Eating pee?

[Jessie]

Self explanatory but I wanted to see if this is normal or what? Shakespeare is currently in quarantine and is under strict rules of no substrate until a couple of days after his last dose of medication. So I have the green floor bed thing, it's like carpet, and he peed on it so I left the room to get something to clean it off, when I came back he was biting at it and already had some of it on his face. I wiped it off and cleaned up his mess. But why in the world would he try to eat his pee? He has plenty food and water. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Kerryann]

The vet told me when I took betty in that she will eat anything.

 

[Jessie]

Lol that's funny since I feel like I have the pickiest tortoise alive. Seriously he even picks through his food when I put water on it to stick together. And now he eats his pee? Crazy little guy I got. Ugh and so the battle continues...

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Probably hungry. Russian tortoises have a big appetite during the growing season, so that they will have enough fat reserves to last them through hibernation. They like to eat everyday for at least 20 minutes at a time, sometimes more. If you're not planning on letting them hibernate, you do need to be careful not to overfeed, since they could get fat. However, if you will let them hibernate, then I think it's a good idea to let them pig out, because they will tap into those fat reserves while hibernating.

In addition, tortoises need plenty of calcium to help make their shell strong. They often like to bite at white, chalky things like limestone, cuttle bone, and snail shells. With their excellent sense of smell, it's hard to believe he didn't realize that urate is not calcium. Nevertheless, he may have been tempted to nibble at it for minerals. Does your tortoise have something normal to gnaw on, like cuttle bone?

A final guess: that astroturf is rather alien to a tortoise, not only because it's dry and plastic, but also because it looks like grass. I realize you were advised to keep him off substrate, and that plastic doesn't smell like real plants. However, again he might have gotten confused and tried to eat something that seemed like real vegetation.

If I were in your shoes, I would basically just make sure he is well-hydrated and well-fed so that he is not tempted to eat his own waste.

BTW - Why should a tortoise be taken off substrate while being medicated? I have never heard of that, and am skeptical of the value of that advice. But perhaps there is a good reason for it. Was it your vet you gave you that advice, and why?

 

[Jessie]

Probably hungry. Russian tortoises have a big appetite during the growing season, so that they will have enough fat reserves to last them through hibernation. They like to eat everyday for at least 20 minutes at a time, sometimes more. If you're not planning on letting them hibernate, you do need to be careful not to overfeed, since they could get fat. However, if you will let them hibernate, then I think it's a good idea to let them pig out, because they will tap into those fat reserves while hibernating.

In addition, tortoises need plenty of calcium to help make their shell strong. They often like to bite at white, chalky things like limestone, cuttle bone, and snail shells. With their excellent sense of smell, it's hard to believe he didn't realize that urate is not calcium. Nevertheless, he may have been tempted to nibble at it for minerals. Does your tortoise have something normal to gnaw on, like cuttle bone?

A final guess: that astroturf is rather alien to a tortoise, not only because it's dry and plastic, but also because it looks like grass. I realize you were advised to keep him off substrate, and that plastic doesn't smell like real plants. However, again he might have gotten confused and tried to eat something that seemed like real vegetation.

If I were in your shoes, I would basically just make sure he is well-hydrated and well-fed so that he is not tempted to eat his own waste.

BTW - Why should a tortoise be taken off substrate while being medicated? I have never heard of that, and am skeptical of the value of that advice. But perhaps there is a good reason for it. Was it your vet you gave you that advice, and why?

Yes he does have a cuttlebone and I also put a calcium supplement on his veggies twice a week. Also he is usually kept on Cyprus mulch and the carpet thing has always been on the bottom and he has pulled it up before but never tried biting it. He gets a bath a day per the vets orders to keep him hydrated. He also told me no substrate so I can make sure he doesn't have any trace of poop around due to him having hook worms, I use a sanitation wipe to clean up after him asap. This is my first year with him so he won't be hibernating but he probably will be next year. He is on the mix of spring mix with mustard greens and kale added. He has enough food and he is definitely hydrated. Idk what's up with him. Maybe he's crazy? Idk?

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Animals sometimes eat their waste when they're bored, too. Maybe if he's feeling up to it, you could let him walk around your house a bit, as long as he doesn't get into trouble.

 

[Jessie]

Thank u I will definitely try that tomorrow.

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Hopefully he is just bored and not crazy.

 

[Kerryann]

My girl must be abnormal. My betty will bite stuffed animals, my dogs plastic toys that I leave out when she is roaming, the carpet, my hands, feet and hair. I have to watch that girl like a hawk. I had to hide my dogs nylabone because she was chomping on it and after i put it up on the hearth she walked back and forth trying to figure out how to get it back and looking at it for an hour. She likes the bacon flavor apparently because she doesn't bother the chicken flavored or beef flavored bones.

My rambling point is that maybe your tort got a wild hair up it's ***.