My Russian Tortoise won't go potty

[elahmine]

I have had my russian tortoise for two weeks now. He has pooped once and peed twice. Do I need to take him to the vet?

 

[Kristina]

Not yet. First I would try a good warm water soak. You want the water to be warm to the touch but not hot, and just deep enough to cover the bridge between the carapace and plastron (top and bottom shell) so that the tortoise can hold his head out of the water with little or no effort. Soak him until the water cools off.

You probably notice him put his head in the water and drink. He may poop and pee in the water, that is the goal here.

In the wild, tortoises retain their waste until they have the ability to replenish the fluids that they lose by voiding waste.

Now, a couple of questions...

What is your set up like? What kind of enclosure? What are the temperatures? What kind of lighting do you use? Do you soak your tortoise regularly? Does he have a water dish? What is the diet like?

A little canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin, NOT pie filling) can be fed to clean his system out and get him to go to the bathroom. I am suspecting that he is not getting enough water or heat if he is eating but not pooping.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Elahamine:

Welcome to the forum!!

Does the tortoise eat every day? And what are you feeding it?

 

[Tom]

Welcome to the forum. We'd love to see some pics. I use http://tinypic.com/
Makes it really easy. Just upload, then cut and paste the IMG code into your post here on the forum.

 

[elahmine]

I gave a soak and he pooped and peed. He didn't drink any of the water. I provide leafy greens and fresh water every day. I soak him once a week but this the first time I gave him a warm soak.

 

[Kristina]

Can you be more specific about the leafy greens? What kinds?

 

[tortoisenerd]

Every soak should be warm, but baby bath warm not hot. You can soak a few times a week, especially if the tort isn't inclined to drink on its own. I like to place my tort in the dish in his enclosure after I put the warm water in so he is free to get out when he chooses. Most people believe they will absorb some water even if they don't drink. You can also wet the greens a bit to give the tort some water. If the tort is peeing, it must be getting some water as they will only pee when they can replace it, or when scared. Glad to hear everything seems to be working now. Congrats on the new tort!