Passed a stone...help

[mini_max]

Max peed clear liquid and with some effort followed it with a large white stone. I am worried. What now?

 

[Anyfoot]

How big is your tort and how long have you had him,do you let him go on a pebbled area. I only ask because I bought 2 torts off someone who used to let them outside on the rockery where there was small pebbles. For about 2 weeks when we had them we kept finding small pebbles in our enclosure. I'm assuming they ate pebbles from the rockery where they lived. Had them about 3 months now and not seen any pebbles for ages. May not be same scenario as yours but just thought I'd let you know.
Bye

Craig

 

[mini_max]

I've had him for 3 months....no pebbles.

 

[Tom]

If its not a pebble, then it would be urates. I don't know what his history is, but I would be soaking that tortoise every day for the next few months.

 

[dmmj]

It could be a bladder stone, or hard urates, hard to tell without pics. Any chance you krpt it?

 

[mini_max]

Sorry, it went out with the trash already. It looked just like white urate, only rock hard. I could not break it apart. I just don't understand, because he soaks almost daily, drinks, and regularly passes liquid urate - little to no white stuff at all usually. And he made a liquid pee right before he passed it.

I've had him for 2.5 months. Is it possible that he has just now gotten to a point where he was hydrated enough for it to pass? He had a pretty bad diet at the pet store and was never soaked.

 

[mini_max]

It was tied in a rubber glove, I can go dig it out if it helps....

 

[mini_max]

I did look at it again, and I'm going with hard urates. He missed his soak yesterday, and had a very brief one the day before. Maybe that's all it took?
He had recently been eating: kale, dandelion, butter lettuce, radicchio, and zoomed grassland tort food. He has also sampled the Irish moss and spider plant in his new enclosure. Would any of these be putting his oxylates through the roof?

 

[Dizisdalife]

What he has been eating in the past few days, or even weeks, is not what caused this hard urate to form. I have been told that they form when a tortoise has been deprived of water over and extended period of time. You are lucky that your tortoise has passed this stone. I would continue to soak him every day and be sure he always has access to water.

 

[mini_max]

That is good to know because I feel that we do a good job of keeping him hydrated, and I was kinda shocked that he'd developed this under our care. That's why I'm questioning his diet.

What he has been eating in the past few days, or even weeks, is not what caused this hard urate to form. I have been told that they form when a tortoise has been deprived of water over and extended period of time. You are lucky that your tortoise has passed this stone. I would continue to soak him every day and be sure he always has access to water.

 

[WillTort2]

I'm thinking that this may be something that developed more than 3 months ago. And he has just now gotten it to pass due to more water moving through his system.

I've seen others suggest feeling aloe plant in order to lubricate the system.

Good luck.

 

[biochemnerd808]

I agree with Will. My guess is that the stone was already present (from being kept too dry previously), and in your well-hydrating care, his body has been able to pass the stone, finally. Scary for you, but in the end, good that he became well-hydrated before the stone got too big to pass by himself! As others have said, continue to soak frequently, and feed a few more watery plants than you normally would.