Good Laxative?

[Seiryu]

Just curious. Thor doesn't have any issues at the current. But what's a good food item if he happens to be constipated?

I think I read Pumpkin, but anything else? Is it something I can feed a small amount weekly, to make sure things are going through correctly?

 

[Yvonne G]

Aloe vera plant, fruit, a good long, warm soak, a car ride on a bumpy road.

Yvonne

 

[Nay]

I am not being funny,but how do you know if they are constipated? I know dogs and cats will strain, will torts? I have my three outside and frankly with all the plantings etc, I would have no idea.I clean the pen when the frost kills everything. Oh boy, now I will get the poor husbandry posts right? Honest I don't even see poops.
thanks
na

 

[Isa]

Hermy was constipated once, and poor Hermy, he was forcing like crazy, he was pushing his little head in his shell and nothing was coming out. I gave him a bit of butternut squash and everything came out the next morning

 

[tortoisenerd]

Yes, torts will strain, or they won't have any signs at all besides not pooping (sometimes they won't want to eat when it gets bad, similar to humans). Best to feed a varied diet and it's usually not an issue. The lettuces we feed tend to cause the opposite effect on the torts. The fiber can both help or hurt depending on a lot of variables. One of the times I saw Trevor straining it was so sad. Man he can get his head back in his shell quick though!

The small bit of pure pumpkin or butternut squash weekly or less is good. You can freeze it. Mini ice cube trays are cool. THe pumpkin comes in cans. Butternut squash is a little trickier to find mashed. I found it at Whole Foods, but I usually buy the organic baby food where it's just squash and water. Makes the tort pee pee! It's a pain to buy fresh and cook it and get it tort sized, although I did just figure out my hatchling can handle raw zucchini if it's cut small enough!

Another food laxative is scaring them. I don't recommend it though! Not very nice. Last time my tort was at the vet he pooped three times. Poor little buddy.

Funny story about the head ramming back into the shell: My fiance was holding Trevor this morning giving him a once over before breakfast after retrieving him out of his burrow at noon (this is one lazy little tort). Trevor was sitting back a little in his hand, although on his feet right side up, but his legs were tucked in. Trevor got scared by a quick movement and tucked his head in. Since his legs couldn't go back when his head came in, he peed all over my fiance!