Tortoise's poop?

[hunterk997]

My Russian tortoise was walking around in my room a couple minutes ago, and she "pooped" but it was runny. I have been feeding her endive and chicory some raddichio every now and then and romaine lettuce. What could cause this? Her other "poops" have been normal. The temps are 85 on the warm end and around 72 on the cool end.

 

[lkwagner]

I had my sulcata in my bathroom with a baby gate the other day cause she likes to lay in the sun that shines in (since its too cold for her to be outside in MI) and the same thing happened to me. Usually normal poop until that day diarrhea allllll over my bathroom. I wouldn't worry to much until it happens again. Maybe mix some mazuri into the food to harden the poop.... If your tortoise can eat mazuri I didn't see what kind you have.

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Oh Russian... Well if they can eat mazuri try that but again I wouldn't worry too much until it happens again

 

[Yvonne G]

Russians usually have very soft stools when they are fed grocery store greens. Can you give him some weeds? If he'll eat Mazuri, that would be good too.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

The causes of diarrhea include insufficient dietary fiber, inadequate basking temperatures, stress, and parasitic infestation.

It sounds like the diet is okay, so the fiber is probably not the problem (adding some more variety to the diet, including garden weeds when they become available, would be good, too). However, if you only recently acquired your tortoise, it could still be recovering from the poor diet its previous owner used to provide. It might take some time (a few days to a couple weeks) for the higher fiber diet to "kick in" and promote firmer stools.

As for temperatures, 72*F is fine for the cool end, and 85*F is okay for warmth. However, Russian tortoises should be basking in a hot spot of 95-100*F. Without that higher temperature, they will be unable to properly digest their food, and their immune system could become suppressed, too. So, make sure your basking spot is 95-100*F.

As for stress, sometimes animals defecate when they're frightened. The kind of poop they make at that time may not necessarily reflect their usual diet and state of health, since they might just be evacuating a little bit of material from their bowels. Maybe your tortoise was afraid or nervous while he was out and about. I wouldn't worry about loose stools from scared animals. It's the stools they pass while they're relaxed that really show you how their gut is doing.

Finally, it is possible that your guy is experiencing a bloom of parasites in his gut. Once you're sure all of the above are fine (diet, temperature, and emotional state), and if you're still seeing frequent diarrhea anyway, then that could be due to parasitic protozoa or helminthic worms. In that case, you would want your tortoise to get checked out by a vet, who might prescribe some antiparasitic medication.

 

[Laura]

Im going with stress... but could be other stuff too.

 

[Torts4Life!]

I wouldn't worry too much if it's a one time deal especially if you recently acquired your tort. It could be stress in a new environment or from the diet prior. Just keep a good eye to see if it happens again and listen to GeoTerraTestudo if it does. Good luck!!

 

[hunterk997]

Okay, I did just get her two weeks ago from Petco so that might be it. I live in New York (state) so I can't supply her with any weeds right now. But I definitely will in the spring and summer.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Sounds like you already got some good advice above. I agree that the basking spot needs to be warmer: measure with a temp gun or a probe what the temp is on the ground RIGHT UNDER the basking bulb. It should be 95-100.

Also, romaine is ok for every now and then, but more 'weedy' type foods are healthier, more nutritious, and have more fiber. There is a great list of edible plants on www.russiantortoise.net and there is also a good one here: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/files/Booklet 2nd edition_March 2012.pdf

Have you had a fecal sample tested for parasites (worms) yet? Most tortoises from Petsmart or Petco are wild-caught (even if the store clerk claims otherwise), and almost all of them have some level of worms. I recommend calling around to find a vet that can run a fecal sample without requiring an office visit. We have a good reptile vet, but they charge a lot for fecal samples to be run ($63). There is a dog and cat vet in town that only charges $24, no matter the species. They just can't prescribe any treatment if it's not a dog or cat. So if you find a regular vet that will test, then if the test comes back positive, you can still hunt down your reptile vet for meds.

Also, I would test ASAP, since if the test is positive, and you've had the pet for less than a month, Petco or Petsmart should be willing to refund you for the cost of the office visit and the meds. Several folks on here have done that in the last few weeks since Petsmart started carrying Greek tortoises.

Okay, I did just get her two weeks ago from Petco so that might be it. I live in New York (state) so I can't supply her with any weeds right now. But I definitely will in the spring and summer.

 

[hunterk997]

So the 15 days I had for the vet check up expired. But I have an update. Today she was crawling on my floor again, she pooped, it was the same as last time. I still don't know if I should worry because that's twice now. But after I got it cleaned up, she began wagging her tail, and expelled a huge amount of liquid with a lot of pressure. Is this normal? I'm not sure because she usually "goes" in her enclosure.

 

[WillTort2]

The temperature on your floor are probably too cold. Your tort needs a warm area to exercise.

 

[Yvonne G]

Another thing to think about: tortoises are territorial. Your tortoise needs his own territory to get used to...his own habitat. When you put him out on the floor, besides it being cold down there, he is out of his element. It is very stressful for him. Some people say, "But he's very active when I put him on the floor." That's because he's afraid and doesn't know where the best hiding place is to get away from predators.

 

[hunterk997]

Okay thanks for the advice. She just startied coming out of her hiding place in her enclosure today without me having to get her out my self. So I will gove her more time.

 

[SmileyKylie623]

Another thing to think about: tortoises are territorial. Your tortoise needs his own territory to get used to...his own habitat. When you put him out on the floor, besides it being cold down there, he is out of his element. It is very stressful for him. Some people say, "But he's very active when I put him on the floor." That's because he's afraid and doesn't know where the best hiding place is to get away from predators.

Quick question for you Yvonne.
I just finished my outdoor enclosure for my RT who is only 4 months old. I have had him for almost 2 weeks and when I put him into the outside pen today he too had a somewhat runny looking stool (looks way different from what I have seen come out of my Sulcata!). I did feed him some Mazuri and grassland tortoise food from ZooMed almost immediately after witnessing this to try to get more fiber in him. I plan on only putting him outside in this enclosure on weekends and during the days when I am home and it is nice outside because he is so tiny so I feel that he needs to be inside when I can't be there to turtle sit. Is this going to stress him out this moving him around between the two? Or will he eventually get used to both enclosures and see them both as his territory? I just want him to get as much outside time in the sun as he can when I am home!
Thanks!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Yes, it's normal for tortoises to pee very "forcefully."