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My 6 yr old sully has white around her eyes. We live in Phoenix which is a very dry climate. But we didn't want to miss something by pushing it off on our climate. 
Do I need to be concerned??
- Thread starter KatieandKyle
- Start date
We've had really dry weather lately. (Everything here makes its way to you in two or three days...) My torts have had the same thing. I run the sprinklers on them more and soak a couple of times a week when its hot, dry and windy like this. I also make sure their waters are all topped off a couple of times a day. Some of my waters get afternoon sun for a few hours and they get pretty hot. I find if I dump, rinse and refill them, the torts are more likely to come drink.
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@Tom thank you for responding so quickly. Great suggestions, we will adjust the water as well. We are in process of building a wading pool for her with its own drip system. Hopefully that will help as well. She has grown out of everything so quickly!
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
It's normal for dry weather like your's. Make sure she can get wet during the day. My Sulcata has the opposite
situation, it's why they are called (the crying tortoise)
situation, it's why they are called (the crying tortoise)
Maggie, I think our tortoises are doing the same thing as yours, only due to the heat wind and dryness here the tears dry up and leave the white mineral deposits.
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She is a funny girl, she does not choose to get in the water on a regular basis so we got worried and bought a baby pool to soak her in. Are we crazy forcing her to soak? We sit with her and wash her down but when we get her out she runs and hides!
You are NOT crazy. In a dry climate with little rain, soaks are an easy way to help maintain good hydration and health.
Remember that sulcatas do not live the way they do here in captivity when they are in the wild. In the wild they seldom come above ground at all. In our yards they walk around all day in the dry air. Soaking is cheap insurance and a good way to compensate for the "un-naturalness" of our captive enclosures.
Go ask a local vet to see all the bladder and kidney stones that they have removed from tortoises in climates like ours that were not soaked.
I was saddened and amused at the same time at a recent CTTC show when there was a CDT booth showing off baseball sized bladder stones that had been removed from their tortoises while promoting the very same DRY "natural" methods that CREATED the stones in the first place. Meanwhile, they were glaring at Heather's booth next to theirs while she explained how actually letting your tortoise have a drink of water and some humidity is really not a bad thing...
Remember that sulcatas do not live the way they do here in captivity when they are in the wild. In the wild they seldom come above ground at all. In our yards they walk around all day in the dry air. Soaking is cheap insurance and a good way to compensate for the "un-naturalness" of our captive enclosures.
Go ask a local vet to see all the bladder and kidney stones that they have removed from tortoises in climates like ours that were not soaked.
I was saddened and amused at the same time at a recent CTTC show when there was a CDT booth showing off baseball sized bladder stones that had been removed from their tortoises while promoting the very same DRY "natural" methods that CREATED the stones in the first place. Meanwhile, they were glaring at Heather's booth next to theirs while she explained how actually letting your tortoise have a drink of water and some humidity is really not a bad thing...
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How do I detect kidney stones? Are there symptoms I can watch for? I ask because we have had our girl since she was a year old here in Phoenix but are just now getting to where we feel like we are becoming appropriately educated on how to care for our torts. Now we can only try and correct our mistakes. We certainly appreciate everyone's help and advice, we are slowly but surely making changes!
Do you believe that one floor is better than another in her enclosure? We tried leaving it dirt with no luck. She chooses to be under a large bush with rock so we put the same rock in! With no luck!! Are we not putting in the correct materials?
Do you believe that one floor is better than another in her enclosure? We tried leaving it dirt with no luck. She chooses to be under a large bush with rock so we put the same rock in! With no luck!! Are we not putting in the correct materials?
You need an X-ray for kidney stone detection. If all is well, I would not worry about it. At all.
When you say enclosure, do you mean her heated night box outside? Post a pic for me.
If yes, then many of them just take time to learn to go in and out of their houses. They have to be "trained". Maybe a better way to describe it is "patterned". You need to catch her in the evening before she parks under her bush next to her rock and put her halfway into the door of her night box. Each evening back up a little farther, but make sure you catch her before she parks.
Also check the temps in the box and make sure they are suitable. How is the box heated? What size is it?
When you say enclosure, do you mean her heated night box outside? Post a pic for me.
If yes, then many of them just take time to learn to go in and out of their houses. They have to be "trained". Maybe a better way to describe it is "patterned". You need to catch her in the evening before she parks under her bush next to her rock and put her halfway into the door of her night box. Each evening back up a little farther, but make sure you catch her before she parks.
Also check the temps in the box and make sure they are suitable. How is the box heated? What size is it?
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Yes, I mean her house. She has the run of the yard. We don't have any need to fence her in. Her house currently is 7'x5' and 3' tall. It's a solid block enclosure with a 28in opening in the corner of one side. 3/4 in plywood that we are putting shingles on. Our debate was whether or not to increase the height. We only use heat for maybe 6-8 weeks during our "so-called" winters. Currently we are over 100 degrees! When we do put heat in its done with lamps. However, this is a new house. Much larger than her other.
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