Opunta diarrhea

[Shaif]

Hi! Sorry for that gross title. Was hoping to get your advice on an issue I'm trying to figure out.

Two of my babies-- Testudo-- 6 months old-- routinely get runny stools after I feed them opunta. The change happens within a day. It often lasts for 3-4 days. It always clears up. The stools start to firm up in 4 days, and usually close to normal in 7-9 days. I'm very sure it's the cactus. I've observed the cycle several times.
I give Mazuri and greens to firm up the stools daily. Cactus is just a treat. I know it has great nutritional value and would like to increase their intake, but I worry about the stools.

Have any of you seen something similar? Would you continue to give it?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Shaif]

Sorry! I didn't include the important information that the babies are in separate enclosures. They are from different breeders, so I'm keeping them quarantined for 6 months. They are both very healthy otherwise. Gaining weight, smooth shells. I keep humidity 70% or higher. MVB MEGARAY bulbs with appropriate 4 temps (I obsessed about this for months until I got it perfect). I've checked the UVB levels in both enclosures. One is great (4-6) and one was a tad high at 9 on the 6.5 solarmeter. I'm working on fixing that currently.

Thank you!

 

[dmmj]

even after the quarantine period they should be kept separate they don't do well in pairs. I would cut down on the amount that I give them at one time.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

My little Greeks eat opuntia pads as part of the diet all year round as do many others in the area.
In the season (just ended) they eat a lot of fruit, too.
Never experienced any diarrhoea at all.

 

[Shaif]

even after the quarantine period they should be kept separate they don't do well in pairs. I would cut down on the amount that I give them at one time.

Thank you! I completely agree-- would like to avoid 2 together. I've got 4 babies total. Hoping they are all girls-- all have split scutes-- but that's not a perfect science. The 2 that are currently together are batchmates. I have a video camera set up in their enclosure and I watch them to obsession. They are both gaining and growing evenly, but they should not be a pair for long. That's why I like the number of 4. I've got the room. And I know that separating may become necessary-- I will have extra setups available.

Do you just offer tiny amounts of opunta? I chop up a quarter of a pad and put it in the enclosures once a week. Too much?

 

[Shaif]

My little Greeks eat opuntia pads as part of the diet all year round as do many others in the area.
In the season (just ended) they eat a lot of fruit, too.
Never experienced any diarrhoea at all.

Thank you! Your Tidgey is gorgeous! You are in the calendar, no?

What fruits do you feed? I have avoided all fruit, as I thought it causes problems. Would love to add to the treat list as long as it's safe.

The opunta I give is organic and grown for human consumption from Rivenrock Organics. I wonder if the age of the leaf might be a cause? I read that the fiber content can change based on the maturity of the leaf?

If you have never had any issue, I think I better stop giving the cactus until I know what's happening.

Thank you!

 

[Gillian M]

Hi @Shaif . Very sorry to know your tort has diarrhea. I just came across this on the net, hoping it will help you.


Treating bowel problems

"Treatments for constipation and diarrhoea are again surprisingly similar, in that changing or at least addressing diet issues is the key. Increasing fibre is often all that is needed to treat constipation, with additional bathing and soaking to help hydration. If the diarrhoea is persistent or foul smelling then it is really important to take the tortoise to the vet – unless you know that the animal has eaten too much fruit or something which will have made its stools loose, it is better to take no chances. If the constipation does not ease after a day or so it is also wise to visit the vet. Sometimes tortoises eat stones or other indigestible things as they wander round the garden and these can impact the gut. No amount of soaking or fibre will shift these and indeed if the bowel gets too active with the additional fibre, it may actually cause damage if the blockage is implacable."

Sincerely hope to hear your tort is better, soon.

Please keep us updated.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thank you! Your Tidgey is gorgeous! You are in the calendar, no?

What fruits do you feed? I have avoided all fruit, as I thought it causes problems. Would love to add to the treat list as long as it's safe.

The opunta I give is organic and grown for human consumption from Rivenrock Organics. I wonder if the age of the leaf might be a cause? I read that the fiber content can change based on the maturity of the leaf?

If you have never had any issue, I think I better stop giving the cactus until I know what's happening.

Thank you!

