My Hermann's tortoise, Elsa, is about 12 years old. She's healthy, active and beautiful, and I got a little complacent. When she's in her outdoor enclosure (about 9 months of the year) I don't often soak her because here in south Louisiana it's humid and rains a LOT. But I do not allow her to brumate in the winter. She has an indoor enclosure and when I'm on my game, I soak her every other day when she's inside. I also add cucumber to her diet in the winter solely for their water content.
But I got slack about soaking her- I skipped a day or so, then skipped some more etc. Her urine was always clear, so I figured she was fine.
For Thanksgiving, she got a big feast of Mazuri and opuntia, and had a MASSIVE poop WHICH INCLUDED A LARGE LUMP OF URATES!!!
I was shocked! It wasn't super hard yet, but definitely very gritty and holding together well enough to maintain a pyramid sort of shape as she passed it. That couldn't have felt good.
One of the things I was taught very early on is to LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES with the intention of them never happening again.
SO, the lessons I learned from this are:
1) Soak Elsa regularly, and MORE often when she's indoors for the winter (just like I used to!)
2) Just because urine is CLEAR does NOT guarantee that there's not a urate stone forming: water and urine will flow AROUND solid stones!!!
3) There have been a lot of distractions in this crazy year, but when I stop and think about it, a lot of things in my immediate life and space have stayed the same.
4) Pay attention to the things I care most about.
5) Forgive myself...again. ?♀️
But I got slack about soaking her- I skipped a day or so, then skipped some more etc. Her urine was always clear, so I figured she was fine.
For Thanksgiving, she got a big feast of Mazuri and opuntia, and had a MASSIVE poop WHICH INCLUDED A LARGE LUMP OF URATES!!!
I was shocked! It wasn't super hard yet, but definitely very gritty and holding together well enough to maintain a pyramid sort of shape as she passed it. That couldn't have felt good.
One of the things I was taught very early on is to LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES with the intention of them never happening again.
SO, the lessons I learned from this are:
1) Soak Elsa regularly, and MORE often when she's indoors for the winter (just like I used to!)
2) Just because urine is CLEAR does NOT guarantee that there's not a urate stone forming: water and urine will flow AROUND solid stones!!!
3) There have been a lot of distractions in this crazy year, but when I stop and think about it, a lot of things in my immediate life and space have stayed the same.
4) Pay attention to the things I care most about.
5) Forgive myself...again. ?♀️
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