Donut
New Member
Hi Everyone, I got a Russian tortoise a few weeks ago. I am using Orchid Bark for the substrate and I like it so far. I am however concerned with how to clean it. Poop is easy to spot so I just pick it up but I don't know how to deal with pee. I have seen my tort pee and A LOT comes out. I can't always spot a damp spot let's say so mostly pee would go undetected. I see that many of you don't change the whole substrate often (maybe every few weeks or even longer sometimes) and I am just wondering won't this pee cause bacteria and possibly stink after a few days? I just feel bad for her to be walking around her pee
I also took her to vet for check up just to make sure everything was ok because her poop was little runny and my vet said that I should only use unbleached paper towels for her substrate!!! I was so shocked. She said otherwise bacteria will grow in her enclosure and cause her to get sick. I don't really like this idea as I do want to provide her with something more natural. Vet said they are not in their natural environment so as long as I provide her little area to burrow with some substrate and hay I can have paper towels in the rest of the enclosure. I am not an expert at caring for tort just yet but I plan to continue to use Orchid Bark but just need some advice on how you all deal with pee and how often do you change the whole thing to ensure tort doesn't get sick and enclosure doesn't stink.
Also do you all think I need to find a new vet?? I have read from other people that vets told them to use paper towels or repti carpet so it seems like its not just mine. But do you have vets that don't suggest that? I want to be able to trust her vet and this has me wondering.
Thank you in advance!
I also took her to vet for check up just to make sure everything was ok because her poop was little runny and my vet said that I should only use unbleached paper towels for her substrate!!! I was so shocked. She said otherwise bacteria will grow in her enclosure and cause her to get sick. I don't really like this idea as I do want to provide her with something more natural. Vet said they are not in their natural environment so as long as I provide her little area to burrow with some substrate and hay I can have paper towels in the rest of the enclosure. I am not an expert at caring for tort just yet but I plan to continue to use Orchid Bark but just need some advice on how you all deal with pee and how often do you change the whole thing to ensure tort doesn't get sick and enclosure doesn't stink.
Also do you all think I need to find a new vet?? I have read from other people that vets told them to use paper towels or repti carpet so it seems like its not just mine. But do you have vets that don't suggest that? I want to be able to trust her vet and this has me wondering.
Thank you in advance!