Small stone in poop

Tort1419

Active Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
217
image.jpg image.jpg

Saw this stone from my tortoise. It's tiny and it doesn't look like a kidney stone, or Uric acid stone but please let me know if I need to be worried. I did not see any struggling from my tortoise when he pooped. It's probably from one of the plant roots that he ate.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 4

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Tortoises eat rocks as a matter of course. A rock here or there is nothing to be concerned about. If the poops start looking like half gravel, then you might want to raise an eyebrow.

A weedy, high fiber diet, and supplementation with "MinerAll", will usually deter excessive rock eating. People who primarily use grocery store greens and a calcium supplement can expect to see more rock eating behavior.
 

Tort1419

Active Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
217
My tortoise hasn't been outside yet because I got him in winter so yea I have been feeding a lot of grocery foods, and a calcium supplement but before winter and a little bit now I got some fresh weeds for him to eat, and some plants in his enclosure. I think he ate it accidently via eating plant roots that had a little bit of dirt. But anyways thanks for the reply and I'll keep an eye out for more rocks.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,935
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Like Tom said. My tortoises seek out and eat rocks and bits of Coral in my yard if they don't get enough calcium or cuddlebone.
They pass rocks from time to time.
 

alejzp

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2018
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
San José, Costa Rica
Tortoises eat rocks as a matter of course. A rock here or there is nothing to be concerned about. If the poops start looking like half gravel, then you might want to raise an eyebrow.

A weedy, high fiber diet, and supplementation with "MinerAll", will usually deter excessive rock eating. People who primarily use grocery store greens and a calcium supplement can expect to see more rock eating behavior.
I was reading this and have found in other threads recommendations to supplement with MinerAll, I was looking for it on Amazon and it says it is for insectivorous reptiles and amphibians, but as it is recommended here it shouldn't be a problem to give to a sulcata given that she is not an insectivorous reptile?
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,405
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I was reading this and have found in other threads recommendations to supplement with MinerAll, I was looking for it on Amazon and it says it is for insectivorous reptiles and amphibians, but as it is recommended here it shouldn't be a problem to give to a sulcata given that she is not an insectivorous reptile?
If I'm remembering correctly it cones in two kinds, insectivores and plant eating.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I was reading this and have found in other threads recommendations to supplement with MinerAll, I was looking for it on Amazon and it says it is for insectivorous reptiles and amphibians, but as it is recommended here it shouldn't be a problem to give to a sulcata given that she is not an insectivorous reptile?
Not a problem. Its just minerals. It was invented to "dust" crickets and other food insects before feeding them to insectivores, but it works great for balancing out mineral content in herbivorous reptiles that are eating a lot of grocery store produce too. There are no insects or protein sources in it.
 

New Posts

Top