 year old male because he's just starting to show off his goods. His previous vet and owner has never seen his penis before. He is also starting to what I'm guessing, is engage is sexual behavior. Anyway, he is making a lot of noises lately. They sound like grunting/whining/sighing. I'm slightly worried because he is starting to produce more urates than normal. I'm getting all the white chalky stuff in his urine maybe twice weekly now. It's very milky though. He makes a lot of noises and almost stands up when he pees and drags his penis on the floor sometimes (a good two inches). I've started soaking him every other day for as long as he likes, up to an hour, in warm water. He eats mainly grasses with veggies and some fruits. He roams the house but sleeps in a large pool at night time. He did have intestinal flukes (parasite) and I treated with panacur and am waiting for the fecal results to come back again. His vet thinks his current behavior could be all sexually related but I am worried it is kidney/bladder stone related. I am going to x-ray him this week, but either way there are not any veterinarians in my area that will dIMG_6140.JPG IMG_6183.JPG o surgery on him. Basically, are there any thoughts or opinions of anyone else?
 

wellington

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Hard to say without seeing him and what he's doing. I would lean towards a stone, with the sounds you are talking about. Keep up the long soaks and I would also add some watery foods to his diet like cucumber, water melon, aloe, head lettuce and romaine, just for the time being, to get him extra hydrated. I think an X-ray is a good thing, to be sure where it stands, stone or sexual.
 

wellington

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Not sure he is actually 15 yea are though. What gave you the idea he was 15? They will produce their parts and can become sexually mature before the age of 15
 

Big Charlie

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Are you sure he is 15 years old? That seems awfully late to start flashing. Was he healthy before? Was he being soaked before? When they start flashing, they get sexually obsessed for awhile. The grunting and whining goes along with that.

I don't see anything wrong with the urates.

He shouldn't be roaming your house.
 

Razan

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This may not be accurate, but I would guess he is not as old as 15 yet but has reached maturity now. Having a large adult for over a year now my experience is urates differ from frequent to not so often depending on food or such. Also learned not to freak out when urates look pink or red after the sulcata eats geranium flowers.

As far as the standing up and making noises, maybe somebody else will comment on that for you.

I am curious ... how did you find out yours had intestinal flukes?
 

efrey18

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Not sure he is actually 15 yea are though. What gave you the idea he was 15? They will produce their parts and can become sexually mature before the age of 15

I was guessing 15 because most info says that's when they reach sexual maturity. The last owner had them for 6 years, and the owner before that had them as a show tortoise and said and the guess was he was in between 5-10 years old back then but was always known as female. So that's why I'm guessing younger because no one ever knew he was male.
 

efrey18

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Are you sure he is 15 years old? That seems awfully late to start flashing. Was he healthy before? Was he being soaked before? When they start flashing, they get sexually obsessed for awhile. The grunting and whining goes along with that.

I don't see anything wrong with the urates.

He shouldn't be roaming your house.

No I am not sure of his age entirely but we are positive he is over the age of 10. He lived with a 50 year old female for 6 years as well. Is there a reason for not roaming the house? I was told they should get a lot of exercise.
 

efrey18

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This may not be accurate, but I would guess he is not as old as 15 yet but has reached maturity now. Having a large adult for over a year now my experience is urates differ from frequent to not so often depending on food or such. Also learned not to freak out when urates look pink or red after the sulcata eats geranium flowers.

As far as the standing up and making noises, maybe somebody else will comment on that for you.

I am curious ... how did you find out yours had intestinal flukes?
I sent out a fecal sample at the vets and was actually shocked because aren't intestinal flukes an aquatic turtle parasite?
 

efrey18

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No I am not sure of his age entirely but we are positive he is over the age of 10. He lived with a 50 year old female suclata for 6 years as well. Is there a reason for not roaming the house? I was told they should get a lot of exercise.
 

Big Charlie

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No I am not sure of his age entirely but we are positive he is over the age of 10. He lived with a 50 year old female for 6 years as well. Is there a reason for not roaming the house? I was told they should get a lot of exercise.
They do need lots of exercise but it isn't safe nor warm enough on your floor. There are tons of things they could ingest, like carpet fuzz or paper clips. There have been tortoises whose heads got squished in a closing door. They can be stepped on. A tortoise that old should be living outdoors if at all possible. I realize it is cold this time of the year most places but it can be done if you provide a heated area.

