My sully hasn’t pooped in about 10 days

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
Sorry to bring yet another poop thread, my 7 year old hasn’t pooped in around 10 days now. He just got over a huge bout of constipation that lasted almost a month(he stopped eating and pooping for weeks and we needed the vets help to get him pooping again) and he has just recently begun to start eating grass on his own again. But he’s not pooping again! I wonder if his digestive system will take time as he only recently began eating again after a month of having to be tube fed at the vet. We soak him for 30 minutes daily and he walks just fine and sunbathes, he generally looks happy. But no poop! Can anyone help recommend anything, all suggestions are greatly appreciated!
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,391
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
What is his diet like? Maybe you're not feeding him enough moist foods.
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
We are feeding him mainly grass sprayed with water and some weeds and greens. He’s mostly been eating grass and I also hold a water bowl to his mouth and he takes sips here and there.He has 2 water bowls in his outdoor enclosure and I’ve seen him sip from them too. Can u kindly recommend other moist foods that I can safely feed him? I’m so scared he will get constipated again!
 

Tim Carlisle

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
2,560
Location (City and/or State)
Cincinnati, OH
Is it possible it could have ingested small pebbles or something similar? Wondering if there might not be an impaction.
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
He grazes in the garden and we mostly see him pulling at the grass although yes it’s possible he could have ingested some small pebbles. I gave him some veggies dipped in mineral oil a few days ago and still nothing! Also increasing his soaks from 30 minutes to longer. I wonder about digestion time, because he’s just started eating on his own again after a whole month of being tube fed at the vet. Perhaps the grass he’s been eating for the past week hasn’t fully been digested yet, hence no poop?
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
If he ate some pebbles, what’s the best course of action? Will soaks and mineral oil do the trick? I hate to stress him out by taking him back to the vet, but maybe will have to.
 

Ray--Opo

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Messages
7,018
Location (City and/or State)
Palm Bay Fl
Try cactus or cucumber no seeds. I know if I feed my sully to much cactus. His poop will get a little loose. After he poops try some okra. The small seeds are soft and don't break down. But I wouldn't try okra till he poops. I would think seeds sitting in his digestive tract for a period of time would not be good. Cucumber has really no nutriental benefits and okra fruits are high in oxalates. So I wouldn't use as a regular diet. Did your vet give you any probiotic to give your tort?
 
Last edited:

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
Try cactus or cucumber no seeds. I know if I feed my sully to much cactus. His poop will get a little loose. After he poops try some okra. The small seeds are soft and don't break down. But I wouldn't try okra till he poops. I would think seeds sitting in his digestive tract for a period of time would not be good. Cucumber has really no nutriental benefits and okra fruits are high in oxalates. So I wouldn't use as a regular diet. Did your vet give you any probiotic to give your tort?

Thanks so much for your advice, I tried giving him some okra already as I heard it acts as a laxative, but so far it hasn’t helped him poop. I will try cactus asap also! I think the vet gave him some probiotics when he was at the vet but he’s been home almost 2 weeks and since been home he’s only been eating grass and a few pieces of okra to try to help get him get pooping. I wonder, if he’s only started eating on his own for about a week (after not having had solids for over a month and only via tube feeding) could his digestive system have slowed down? Or maybe it’s taking a long time to digest because there’s still not much to digest? I’m getting panicky thinking about it because I’m so scared he will get all blocked up again
 

