Eating Rocks

cmacusa3

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So tonight one of my leopards passed a rock. Definitely a Rock no type of intestinal stone. I think this should serve as a warning to those using decorative stones that they will eat rocks. I'm not sure where or how she got a hold of it but thank goodness she passed it. I can't believe she was able to swallow it.

I took it out and crushed it up with a sledge just to make sure it was a rock

IMG_0297.PNG IMG_1156.JPG
 

mtdavis254817

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Yvonne told me that it wss because the tortoise is craving s mineral thst it is lacking. Miner-all mskes a supplement that covers all minerals and vitamins it needs. I used it to get my aldabra to stop eating rocks and it worked
 

ZEROPILOT

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My Redfoot still find rocks in their pen...Even though I have removed them over and over and provide lots of cuttlebone.
I frankly don't know how they keep finding more. Here the rocks are mostly chunks of coral since this was recently a swamp and previously the Atlantic ocean.
 

cmacusa3

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Mine are feed calcium powder, they have cuttlefish always. A varied diet of mixed greens, weeds and grass. She is just over 2 and is almost 7 pounds, very healthy. A lot of animals eats rocks, I've been reading they do this to help clean the intestinal track and to help grind up food.
 

Tom

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Mine are feed calcium powder, they have cuttlefish always. A varied diet of mixed greens, weeds and grass. She is just over 2 and is almost 7 pounds, very healthy. A lot of animals eats rocks, I've been reading they do this to help clean the intestinal track and to help grind up food.
Gastroliths.
 

Yvonne G

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That is a pretty big rock! I had a YF whose xray showed a whole bunch of little rocks in the intestine. I couldn't imagine where the tortoise got them. It looked like aquarium gravel. She was kept outside and it was just run of the mill dirt from the ages. So I got down on my hands and knees and actually looked at her dirt in the yard and yes, there were lots of little rocks in the dirt.
 

cmacusa3

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That is a pretty big rock! I had a YF whose xray showed a whole bunch of little rocks in the intestine. I couldn't imagine where the tortoise got them. It looked like aquarium gravel. She was kept outside and it was just run of the mill dirt from the ages. So I got down on my hands and knees and actually looked at her dirt in the yard and yes, there were lots of little rocks in the dirt.

I had noticed she hadn't pooped for a few days but was still eating like a machine so I didn't think much of it. I picked her up from the tub to move her back to the enclosure and as I'm doing this I hear a ding hit the tub. I could see part of the rock covered in poop so I got some cloves and washed it .Then the poop gates opened right up after she passed the rock.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Dudes and Dudettes, gut transit is facilitated by long fiber, in the absence of long fiber seedy things or rocks are consumed. Do those fecals you observe have visible undigested lignified bits of leaves and grasses?

Especially important to consider if there is indeed plenty of calcium available.

And tortoises do do random dumb things like eating non food items.
 

cmacusa3

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Dudes and Dudettes, gut transit is facilitated by long fiber, in the absence of long fiber seedy things or rocks are consumed. Do those fecals you observe have visible undigested lignified bits of leaves and grasses?

Especially important to consider if there is indeed plenty of calcium available.

And tortoises do do random dumb things like eating non food items.
This particular leopard always has good digested fecals. I think she just did something dumb.
Now I do have one that I rescued, that on several occasions has undigested fecal. She was really small for her age. She is at least 2x maybe 3 and when I got her just over a month ago she was 490 grams and today was 710. Thinking she was lacking a lot before I took her in.
 

Tom

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Torts are pretty dumb sometimes, I guess this happens quite a lot.

Oh no Adam… Haven't you heard? They've existed without human help for millions of years and they know what is best for them and will always choose wisely when given the choice. :p
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Oh no Adam… Haven't you heard? They've existed without human help for millions of years and they know what is best for them and will always choose wisely when given the choice. :p
Silly me, Tom, I know they will choose healthy greens over strawberries every time 'cos that's in their nature.
Just like human kids. ;)
 
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