Charlie is 17. I think he flashed around 6 years old.
 

efrey18

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They do need lots of exercise but it isn't safe nor warm enough on your floor. There are tons of things they could ingest, like carpet fuzz or paper clips. There have been tortoises whose heads got squished in a closing door. They can be stepped on. A tortoise that old should be living outdoors if at all possible. I realize it is cold this time of the year most places but it can be done if you provide a heated area.

Charlie is 17. I think he flashed around 6 years old.

I agree, but unfortunately his area outside hit some bumps in the road and it wasn't finished in time. I'm a cleanly person and he enjoys his cuddle time with my dogs so I don't think a little roaming and socializing here and there is too bad for him. But I will keep in mind to watch out for paper clips and doors, thank you :)
 

efrey18

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They do need lots of exercise but it isn't safe nor warm enough on your floor. There are tons of things they could ingest, like carpet fuzz or paper clips. There have been tortoises whose heads got squished in a closing door. They can be stepped on. A tortoise that old should be living outdoors if at all possible. I realize it is cold this time of the year most places but it can be done if you provide a heated area.

Charlie is 17. I think he flashed around 6 years old.
One more question: if they do go outside in the winter (and have heated enclosure), do they just slow down entirely and stay in the enclosure and not need excercise at all? Because I can't imagine them wanting to go out in 20 degree weather. I've also yet to see mine burrow yet in 6 months and he spent all summer outside. Ps: NO: he was not healthy and not soaked before. He was not fed consistently, never soaked, and was actually forced to hibernate from December-march. So this very well could have delayed his maturity, correct?
 
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wellington

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I agree, but unfortunately his area outside hit some bumps in the road and it wasn't finished in time. I'm a cleanly person and he enjoys his cuddle time with my dogs so I don't think a little roaming and socializing here and there is too bad for him. But I will keep in mind to watch out for paper clips and doors, thank you :)
You have two big NO NO's going on here that you will be sorry for one day if you don't change them. The roaming and the dogs. Dogs should never! be around tortoises! The tortoise doesn't enjoy cuddle time. They aren't like a dog or cat that might enjoy it. The roaming, well that was already covered why it's bad. We see it all the time, people saying the same things you are saying and then it happens. The tort gets chewed on or stepped on. Do him and yourself a big favor and change things up now. He needs his own safe proper enclosure with proper heat, basking spot and substrate.
 

wellington

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Btw, where are you located? With a proper heated shed, garage or night box, depending on your location, he should be able to come and go outside and into his heated enclosure as he pleases. Sulcatas go out into the snow lots of times as long as they have a warm place to go into when they want.
 

efrey18

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Really? I guess I understand, I'm just surprised because Izzy literally prefers to snuggle into my dogs fur and sleep there rather than his heat lamp but I will definitely change things up. And I live in Pennsylvania in an area where it can get to -20 with wind chill and sometimes up to 3 feet of snow. Is that still safe for him? Or would I just bring him in when that kind of weather is planned? I will post a picture of his current enclosure (what it looked like this summer). I need to add a larger heated house I just need to figure out a cost efficient way to do it. And I planned on waiting until next spring so he wouldn't be shocked into it. I also worry about someone stealing him :(
 

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motero

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I wouldn't dare let a sulcata out in weather like that. More heat than just a lamp would be nice too. Look into heat mats also called pig blankets. Zoomed, Stansfield, and Kane heat mats. If he has to be cooped up for a few months it is better than him getting cold and getting sick.
 

efrey18

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I wouldn't dare let a sulcata out in weather like that. More heat than just a lamp would be nice too. Look into heat mats also called pig blankets. Zoomed, Stansfield, and Kane heat mats. If he has to be cooped up for a few months it is better than him getting cold and getting sick.

I worry he actually gets too hot with his lamp alone. But I guess if he has room to move away he's fine, right? And Ive been looking at what kind of heating mats to order so thank you for the input!
 

motero

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You have to be careful with the heat lamps, to close and it will burn the shell. At a safe distance it is not enough to keep him warm alone. a temperature gun is needed to measure the top of his shell after he has been under the lamp for a while. Keep the lamp the right distance for the top of his shell to just get up to 100f, or a little less.
 

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