Yes, Tidgy is September 2016 and was August this year.
I think she's gorgeous.
I meant the fruit of Opuntia, the prickly pear. I don't really feed other fruit very often at all.
It's safe, but like everything, should only be a part of a varied , balanced diet.
Not sure about the change as it matures, but this is probably true, makes sense.
Tidgy eats pads of all ages with no ill effects.
It might indeed be a good idea to stop the cactus and see if this fixes the problem.

 

[Yvonne G]

See if feeding grass or weeds at the same time as the opuntia helps. Grass (fiber) helps with bulking up the stool.

 

[Shaif]

Hi @Shaif . Very sorry to know your tort has diarrhea. I just came across this on the net, hoping it will help you.


Treating bowel problems

"Treatments for constipation and diarrhoea are again surprisingly similar, in that changing or at least addressing diet issues is the key. Increasing fibre is often all that is needed to treat constipation, with additional bathing and soaking to help hydration. If the diarrhoea is persistent or foul smelling then it is really important to take the tortoise to the vet – unless you know that the animal has eaten too much fruit or something which will have made its stools loose, it is better to take no chances. If the constipation does not ease after a day or so it is also wise to visit the vet. Sometimes tortoises eat stones or other indigestible things as they wander round the garden and these can impact the gut. No amount of soaking or fibre will shift these and indeed if the bowel gets too active with the additional fibre, it may actually cause damage if the blockage is implacable."

Sincerely hope to hear your tort is better, soon.

Please keep us updated.

Thank you, Gillian. You are so kind! I will keep an eye on the babies and avoid the cactus for now.

 

[Shaif]

See if feeding grass or weeds at the same time as the opuntia helps. Grass (fiber) helps with bulking up the stool.

That's a great idea. My little ones always avoid the herbal hay in their enclosures, but I put fresh hay every day hoping they sample and like it. They will eat Mazuri though. Maybe I should try mixing it with that next time?

Thank you as always for your direction!

 

[Gillian M]

Thank you, Gillian. You are so kind! I will keep an eye on the babies and avoid the cactus for now.

Hi @Shaif . You are most welcome. I only wish I could be of more help. How are your torts now? Hope to hear they are better.

Please keep us update.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Yeah, so is the opuntia a stand alone offering or is it mixed in with other things? A small amount frequently might work better.

I'm not getting an idea of how much is fed on what schedule compared to other diet items.

Could you narrate a week's worth of feeding of all things?

 

[Shaif]

Yeah, so is the opuntia a stand alone offering or is it mixed in with other things? A small amount frequently might work better.

I'm not getting an idea of how much is fed on what schedule compared to other diet items.

Could you narrate a week's worth of feeding of all things?

Thank you Will. Your expertise is truly appreciated. I offer a salad of chopped escarole, endive, kale, and turnip greens every day. Occasionally I add collard greens, but only once a week because of oxalates. This is winter food-- summer has weeds in the salad. I also have softened/mashed Mazuri on each plate every day. I watch closely (I have cameras in each enclosure and can rewind anything I might miss at work), and each baby gets a good mix of salad and pellet averaged over the week.
The opunta is used as a treat and I put it in a separate plate. And I think you and DMMJ are correct. In reviewing my old footage ( this must be what the football referees feel like), I can see that the babies with the GI distress are the ones who ate more cactus and less salad or Mazuri. I need to balance out the offering, I think. Maybe offer it 2-3 times per week, but mix with Mazuri? Or in the salad? How do you do it? Have you ever had an issue like this? Well, not you personally....

 

[Shaif]

Hi @Shaif . You are most welcome. I only wish I could be of more help. How are your torts now? Hope to hear they are better.

Please keep us update.

Doing much better already today! One baby has left some nicely formed stool in her enclosure, and the other had a soggy, but not liquid stool. Sorry to be so graphic there. I think they just need to slowly build up a gut tolerance?

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...chips-lower-cost-better-functionality.149062/

A good regimen even if you don't use my Cactus Chips.

 

[Shaif]

I've read about your chips, Will! I'll be buying very soon!

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Fresh is better in many ways. But not as continent to some people.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Fresh is better in many ways. But not as continent to some people.

Convenient. Phat finger on a smart phone leads to phu cked spelling sometimes.

 

[Shaif]

Convenient. Phat finger on a smart phone leads to phu cked spelling sometimes.

That's pretty phu-nny.