HELP! Piece of Styrofoam blew into tortoise enclosure

Shutterbug

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The extra soak will never hurt.

Start cutting the cucumber back ~ 1/4 inch a day. The romaine is fine.

I'm really doubting she swallowed anything larger than bite-sized, so by the time you get the cucumber eliminated, it should be fine to return to As Usual routines.

I'm guessing you've estimated about the *right* amount of the missing chunks?
Pretty darn close I think. Yesterday's poop was massive and had quite alot of chunks. I'm expecting a few pieces to show up over the next day or two before she is totally cleared out, but id really say we are pretty close to the total. 20210928_133547.jpg
 

Shutterbug

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I'd be adding more long fiber. That is what helps move things along in the gut for tortoises. A good bolus of fibery poop to move things along that the wet stuff can simply bypass.

Before eating the styrofoam, she ate all her greens mixed with orchard hay (won't eat it alone yet) and fine chopped slough grass. :)

The past few days, she's been avoiding eating the "healthy pile", though she obviously preferred the watery greens pile since the start. ?
I've been having to finely chop the hay again, and wetting both piles so it sticks. She's being quite fussy, but very eager when she sees me place her dishes in
 

ZenHerper

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Today's poops....NO STYROFOAM. Perhaps we are in the clear?!
Sounds like most of it is out.

Weirdly, stuff can stick to the digestive linings and stay up in the stomach, even, for a very long time.

Just get back to the regular feeds and keep an eye out for any signs of trouble eating, digesting, pooping.
 

ZenHerper

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With so much of the potentially obstructive bulk out, a stray piece or two won't be a problem with a natural diet.

It would be rare to have a problem at this point, but conscious observation of his digestive health won't hurt.

You can safely withdraw the wet stuff (or keep backing down gradually if he resists lol).
 

Shutterbug

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So far. I've just had to give less hay/chop it up very fine and wetting it down so the hay sticks to the foods...but she is getting some. She is definitely searching for the big pile of "candy" though lol. It shouldn't take long since she was eating it pretty well before.
 

Shutterbug

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Just thought I would give a final update on this whole poop situation. She's been having large healthy, still slightly wet poops daily. No more signs of styrofoam, though i will still check her poops for a while yet.

Appetite is good. She's very disappointed she's not getting cucumber and romaine daily, but she's already being less fussy and eating her greens with her chopped hay/grass. Gradually working up to the bigger pieces, and more of it.

I am still giving her one 1 hour long soaks. Partly so I can check each bowel movement, but also because she LOVES her soaks. Might just continue giving her the longer soaks daily.
 

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