Gotta poop?

[movealongmosey]

I don't know if it's natural for all tortoises to do this, or if it's just my redfoot...but Mosey my redfoot does not like to go #2 in his cage. So he holds it until i bring him out which isn't a problem for me. What is a problem is he becomes constipated, so i've been feeding him fiber 1 bars, only a little bit at a time. Is granola or peanut butter bad for tortoises? He LOVES those bars, is it alright if i keep feeding them to him or should i mix up some fiber supplement with his food?

just curious

Katie

 

[tortoisenerd]

Grains are bad for a tortoise, so are sugar. You should not feed him human food. Yes, granola and peanut butter are VERY bad for tortoises. Giving a tortoise a warm soak usually prompts them to go, but I wouldn't be surprised if you just don't give him the chance. What is the longest he has gone without? You can even place the redfoot in the water dish in his enclosure to encourage him to soak. Mazuri Tortoise Diet is a good healthy high fiber food. What are you usually feeding? A redfoot's natural diet is very high fiber--greens, veggies, fruits, etc, are all good. So, I'm curious what you feed and how long of not going to think constipation is (it can be normal for a tort to go up to 3 days, especially if it is eating less around that time, as their appetite does vary day to day). How long have you had your tort?

 

[movealongmosey]

I usually soak him everyday which has helped a ton, but about a month ago he had gone at least a week without going. I was so worried i started giving him the fiber bars. I usually feed him a mix of legumes and nature zone tortoise bites (I haven't used it before), and i give him an escarole heart leaf everyday. My worries are relieved because i wasn't sure how long was normal, so thank you very much! I've had my tort for about 10 months so i'm kinda new, but i want to know as much as possible so he can live comfortably.

Thank you!
katie

 

[stells]

Redfoots semm to be the worst for eating their poop... so it could be a case that he is going in the enclosure and eating it before you see it... squash and Aloe vera are good for making a tortoise go...

 

[tortoisenerd]

I would not feed any legumes or that food you mentioned. If you must use commercial food for part of the diet, the Mazuri or Grassland types are much more natural. Focus on a natural diet such as your tort would find in the wild--greens/weeds/dark leafy lettuces, veggies, fruit, and a healthy high protein source once a week or so. Take a look at the diet plan at www.redfoots.com for a start. What you describe sounds very unhealthy for him and is harmful. You need a lot of healthy variety. You should be feeding him 10-20+ different food items over the course of a few months. Feeding the same thing every day is not good, nor is feeding human foods.

The dark green parts of the lettuces are best--not the inner yellow/white bits. Try organic spring mix (no spinach), some fruits like strawberries and mangoes, etc. The spring mix is great because it provides 5+ healthy lettuces in one package, and your family can eat any of the leftovers. Buy fruits on the list on Terry's website that your family will eat too. Especially if a tort isn't eating much and is eating improper foods, you can see some constipation. Also, sometimes (actually-often!) torts eat their poop or is it buried or hidden in substrate. I would not worry about the suspected constipation due to the likelihood he is eating it, and that you have seen some poop (he isn't impacted if you see some once in awhile), and instead focus on getting him on a healthy diet such as at www.redfoots.com. You need to fix this now as it is harming Mosey. I'm glad you posted this question. Good luck!