Diarrhea

[GingerLove]

Hello friends!
It's been a while since I've posted or been on the forum at all, but something just came up that has never happened to Ginger in all the five years I have owned her.

Ginger had diarrhea when I was soaking her today. She has been extra active and extra hungry. Her eyes are bright and everything looks great on the outside. However, last week, I did find a some strange larvae thing in her tank. It was white with a brown tip and appeared worm like. It did not look like any of the worms I researched and I haven't noticed any worms in her normal stool though I know that some may be microscopic.

Nothing has changed in her routine, she has access to water and gets fed daily. Her substrate is coconut coir and she has a heat lamp. She plays outside in the grass occasionally.

Any ideas on what could have caused the diarrhea? I'm afraid it might be worms but she has no other symptoms than diarrhea.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'd wait 48 hours and see if it goes away.
It's probably something that she ate.
How large were the worms?
They sound like maggots. Some type of flies.

 

[GingerLove]

I'd wait 48 hours and see if it goes away.
It's probably something that she ate.
How large were the worms?
They sound like maggots. Some type of flies.

Maybe a centimeter... It looked like it could be some sort of fly larvae or something from an old piece of veggies. She ate a lot of grass the other day and it may have upset her tummy... Or she got a hold of an old piece of food I missed when cleaning the tank. I changed all the substrate just in case. Good to hear from you, haven't been on here in a while! I will watch for her next stool.

 

[Blackdog1714]

What are you feeding her?

 

[GingerLove]

Collards, Kale, Cucumber, Zucchini, Squash, broccoli. It changes every week but those are the core foods that I usually give her.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Maybe a centimeter... It looked like it could be some sort of fly larvae or something from an old piece of veggies. She ate a lot of grass the other day and it may have upset her tummy... Or she got a hold of an old piece of food I missed when cleaning the tank. I changed all the substrate just in case. Good to hear from you, haven't been on here in a while! I will watch for her next stool.

Yes.
I've missed seeing you around.
I hope you are well.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Collards, Kale, Cucumber, Zucchini, Squash, broccoli. It changes every week but those are the core foods that I usually give her.

Cucumber is indeed a laxative

 

[GingerLove]

Yes.
I've missed seeing you around.
I hope you are well.

I am! I've been busy trying to become a certified vet tech! How are you?

 

[GingerLove]

Cucumber is indeed a laxative

Think I should hold off on the cucumber for now?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I am! I've been busy trying to become a certified vet tech! How are you?

Good.
I retired early and I now spend my days slowly going insane.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Think I should hold off on the cucumber for now?

Yes.
Until the stool stiffens up

 

[GingerLove]

Yes.
Until the stool stiffen up

Will do

 

[Tom]

Collards, Kale, Cucumber, Zucchini, Squash, broccoli. It changes every week but those are the core foods that I usually give her.

None of these are good staple foods. Any of them can be used once in a while for some variety, but none should be fed regularly.

What species is your tortoise? It needs much more fiber, and better foods than that. Broadleaf weeds, leaves, flowers, and grass for some species.

If you must use grocery store foods, they need to be amended in one of many ways. You need to add something like soak ZooMed pellets, soaked grass hay pellets for horses, Mazuri, herbal hay from tortoise supply, or one of the many dried leaf offerings from Will at Kapidolo farms. From the grocery store, you should favor endive and escarole are your main staples, and these are the most "weed" like. Dandelion greens, arugula, and cilantro are good to add in to the rotation as well. Collards and kale are okay as part of a mix once in a while, but not daily. All the squashes, likewise are oaky for some variety once or twice a week as a mix-in, but shouldn't be a main part of the diet. I would use broccoli seldom or never.

For some peace of mind, take a stool sample to the vet to check for parasitic worms. I wouldn't take the tortoise, and if they insist on seeing the animal, I would refuse any "vitamin injections" or calcium injections that will probably be recommended.

 

[GingerLove]

None of these are good staple foods. Any of them can be used once in a while for some variety, but none should be fed regularly.

What species is your tortoise? It needs much more fiber, and better foods than that. Broadleaf weeds, leaves, flowers, and grass for some species.

If you must use grocery store foods, they need to be amended in one of many ways. You need to add something like soak ZooMed pellets, soaked grass hay pellets for horses, Mazuri, herbal hay from tortoise supply, or one of the many dried leaf offerings from Will at Kapidolo farms. From the grocery store, you should favor endive and escarole are your main staples, and these are the most "weed" like. Dandelion greens, arugula, and cilantro are good to add in to the rotation as well. Collards and kale are okay as part of a mix once in a while, but not daily. All the squashes, likewise are oaky for some variety once or twice a week as a mix-in, but shouldn't be a main part of the diet. I would use broccoli seldom or never.

For some peace of mind, take a stool sample to the vet to check for parasitic worms. I wouldn't take the tortoise, and if they insist on seeing the animal, I would refuse any "vitamin injections" or calcium injections that will probably be recommended.

Thank you for the advice! She is a Russian tortoise. I actually volunteer at a vets so I will probably try to do the stool sample suggestion. Thanks!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Any improvement?

 

[GingerLove]

Any improvement?

Thanks for checking in! She hasn't pooped yet that I can find, but I'll probably soak her again! How often does your tortoise poop?