PLEASE HELP! TORTOISE BLEEDING

[tortuga007]

i just gave my red foot a bath and saw that she pooped a lot. after i cleaned her up, she started pooping again but her fecal matter looked runny and that there may have blood in it. I take very good care of her and don't know what is wrong. what should i do? does anyone know what is wrong with her? i just lost my job, so i don't have money to take her to the vets. but if i have to, does anyone know how much this will cost me? or is there somewhere else i can get her medicine???

 

[Meg90]

Please describe her diet, enclosure (lights, temps, UVB, substrate)--that will help. Without extra information, its hard to say what's wrong. Please post pictures as well--as many as you've got and think will be helpful.

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Call a herp vet and ask if you can speak to a doctor for free

 

[tortuga007]

i dont know the wat of the bulb, my boyfriend knows that and unfortunately is at work. it's usually between 70 and 90 degrees. she usually eats lots of greens (turnip, beet, collard or kale lettuce), some pumpkin, strawberries, mango and a occasional banana and a little tuna. i sprinkle calcium on her food. and she always has lots of water. she is in a tank, and i let her walk around a lot and she gets plenty of exercise and is very strong. she seems perfectly normal despite her stool. she is also very active today.

i added some pics... sorry they arent very good..... she is very active today like i said lol

 

[Meg90]

I think its her diet thats causing her to strain. Turnip, beet, collard and kale are all high in oxalates, and can build up into stones internally. She was probably straining to pass a stone.

Are you interested in following a caresheet? A member here keeps and breeds redfoots, and his are all healthy, and smooth. It details all the dietary needs on a day to day basis. If you want, I can link you.

She needs a stable temperature for both sides of her enclosure. She should have a hot side, around 90, and a cooler side around 70, though I know some redfoot keepers do maintain a stable temperature throughout the tank--I believe in the high 80's.

What is her substrate?

 

[tortuga007]

yes that would be great if you could send me that. will she be able to pass it ok? there really isn't anything for a substrate. i just got her about two months ago and i keep hearing different things of what to use. i heard sand is bad, i have heard moss is bad.... so on that i'm clueless.

 

[Yvonne G]

It might just be that she has worms (parasites). Read the care sheet that Meg refers you to. Your tortoise needs a better environment.

 

[Meg90]

The care sheet is at the bottom of the page, but I recommend reading the rest of it as well. The information will be useful.

http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm

Substrate wise, sphagnum moss, cypress mulch, or eco earth/bedabeast/plantation soil (its all a the same product, just dif names) or just regular, pesticide and fertilizer free top soil (the bag should say organic) are all good to use. You want something that you can keep moist. No sand. RFs are tropical torts.

Can you please post a picture of her setup as it is now? Also, where did you get her?

 

[Madkins007]

i just gave my red foot a bath and saw that she pooped a lot. after i cleaned her up, she started pooping again but her fecal matter looked runny and that there may have blood in it. I take very good care of her and don't know what is wrong. what should i do? does anyone know what is wrong with her? i just lost my job, so i don't have money to take her to the vets. but if i have to, does anyone know how much this will cost me? or is there somewhere else i can get her medicine???

What do you mean by 'there may have been blood in it'? Bright red blood-like material would be a fairly bad sign, but other things can be pretty harmless.

Tortoises often defecate when soaked, and if soaking or bathing stresses them (they fight or struggle to get out, etc.), it can cause them to defecate materials that they might not have otherwise passed quite yet.

A better description of the material, or even a photo, would be helpful.

---

i dont know the wat of the bulb, my boyfriend knows that and unfortunately is at work. it's usually between 70 and 90 degrees. she usually eats lots of greens (turnip, beet, collard or kale lettuce), some pumpkin, strawberries, mango and a occasional banana and a little tuna. i sprinkle calcium on her food. and she always has lots of water. she is in a tank, and i let her walk around a lot and she gets plenty of exercise and is very strong. she seems perfectly normal despite her stool. she is also very active today.

i added some pics... sorry they arent very good..... she is very active today like i said lol

Being active is a good sign, I'm happy for you!

While there are certainly things that could be improved, much of what you write is not all that bad in my opinion.

