Shards in stool!!!

Ben02

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Hi everybody!!!

I noticed something in Selma’s poo this morning and it was like a whitish/greyish shard (2 to be exact). So i did some poking around with a stick which was not fun and washed the pieces of to reveal the colour. They have the bumpy texture in one side that looks very much like the hard side of a cuttlebone.

Should these be digestible?

Thank you for your time.
 

Ben02

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I guess those pieces could be undigested this shell noted on cuttlebones. I think ive seen that a few times, that outer layer is quite “shard” like.

Good they were excreted without issue.
I think next time I will try and scrape of the hard outer layer as I reckon it could do a bit of damage in the digestive system. Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it:D
 

Pastel Tortie

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I try to remove the hard, thin, shard-like layer on the outside of the cuttlebone before giving pieces to my turtles. Unfortunately, I don't have an easy, always reliable way to remove the outside layer. Sometimes wetting the cuttlebone seems to help. You might be able to work the tip of a knife under the thin outside layer and twist to remove larger pieces. (Handle carefully.) For a very small tortoise or turtle, breaking the cuttlebone into suitably small pieces sometimes gets the process started for removing the outer layer.
 

Ben02

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Thank you everyone, I’m glad to hear that it’s normal for the hard layer to pass straight through without any possible issues. I’m not sure whether any of your cuttlebones have a smooth yellowish plate on the edges of the bone, I may just take them of as they can get quite sharp.
 

Toddrickfl1

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If you soak the cuttlebone in warm water for about an hour the hard backing usually comes off a lot easier.
 

Pastel Tortie

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I am cautious about the cuttlebone because my turtles are small. I would not worry as much about a significantly larger turtle or tortoise with a really strong beak.
 

sue white

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i alway wondered if these should be scraped.Since I have a small tortoise I figured that I ought too so I have always done it after soaking the cuttle bone for about 2 days. And they are right, make sure not to cut yourself
 

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