- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
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- 9
I have a baby marginated tortoise, i've been taking care for about 6-7 months. And just recently he hasn't been pooping or i havent seen any. idk if his diet or im not soaking him enough so what do i do?
tortadise said:Hello,
With marginated try sticking with a more grass, broad leaf green, and weed diet. Solid romaine is not very beneficial. A good variety is best with all species of tortoises. But for certain marginata need a good percentage of grass. What is your enclosure like? Temps, humidity, UVB lighting as well. Tortoises gut tends to take a while to process and excrete digested matter. So few days is normal. But better food in his diet regime should be taken into account. Any way you can get the guy outside would also be a very good idea. Just make sure its predator proof and not in direct sunlight.
JoesMum said:If your tort is not eating, it is vital that you soak it to ensure that it does not get dehydrated.
Soaking, in my experience, is more successful when done first thing in the morning before your tort has warmed up properly. Do it for 30 minutes in warm, not hot, water in a bowl he can't see out of. Experiment with the water temperature until you find the temperature that your tort finds most relaxing.
Like humans, torts will only poop if they eat enough fiber ... Romaine doesn't provide much fiber. You need to get more weeds in his diet to improve it. Variety helps with a healthy diet too. Buy one type of green from the grocery store and when it's finished, buy something different.
JoesMum said:Firstly, your tort may well be eating it's poop. It sounds disgusting, but it's entirely normal! It can also be hard to find poop in the substrate, so the chances are that there is nothing wrong.
Diet needs to be mostly leafy greens. Feed a variety so that he gets plenty of change. Weeds from your yard like dandelion and clover will provide fiber for healthy poop... lettuce of any type doesn't have much fiber. When you buy greens, buy a different thing each time. That way youor tort will get variety over time. Spring mix provides good variety too.
JoesMum said:Sorry, I am in the UK... so had to leave this thread and go to bed!
Your tort isn't eating, so...
1. Check the temperatures accurately and report back: warm side, cool side, directly under basking lamp and overnight minimum
2. Soak him twice daily for 30 minutes in warm water; the first soak shoukd be in the morning before he has warmed up. Add carrot puree babyfood to the soak water for the next few days
3. Offer proper food straight after the soak. Try spring mix, dandelions, clover... and the flowerrs of dandelion and clover if you have them.