The temps are OK. We usually aim for an average temp of about 85F. A hot spot of about 90 is OK, as is a small cool area of about 70. Red-foots don't need as much variation as other species do, but some variation seems to be appreciated.

Diet is OK. I know some people will disagree, but Red-foots are hardy animals. Some oxalates are not a big deal as long as the tortoise is well-hydrated (feels heavy for its size, no sign of dehydration, etc.) and only the beet greens on your list are known to be somewhat high in them. (Beet greens have 0.61 units. Collards are 0.07, turnip is 0.05, kale is 0.02.) Others might comment that the kale is a known goiterogen, but that is not really a problem when it is part of a varied diet.

Too much sweet fruits, like berries, bananas, and mangos can cause runny stools. Personally, I've cut down on sweet fruits and substituted the few high calcium fruits and vegetables with seeds in them- papaya, cactus fruit, figs, an occasional naval orange, pineapple, squash, bell peppers (especially the red and orange ones). I also only feed fruits one or two times a week now.

Tuna is not really the best choice for a protein- it and eggs can cause runny, smelly feces. It isn't horrible, but you can also try earthworms, caterpillars, young mice or rats (like pinkies), cooked chicken, mackerel, low-fat brand name cat kibble, organ meat, etc. They really don't need a lot of meat- many experienced keepers offer little of any to theirs.

Overall, the only thing you wrote that bothers me much is "I let her walk around a lot". It is my opinion that housing should be big enough to provide all exercise, and tortoises should be moved around as little as possible. To much handling can cause stress, the average house floor is drafty and full of things the tortoise can try to eat, etc.

About the only time I think that moving them is worthwhile is to an outdoor area to sun, graze, and exercise- even if only for a few hours.

Give http://www.turtletary.com's ideas a look. If you want some more ideas, you can also try http://www.tortoisetrust.org and www.redfoottortoise.com, or just ask here!

Good luck, and I hope your tort is better.

---

yes that would be great if you could send me that. will she be able to pass it ok? there really isn't anything for a substrate. i just got her about two months ago and i keep hearing different things of what to use. i heard sand is bad, i have heard moss is bad.... so on that i'm clueless.

The options that work the best for most people are:
- Fluffed up, dampened, long-fibered sphagnum moss, like the Mosser Lee brand. You'll read more about this on turtletary's site
- Cypress mulch. This is a common option for people with older tortoises and/or bigger habitats. It is cheap and easy to work with. It can harbor small bugs, but they seem harmless. This is my current favorite.
- A mix of sand and clean top soil and/or coconut coir (Bed-A-Beast, etc.) The mix does not need to be exact, but about 1/3rd sand seems to help with drainage. Many people find this to be a 'messy' option, but that is mostly cosmetic.
- Orchid bark is a lesser-used option but sounds interesting for smaller habitats. This is a very clean Douglas Fir bark chip product used, obviously, to grow orchids. It does not hold moisture as well as most of the other options, so you need other methods of humidity.

The thing about Red-foots is the humidity. They want some area of about 90%, and the rest should be 50% or more. A lot of substrate options- pellets, paper, too much sand, etc.- dry the air and tortoise out too much, or mold in the humidity.

---

(It was too late to edit my above post. When I say the diet and temps are OK, I mean they are 'OK but could probably benefit from some tweaking.')

 

[tortuga007]

i just gave my red foot a bath and saw that she pooped a lot. after i cleaned her up, she started pooping again but her fecal matter looked runny and that there may have blood in it. I take very good care of her and don't know what is wrong. what should i do? does anyone know what is wrong with her? i just lost my job, so i don't have money to take her to the vets. but if i have to, does anyone know how much this will cost me? or is there somewhere else i can get her medicine???

What do you mean by 'there may have been blood in it'? Bright red blood-like material would be a fairly bad sign, but other things can be pretty harmless.

Tortoises often defecate when soaked, and if soaking or bathing stresses them (they fight or struggle to get out, etc.), it can cause them to defecate materials that they might not have otherwise passed quite yet.

A better description of the material, or even a photo, would be helpful.

