Need Help!!! (poop stuck on foot)

Michael hillman

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Mar 10, 2017
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My baby sulcata tortoise has managed to step in poop. This has now dried and become crusted and stuck to its rear right foot. I soak it in water every day and nothing is helping. When I try to remove it by hand the turtle pulls the foot inside his shell. I don't want to hurt the turtle. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 

Souptugo

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I think you could try to soak your little guy in shallow warm water. Use a bowl or container that the tortoise can't see out of. If it soaks in there for 15 minutes or so you should dissolve the poop off. I'm sure it'll be ok if you don't get it all off.
 

Tom

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Soak him for 30 or 40 minutes and make sure the water stays warm for the entire time. Then you can use a soft bristle toothbrush to gently wipe at the foot. You can also try to use one of those handheld pump water sprayers in squirt some water in there after you lose it up in the soak.

If neither of those work, don't worry about it. The poo will wear off in time and it won't hurt anything.
 

GingerLove

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It's just like a tortoise to step in it's own poop and get it stuck on it's foot. :p I'm glad you were able to get so much of it off. I would also try the bristle brush to get any more of it off. Even when he sucks his foot in, you can still see a enough of the foot to get it off.
 

Mortis_thetortoise

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when you soak him/her daily i feel you should be soaking them long enough for any kind of dirt , poop or anything to be cleaned off
sometimes canoli will poop in her hide then wake up with a big clump stuck to her plastron, a few mins soaking and it comes right off (i use a floss stick for large chunks and a soft toothbrush to clean the rest) i make sure she always looks brand new and squeaky clean after every soak
 
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