Hello - I am new to this forum. We have had a sulcata tortoise for about 5 years now. We live in southern New Mexico. We have a greenhouse set up for her to live in during the cold winters with a "pig" pad that plugs in to keep her warm and heat lights. There is a ramp so she can come and go into our yard as she pleases. We are having a problem right now in that she is secreting white urine and dry, white poop. She has had some regular looking poop, too, but quite a bit of the white stuff. She has a yard of grass to eat, and we also feed her kale, sweet potatoes and pumpkin with some sort of supplemental powder I got from an online tortoise food site (sorry I can't remember what it is at the moment). Are we overfeeding her. There are several shallow bowls of water around the yard at her disposal to drink. Any suggestions are welcome! Thank you....
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- Thread starter L Dodds
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Alaskamike
Well-Known Member
The white in urine is common and not a problem.
The white poop would concern me. It is most probably Urates. Which the tortoise stores to conserve water.
I would suggest going easy on the Kale. They love it ,,but it's a bit high in oxalates which can inhibit the absorption of calcium.
Other things like pumpkin , squash etc should be occasional.
Main diet should be grass & weeds & it sounds like you have lots of that. I have a kiddie pool I got at a dollar store for $8. I soak my 36 lb silly in it several times a week. Somtimes he drinks , somtimes not , but at least he has the opportunity. I also keep a big tray ( that is for under a water heater " full all the time in his yard.
I would look on container of the white supplement you have is it calcium powder ? That should just be sprinkled a couple times a week.
At 5 to she might be ready to introduce some orchard grass. I get it at a farm store. My silly Sully eats it.
I don't think you have anything to worry about. It probably is urates she's passing
But if it's hard , or overly grainy. She may still be dehydrated , even though you have water dishes.
It is hot here , but it's the rainy season. I still run a sprinkler to cool off my pens once a day.
You might try a sprinkler running a bit in the dry Southwest.
Good fortune to you
The white poop would concern me. It is most probably Urates. Which the tortoise stores to conserve water.
I would suggest going easy on the Kale. They love it ,,but it's a bit high in oxalates which can inhibit the absorption of calcium.
Other things like pumpkin , squash etc should be occasional.
Main diet should be grass & weeds & it sounds like you have lots of that. I have a kiddie pool I got at a dollar store for $8. I soak my 36 lb silly in it several times a week. Somtimes he drinks , somtimes not , but at least he has the opportunity. I also keep a big tray ( that is for under a water heater " full all the time in his yard.
I would look on container of the white supplement you have is it calcium powder ? That should just be sprinkled a couple times a week.
At 5 to she might be ready to introduce some orchard grass. I get it at a farm store. My silly Sully eats it.
I don't think you have anything to worry about. It probably is urates she's passing
But if it's hard , or overly grainy. She may still be dehydrated , even though you have water dishes.
It is hot here , but it's the rainy season. I still run a sprinkler to cool off my pens once a day.
You might try a sprinkler running a bit in the dry Southwest.
Good fortune to you
Welcome to the Forum.
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
Your tortoise's urates (the white stuff) should be creamy, not hard and dry. Hard urates indicates the tortoise is becoming dehydrated. If he's not drinking enough on his own, you'll need to force soak him daily for a while, about 2 weeks, for about 15 or 20 minutes each time.
Your tortoise's urates (the white stuff) should be creamy, not hard and dry. Hard urates indicates the tortoise is becoming dehydrated. If he's not drinking enough on his own, you'll need to force soak him daily for a while, about 2 weeks, for about 15 or 20 minutes each time.
Hello there, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
I agree with the above and ensuring the consumption of water.
Smooth urates like a toothpaste consistency is nothing to worry about , but griity stuff needs attention.
I agree with the above and ensuring the consumption of water.
Smooth urates like a toothpaste consistency is nothing to worry about , but griity stuff needs attention.
Speedy-1
Well-Known Member
Hi and welcome ! 
You need to be soaking your tortoise. In you case since you might already have a problem, I would soak 4-5 times a week for a couple of weeks. Then cut back to twice a week.
What sort of water sources are you leaving out and does the tortoise use them?
Here are some diet suggestions:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
What sort of water sources are you leaving out and does the tortoise use them?
Here are some diet suggestions:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
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Hello
It's nice to have a nother member that knows 1955 isn't a tire size
It's nice to have a nother member that knows 1955 isn't a tire size
Welcome to TFO!!