Ray--Opo

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Messages
7,018
Location (City and/or State)
Palm Bay Fl
Thanks so much for your advice, I tried giving him some okra already as I heard it acts as a laxative, but so far it hasn’t helped him poop. I will try cactus asap also! I think the vet gave him some probiotics when he was at the vet but he’s been home almost 2 weeks and since been home he’s only been eating grass and a few pieces of okra to try to help get him get pooping. I wonder, if he’s only started eating on his own for about a week (after not having had solids for over a month and only via tube feeding) could his digestive system have slowed down? Or maybe it’s taking a long time to digest because there’s still not much to digest? I’m getting panicky thinking about it because I’m so scared he will get all blocked up again
Opo is on about a 4 day cycle from when it goes in and then comes out. I watched it when I fed him some okra. 4 days later there was little okra seeds floating in the water.
Up the warm soaks and keep it warm. If he has been in for 20min and wants out let him stay in. The movement trying to get out might get things moving.
I would try the cactus. If you don't have access to any. Go to a Latin market you should find it there. Try holding the pad for him and see if he will take a bite. You might want to cut just a little off so he can taste the inside of the cactus. If he won't take it that way. I slice it about a 1/8 thick and then those slices I cut up small enough so I don't think Opo might choke on it. Try to make as few cuts you can or you will end up with a bunch of sticky goo. I just feed Opo whole pads now. But when I did cut it up. Sometimes I would run the cut up cactus under the water. To wash a little of the slime off it it got to sticky. Good luck
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
Opo is on about a 4 day cycle from when it goes in and then comes out. I watched it when I fed him some okra. 4 days later there was little okra seeds floating in the water.
Up the warm soaks and keep it warm. If he has been in for 20min and wants out let him stay in. The movement trying to get out might get things moving.
I would try the cactus. If you don't have access to any. Go to a Latin market you should find it there. Try holding the pad for him and see if he will take a bite. You might want to cut just a little off so he can taste the inside of the cactus. If he won't take it that way. I slice it about a 1/8 thick and then those slices I cut up small enough so I don't think Opo might choke on it. Try to make as few cuts you can or you will end up with a bunch of sticky goo. I just feed Opo whole pads now. But when I did cut it up. Sometimes I would run the cut up cactus under the water. To wash a little of the slime off it it got to sticky. Good luck
Thanks so much for your advice, I will try the cactus today. I have some mineral oil so maybe I will drip some onto the cactus too to help things along. Im wondering how long I should wait or if I should take him to the vet again. It’s been almost 2 weeks since he’s been back and although he’s been eating on and off ( not a lot everyday), I’m thinking that he should have pooped something out by now! I’ll try the cactus and some mineral oil today, thank u so much for your help. Fingers crossed!
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
I forgot to mention he’s getting less active now too and spends alot of the day sleeping after his mid morning soak and graze. I’m so stressed just worrying about him and hoping he will recover to his usual active self. Before his recent bout of extreme constipation, he was so healthy and never had to see a vet, pooped every few days on schedule, no problems at all. I am praying he can poop on his own soon and will try to help him in any way possible.
 

Ray--Opo

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Messages
7,018
Location (City and/or State)
Palm Bay Fl
I forgot to mention he’s getting less active now too and spends alot of the day sleeping after his mid morning soak and graze. I’m so stressed just worrying about him and hoping he will recover to his usual active self. Before his recent bout of extreme constipation, he was so healthy and never had to see a vet, pooped every few days on schedule, no problems at all. I am praying he can poop on his own soon and will try to help him in any way possible.
I forgot about the car ride. That was good advice from Blackdog. If you do bring him to the vet again. A x-ray might not be a bad idea. Ask him about a probiotic also if you go back to the vet. Good luck!
Keep us posted.
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
I forgot about the car ride. That was good advice from Blackdog. If you do bring him to the vet again. A x-ray might not be a bad idea. Ask him about a probiotic also if you go back to the vet. Good luck!
Keep us posted.
Thanks so much yes I’m going to try cactus and a car ride for him first then hopefully see how it goes. Then if still nothing I guess another visit to the vet is in order, although I really hope it doesn’t have to come to that. I’ll keep u posted!
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
i read somewhere that slight shaking movements helps stools become looser and encourages torts to poop ( I guess similar to a car in motion?) if I place a back massager next to my torts portable tub when he’s soaking ( or even in a tub without water) for 10 to 15 minutes would that help, do you think? I’m pretty much desperate and will try anything at this point!
 

Rex1718

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
256
Location (City and/or State)
SC
I might get blasted here, but how deep is the water when you soak him?
I would stay with him while you soaked him, but make the water pretty deep, like just enough that he can get some air. He will be kicking and swimming, might help him poop.
Like I said, stay with him to be sure he doesn’t drown.
 

Nujie

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Bangkok
I might get blasted here, but how deep is the water when you soak him?
I would stay with him while you soaked him, but make the water pretty deep, like just enough that he can get some air. He will be kicking and swimming, might help him poop.
Like I said, stay with him to be sure he doesn’t drown.
His water comes up to just above the bottom of his shell, I make sure it covers his bottom completely. He basically relaxes when soaking, and just splashes his front feet here and there. Maybe I need to make it deeper to make sure he moves around more! We are always around when he soaks just to make sureeverything goes smoothly. I’m wondering if I should try the massager with the soak just to shake the tub softly. Has anyone ever tried this?
 

Ray--Opo

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Messages
7,018
Location (City and/or State)
Palm Bay Fl
His water comes up to just above the bottom of his shell, I make sure it covers his bottom completely. He basically relaxes when soaking, and just splashes his front feet here and there. Maybe I need to make it deeper to make sure he moves around more! We are always around when he soaks just to make sureeverything goes smoothly. I’m wondering if I should try the massager with the soak just to shake the tub softly. Has anyone ever tried this?
It won't hurt. I guess the only thing would be if he totally hates it and stresses him out to much.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Our Sully likes hotter than normal & deeper too. It’s good to test the waters a bit. Once i found the temp our sully like, i would temp the water and make it like that daily.
 

New Posts

Top