Constipated? What can I Do?

[David Ablett]

I have a 1 and a half year old marginated, which i have had for about a year now. Recently I've noticed she hasn't popped in a while! I bath her daily and usually she goes in the water. I watched her this evening and she seemed to look as if she was struggle? Her diet consists of mixed lettuce leaves mainly and occasionally carrot, rocket, parsnip, cress and a grow your own weed tray. I give her some strawberry every now and again also.

Since we had her, we've always had bark as a substrate. We have since changed now to top soil, limestone and sand (premixed).

Her enclosure is a tortoise table, with a 10% uvb tube with reflector covering the whole enclosure, and a basking lamp at one end with a temperature of around 32 degrees. There are shaded areas and a few decorations for her so she doesn't get bored.

Im concerned that she may have a blockage that is stopping her from digesting. She has also recently reduced the amount she is eating. Is there anything I can do to help or should i take her straight to the vet? This is my first tortoise so I want to make sure I'm doing all i can!

Thanks

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Do not use sand, it causes impactions. All the things you listed that you feed, mix them in more often with the lettuces. A wide variety of a diet should be fed. Be sure the basking temps are correct, 95-100 as they can not digest their food properly if they can't warm up high enough.
When you soak her in warm water, do it in a big container, like a bath tub so,she has lots of room to move around. The movement will help get things moving and hopefully she will poop. Do this daily and let her be in the soak at least a half hour, even more, but keep the water warm.

 

[David Ablett]

Thanks for your reply! All taken on board and I'll bath her a bit longer tomorrow and see if it helps!

 

[Lyn W]

When my leopard is constipated I use some cucumber which I grate to a mush and feed that on some leaves.
- it seems to work quicker that way. I also use some aloe.

 

[David Ablett]

Tried a longer soak for 60 mins a few bubbles but no poop trip to the vets today !

 

[Lyn W]

Tried a longer soak for 60 mins a few bubbles but no poop trip to the vets today !

Lola is averaging one poop every 6 days at the mo.
Have you tried the cucumber or aloe?
Hope it's just something the diet can put right.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi David, and welcome to the Forum!

Sometimes putting the tortoise into a bigger soaking area helps. Giving them more space to scramble around trying to get out seems to loosen up the blockage. And you can leave him in the soak for quite a while - like an hour or more. Position a light over one side of the soaking tub and just leave him in there. Check frequently to make sure he's ok.

 

[mtdavis254817]

Also pumpkin and cactus work. You can also mix a little mineral oil on their food to help grease them up. There was a time when my aldabra was very constipated I used a syringe and squirted mineral oil in her opening to get her to pass a BM. Like Yvonne also said make the soak deep enough to where he will have to stay on his toes to stay above the water and let him struggle and squirm to get out for a good amount of time.

 

[Tom]

Car rides will frequently break things loose too.

Orchid bark is an ideal substrate. Why did you switch?

It is common for tortoises that are fed mostly grocery store lettuces to eat their substrate and sometimes rocks too. Your tortoise may be suffering from a mineral deficiency, not necessarily calcium, or it may just need more fiber. I diet of more plants, weeds and succulents, as well a a "mineral" supplement", not a calcium supplement, might also help in the future.

I'm going to fathom a guess that you are using that "Pets At Home" substrate with the limestone bits mixed in? For years I have been telling all our UK members that encouraging a tortoise to eat its substrate to meets its calcium needs and cravings is a BAD idea. That substrate should be taken right off the market, but instead it seems they just can't sell enough of it. I have no way of counting, but I am sure that many tortoises lives have been lost because of that substrate.

A trip to the vet and an X-ray will confirm or deny whether you are dealing with a blockage. Take a small plastic baggie with some of your substrate in it to the vet with you. Have them place the baggie on the radio film next to the tortoise during the x-ray. Then look to see if the contents of the baggie resemble the blockage in your tortoises intestines in the radiograph. It would be most excellent if you could snap a pic of the x-ray and post it here on the Forum so that other Forum members could learn from your experience.

 

[David Ablett]

Unfortunately couldn't get an appointment today, but I've since fed iggy some cucumber and aloe! Bathed her this evening and she has passed some white urate which seems fine! And I've found a small piece of poop! So I'm happy that there isn't a blockage! I changed the substrate because a lot of people gave me different opinions - I originally put bark in , think I'll switch back very quickly!! I'll see how much she eats tomorrow and go from there!

 

[David Ablett]

I'm currently growing a few weed trays and I sprinkle nutrobal on 3 times a week?is that advisable?

If I siv out the limestone will it be more suitable? If not I will change it! What is the best substrate for a young tortoise? Thanks for the help

 

[David Ablett]

Here's iggy

 

[Tom]

I'm currently growing a few weed trays and I sprinkle nutrobal on 3 times a week?is that advisable?

If I siv out the limestone will it be more suitable? If not I will change it! What is the best substrate for a young tortoise? Thanks for the help

We don't have Nutrobal over here, so I have no experience with it. What is it? Vitamin supplement? Your tortoise needs a high fiber diet and a proper balance of minerals. If Nutrobalance helps in either regard, then it should be fine.

We have a product over here called Grassland Tortoise Food, made by ZooMed. It is basically blended grass hay. We soak a pellet or two and mix it in with the greens to add some fiber to grocery store greens. That might work for you.

I would just chuck the Pets At Home substrate. I prefer coco coir for small Testudo and fine grade orchid bark for older Testudo.

 

[LRTortoises]

Yeah. Coco Coir here also for all my babies as it holds humidity so well. I also do a humid warm hide for them with sphangum moss inside on one side. They sleep in it every night.