---

i dont know the wat of the bulb, my boyfriend knows that and unfortunately is at work. it's usually between 70 and 90 degrees. she usually eats lots of greens (turnip, beet, collard or kale lettuce), some pumpkin, strawberries, mango and a occasional banana and a little tuna. i sprinkle calcium on her food. and she always has lots of water. she is in a tank, and i let her walk around a lot and she gets plenty of exercise and is very strong. she seems perfectly normal despite her stool. she is also very active today.

i added some pics... sorry they arent very good..... she is very active today like i said lol

Being active is a good sign, I'm happy for you!

While there are certainly things that could be improved, much of what you write is not all that bad in my opinion.

The temps are OK. We usually aim for an average temp of about 85F. A hot spot of about 90 is OK, as is a small cool area of about 70. Red-foots don't need as much variation as other species do, but some variation seems to be appreciated.

Diet is OK. I know some people will disagree, but Red-foots are hardy animals. Some oxalates are not a big deal as long as the tortoise is well-hydrated (feels heavy for its size, no sign of dehydration, etc.) and only the beet greens on your list are known to be somewhat high in them. (Beet greens have 0.61 units. Collards are 0.07, turnip is 0.05, kale is 0.02.) Others might comment that the kale is a known goiterogen, but that is not really a problem when it is part of a varied diet.

Too much sweet fruits, like berries, bananas, and mangos can cause runny stools. Personally, I've cut down on sweet fruits and substituted the few high calcium fruits and vegetables with seeds in them- papaya, cactus fruit, figs, an occasional naval orange, pineapple, squash, bell peppers (especially the red and orange ones). I also only feed fruits one or two times a week now.

Tuna is not really the best choice for a protein- it and eggs can cause runny, smelly feces. It isn't horrible, but you can also try earthworms, caterpillars, young mice or rats (like pinkies), cooked chicken, mackerel, low-fat brand name cat kibble, organ meat, etc. They really don't need a lot of meat- many experienced keepers offer little of any to theirs.

Overall, the only thing you wrote that bothers me much is "I let her walk around a lot". It is my opinion that housing should be big enough to provide all exercise, and tortoises should be moved around as little as possible. To much handling can cause stress, the average house floor is drafty and full of things the tortoise can try to eat, etc.

About the only time I think that moving them is worthwhile is to an outdoor area to sun, graze, and exercise- even if only for a few hours.

Give http://www.turtletary.com's ideas a look. If you want some more ideas, you can also try http://www.tortoisetrust.org and www.redfoottortoise.com, or just ask here!

Good luck, and I hope your tort is better.

---

yes that would be great if you could send me that. will she be able to pass it ok? there really isn't anything for a substrate. i just got her about two months ago and i keep hearing different things of what to use. i heard sand is bad, i have heard moss is bad.... so on that i'm clueless.

The options that work the best for most people are:
- Fluffed up, dampened, long-fibered sphagnum moss, like the Mosser Lee brand. You'll read more about this on turtletary's site
- Cypress mulch. This is a common option for people with older tortoises and/or bigger habitats. It is cheap and easy to work with. It can harbor small bugs, but they seem harmless. This is my current favorite.
- A mix of sand and clean top soil and/or coconut coir (Bed-A-Beast, etc.) The mix does not need to be exact, but about 1/3rd sand seems to help with drainage. Many people find this to be a 'messy' option, but that is mostly cosmetic.
- Orchid bark is a lesser-used option but sounds interesting for smaller habitats. This is a very clean Douglas Fir bark chip product used, obviously, to grow orchids. It does not hold moisture as well as most of the other options, so you need other methods of humidity.

The thing about Red-foots is the humidity. They want some area of about 90%, and the rest should be 50% or more. A lot of substrate options- pellets, paper, too much sand, etc.- dry the air and tortoise out too much, or mold in the humidity.

---

(It was too late to edit my above post. When I say the diet and temps are OK, I mean they are 'OK but could probably benefit from some tweaking.')

---

---

---

so if i were to use the orchid bark, how much should i use and how often does it need to be switched out? also i'm looking in to getting a fogger to keep it humid... but will this cause mold?

 

[Yvonne G]

Orchid bark and cypress mulch don't mold. If there is any debris, like food or poop left for any length of time on moist substrate, the debris will mold, but NOT the substrate.