Baby Redfoot has very runny brown stool - Help!

[Hcurtis]

Hello,

I am really new to this forum! We got a baby Redfoot that is almost 2 months old. She (or he?) had soft but still well formed poops when we got her and about a week ago she started having diarrhea everyday that is really runny and brown. I feed her a variety of collard greens, turnip greens, radicchio and yellow squash and about once a week she gets fruits such as strawberries and melon with her greens. I’ve noticed that she is getting picky and only eating the yellow squash and radicchio now. She will still eat fruits but I’ve lessened them as I read it could cause runny stool. I also give her a mulberry pellets about once a week as well. Does anyone know what the problem might be? I think I’ll need to take her to the vet to check for parasites.

 

[TammyJ]

@ZEROPILOT

 

[Yvonne G]

Sometimes it's due to what you feed. Try adding more fiber and less animal protein. Mulberry, dandelion, sow thistle etc

 

[TammyJ]

Sometimes it's due to what you feed. Try adding more fiber and less animal protein. Mulberry, dandelion, sow thistle etc

I don't think animal protein is mentioned as one of the food items?

 

[mark1]

i'd feed some dog food once in awhile ...... the vets a good idea , parasites are probably a good guess......

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I wouldn't assume parasites. (And heaven forbid an inexperienced vet does) I'm assuming it's enclosure related on previous experiences here on the forum.
I'd first assume that the temperature is wrong for complete digestion.
Redfoot need a diet heavy in fruit. With some animal protein as well. Aside from what you're already feeding.
What is the ambient temperature? What is the humidity? What kind of enclosure?
Photos please.
If you do go see a vet. Make SURE it is a vet that understands tortoises. So few really do. And most will not admit it as they take your money and experiment on your tortoise.
Many (maybe most) tortoises have a few parasites. But most of those animals need absolutely no intervention.

 

[mark1]

there is a paper/study written on health compromising parasitic infections in captive tortoises , they necropsied like 50 tortoises the majority of those 50 died from a parasitic infections ..... i have it somewhere , i'll try to find it , i believe i also have other "studies/papers" on this subject .....

 

[Hcurtis]

I wouldn't assume parasites. (And heaven forbid an inexperienced vet does) I'm assuming it's enclosure related on previous experiences here on the forum.
I'd first assume that the temperature is wrong for complete digestion.
Redfoot need a diet heavy in fruit. With some animal protein as well. Aside from what you're already feeding.
What is the ambient temperature? What is the humidity? What kind of enclosure?
Photos please.
If you do go see a vet. Make SURE it is a vet that understands tortoises. So few really do. And most will not admit it as they take your money and experiment on your tortoise.
Many (maybe most) tortoises have a few parasites. But most of those animals need absolutely no intervention.

She is currently in a box crate that I spray everyday to keep the humidity between 70% and 80% Should this be higher? I also keep a towel covering the grate on top to keep the humidity in as well. Her enclosure is usually between 75 and 80 degrees and her basking spot is about 90-95. It used to be higher and I could tell it was a bit too hot for her so I switched out the wattage and she likes it better now. I also has a UVB 10.0 lamp. Both are on for about 12 hours a day and then turned off at night. She is still eating and drinking normally and still does all her normal things like burrowing, basking and also sleeping most of the day. I also soak her every morning as well before eating. Currently at work so I can’t attach photos yet but will do once home!

 

[mark1]

whether or not this problem is parasite caused , here is a pretty good read , at least i thought so , on parasites in tortoises ....the entire paper is in the link , the discussion i copied and pasted .....

Occurrence of health-compromising protozoan and helminth infections in tortoises kept as pet animals in Germany
Discussion Gastrointestinal endoparasites in pet tortoises have been investigated in several European countries [12–14, 16, 24, 38]. These studies report extremely high prevalence of oxyurid infections in tortoises kept in captivity. These findings were consistent with high oxyurid prevalence observed in our study (43.18%) and with our even higher prevalence recorded in dissected tortoises (57.14%). Oxyurids (pinworms) in tortoises are frequently reported [12–14, 16, 25, 38]. Studies at the generic level revealed the presence of Tachygonetria, Thaparia, Mehdiella and Alaeuris quite abundantly in tortoises of all ages [25, 27]. Oxyurid infections are proposedly tolerated and also to have rather low pathogenic effects on parasitized tortoises. The peculiar features of the large intestine of tortoises makes it plausible to assume that these nematodes have evolutionarily adapted to the tortoise gut microhabitat. Even an equilibrium of parasite-host-interactions has been postulated [28]. Moreover, oxyurids might be beneficial for certain tortoise species: some oxyurid-infected juvenile tortoises showed improved nutrient uptake and digestibility for most food components, since oxyurid nematodes might help to break up faecal masses, thereby preventing constipation [40]. Furthermore, oxyurids might contribute regulation of the bacterial flora in the caecum of herbivorous reptile hosts by feeding on bacteria [28].

However, massive oxyurid infections can lead to severe malabsorption including clinical symptoms such as anorexia and diarrhea, impaction, chronic weight loss and even sudden death [12, 40]. Such oxyurid-derived pathogenicity is mainly linked to the monoxenous life-cycle and histiotrophic phase of oxyurid larvae, limited space for tortoises in captivity, low heterogeneity of oxyurids, and their ability to survive inside hibernating tortoises [12, 28, 41]. Juvenile tortoises in particular are affected by clinical oxyuridosis [28], since the life-cycle of oxyurids is completed within no more than 40 days. In our study, severe oxyuridosis was frequently (57.14%) diagnosed post-mortem in tortoises and was the predominant cause of death for many (24.49%) individuals included in necropsies.

 

[TammyJ]

Wow. Imagine that the parasites may actually help the tortoise digest his food, but too many parasites will kill him!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Wow. Imagine that the parasites may actually help the tortoise digest his food, but too many parasites will kill him!

There is a balance going on. For sure.