[split] new with a health question, please!

[jgottlieb]

Hi
I am first time user. I inherited my mothers desert tortoise and I live in southern california. The tortoise was just coming out of hibernation I think, and had RNS. I am just completing the antibiotics and have been keeping Toby in garage during the night time and now that it is warming up, I put him outside on my patio during the day. So I am really in shock about how much work Toby is. It never seemed a big deal for my mom to take care of him. He lived on her patio in a hut. But now that I have him he is sick and I worry about him. So the last two days when I go get him from garage he is laying in his poop and pee, and it is really bad. I lay him in water to clean him up. Is this normal ? I have seen really a lot of big poop coming out of him. His pee is brown. Anyway, I really don't think this is right for him to lay in his poop and pee. I am now not sure what this means but if anyone can enlighten me I would greatly appreciate it.
Jo Ann

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jo Ann, and welcome to the Forum!

Is the tortoise in some sort of box or is he just loose in the garage? If he's in a box, then where is he supposed to go to get away from the poop and pee?

But, if he's loose in the garage, I'll give you a little scenario:

Desert tortoises sleep and spend the night in a burrow (your garage). In the morning, when they feel the air outside the burrow is starting to warm up, they walk outside and sit in the sun to warm their bodies. Then, when warmed up, they go wandering around the desert (your yard) looking for food and eating, walking and eating, walking and eating. When they've gotten enough food, or when it starts to get too hot, they'll go back into the burrow until early evening, when they come out and go through the process again.

During the night, while they are in their burrow, they will poop and pee. This causes the humidity inside the burrow to go up, which is a healthy atmosphere for a desert tortoise. Usually, because they are in a dirt burrow, the pee soaks into the ground. But because your tortoise's burrow is the garage, the pee just sits there along with the tortoise. There is nothing wrong with this. It is perfectly normal and natural. And the pee usually is brown from what they eat and from the fact that they hold onto it for a length of time.

 

[jgottlieb]

Yvonne,
Wow thank you so much for this information. Toby is in the garage with a nice size area to roam. He goes into a specific spot and lays there all night.He could go somewhere else to pee and poop but does not. Your observations really do help me as that is very much what Toby does. Right now he is laying on the patio and is not warmed up yet. He will start to move about latter. Yesterday when I came home from work he was in hut (on the patio) and the hay was full of poop and pee. It was really yucky. But it got so hot here yesterday - it must have been over 100 on that patio. There were a lot of cooler shader places for him to go to but he stayed in the hut which seemed like the hottest place to go. Anyway, one more question for you. When can I start keeping Toby outside all night ? It gets cool here in the evenings and I heard if your tortoise is ill it should come inside where it is warm at night.
What do you think? Thanks again.
Jo Ann

 

[Yvonne G]

I watch the 7-day forecast. When the nights are consistently over 50F degrees I put them out and leave them out. This is for adolescents to adults, not hatchlings. They need it warmer at night. Right now I have two 4 year old desert tortoises that are staying out 24/7.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome

 

[sibi]

Hi Jo Ann, and welcome. Thank goodness for Yvonne, ay? As a side note, if you have a dog, or plan to get a dog, or allow dogs to visit your home, then you need to read the thread below my name.

 

[jgottlieb]

I watch the 7-day forecast. When the nights are consistently over 50F degrees I put them out and leave them out. This is for adolescents to adults, not hatchlings. They need it warmer at night. Right now I have two 4 year old desert tortoises that are staying out 24/7.

---

Hi Jo Ann, and welcome. Thank goodness for Yvonne, ay? As a side note, if you have a dog, or plan to get a dog, or allow dogs to visit your home, then you need to read the thread below my name.

---

Hi Everyone and thank you from welcoming me. Yes, thank goodness for Yvonne, plus she lives in california with similar weather patterns as I have, so that is even better. I will keep an eye on the night time weather Yvonne. Last night I put Toby back in my garage with a bunch of newspaper under him ( what a thought, right ? ) and he seems fine today. One additional question. Yesterday he was out all day on my patio.I offered him a variety of things to eat and he did not even nibble. Is it common to go a day or two without eatting ? Plus since he has had RNS, I offer water as well. I don't think I have ever seen him drink. He received IV fluids about two weeks ago but no drinking since. The other day when it was about 90 degrees here, I had him out in my garden with lots of water around the plants and all that he was nibbling on. I guess that is enough. What do you all think? Oh and I have no dogs, just a cat, who is very perplexed by Toby and stays away from him.
Thanks Again !
Jo Ann

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jo Ann:

Some tortoises will only drink from running water. If you set the hose next to him and turn it on just a bit, he may take a drink.

Is there a place in the yard, like under a tree or in deep shade, where you can move his patio hut under? That's what I'd do. If the hut doesn't move, then get a small dog house and place it in deep shade. Then every time you see him settled into the hot hut, or a hot spot on the patio, place him inside the shaded dog house. He will soon get used to the new resting place. And it will be better for him to be in the shade and not so hot on the patio.

 

[jgottlieb]

Thank You again Yvonne for the good advice. A dog house is a great idea. Now that it was raining down here and kind of cool I have kept Toby in the garage for the past few days. He is in his hut and has not moved at all. He has not eaten either. Should I move him about? Do they just kind of sleep for days ? It is like he is gone back to hibernation. I am worried about him. I did put the uv light on but he is in his hut and not coming out. Any words of wisdom?
Jo Ann

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, if your rain was like ours is right now, its only 57F degrees here. My desert tortoises came out and are arranged along the fence where the sun would be hitting if it weren't cloudy, but they won't eat today. It's not warm enough.

A tortoise has to be able to warm his core temperature up to above 80F degrees or the food won't digest. They know this, and don't eat when they can't warm up. It's nothing to worry about, as tomorrow will probably be warm again and he will eat. Even if the cooler temps last a few days, its still ok. This same weather happens in the desert where they live naturally.

 

[jgottlieb]

Well, if your rain was like ours is right now, its only 57F degrees here. My desert tortoises came out and are arranged along the fence where the sun would be hitting if it weren't cloudy, but they won't eat today. It's not warm enough.

A tortoise has to be able to warm his core temperature up to above 80F degrees or the food won't digest. They know this, and don't eat when they can't warm up. It's nothing to worry about, as tomorrow will probably be warm again and he will eat. Even if the cooler temps last a few days, its still ok. This same weather happens in the desert where they live naturally.

 

[jgottlieb]

Oh that is interesting. About the core temperature. So even though Toby is nice and warm in the garage, it is not enough to warm his inners? I put him out back on the patio now that the sun is shining down here. He did nibble on some squash but kind of like you said, not really moving about too much but sniffing around.
Thanks Yvonne!
Jo Ann

 

[jgottlieb]

Hi,
Okay so I am learning about how to care for my mom's desert tortoise, Toby. So I am confused again. Today is a beautiful warm day here in So.California. I put Toby on the patio, he sleeps in garage, to sun himself, eat, exercise. He sat in the sun for about 30 minutes and then has returned to his hut. It has to be really hot in that hut and I am leaving for the weekend. I hope Toby knows to come out of the hut for food, fresh air etc. I wonder if he is sick.
jo

 

[jgottlieb]

Hi,
I have basically nursed my mothers tortoise back to health with two rounds of antibiotics. It has been several weeks since we finished the antibiotics. Just today, the tortoise has a runny bubbly nose again. Does that mean he is sick?
Jo