Strange excretion from Hermann tortoise

[Maryshelley]

Hi everyone,

I am looking after a Herman’s tortoise for the summer. She is in a tortoise table with an 80w mercury vapour bulb. I’ve been soaking her every day for 30 mins. I’ve had her for about 3 weeks.

Since I got her, she wasn’t eating and was very lethargic. A few vet trips later and she has a feeding tube and is also on antibiotics (for 2 days) for suspected pneumonia. The vet also said he saw some gravel in her gut.

I changed her substrate from wood chips and fibre bedding to prorep Mediterranean substrate and coco coir. Today, as soon as I put her back in, she did her first poo, which was quite a strange colour. She also released what looks like urates, but they look like they’re encasing something else.

Im just waiting on a call back from the vet, but was wondering if anyone could please help- have you seen anything like this before or tell what it is?

Thank you so much.

 

[Maryshelley]

Sorry, I lost the first post and so did this one, but I may have accidentally posted twice!

 

[zolasmum]

Sorry, I lost the first post and so did this one, but I may have accidentally posted twice!

I know that some foods can change the colour of urates - maybe the antibiotics have caused this. I also know that mercury vapour bulbs are not recommended at all, but I don't know enough about lighting to be sure what you need - I'm sure someone more knowledgable will appear soon to advise you. I am pretty sure that the substrate is not suitable for her, as tortoises are attracted to the little white bits to eat - then they build up inside the gut and are not digested.
Best wishes from Devon
Angie

 

[wellington]

The substrate with the white stuff should not be used. Coconut coir and orchid bark or fir bark should be used.
The mercury vapor bulb also should not be used. You need a tube florescent for uvb and a incandescent flood bulb for basking.
A ceramic heat emitter for when added heat is needed.
How old is she? Hatching to about 3 years needs 80% humidity and a closed chamber enclosure. Older and the humidity can be 30-50% and open enclosure with a humid hide.

 

[EricW]

That appears to be a Russian and not a Hermann's.

In addition to wellington, here is a good link to read compiled by Tom on the forum. It is a good place to start.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[wellington]

That appears to be a Russian and not a Hermann's.

In addition to wellington, here is a good link to read compiled by Tom on the forum. It is a good place to start.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Good catch, I didn't even notice they thought it was a Hermann's.

 

[wellington]

As EricW pointed out, that is a Russian you have. If the vet you are seeing, told you it was a Hermann's or did not correct you when you told him it was a Hermann's, I suggest finding a new vet. If a vet is going to treat a tortoise, he should be able to know what species it is.
Not sure if I would continue with the tube feeding either.
Maybe @Yvonne G or @Tom can help further.

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone,

I am looking after a Herman’s tortoise for the summer. She is in a tortoise table with an 80w mercury vapour bulb. I’ve been soaking her every day for 30 mins. I’ve had her for about 3 weeks.

Since I got her, she wasn’t eating and was very lethargic. A few vet trips later and she has a feeding tube and is also on antibiotics (for 2 days) for suspected pneumonia. The vet also said he saw some gravel in her gut.

I changed her substrate from wood chips and fibre bedding to prorep Mediterranean substrate and coco coir. Today, as soon as I put her back in, she did her first poo, which was quite a strange colour. She also released what looks like urates, but they look like they’re encasing something else.

Im just waiting on a call back from the vet, but was wondering if anyone could please help- have you seen anything like this before or tell what it is?

Thank you so much.

The urates look normal. The poop looks like old poop that stayed in for too long, but its a good thing that it is passing now.

Most of the care advice for this species from pet shops, the internet, and vets is all wrong. Read through the care sheet the Eric linked for you, and see what is different.

My problem with most vets is that they treat the symptoms that they are presented with, but never address the thing that CAUSED the symptoms in the first place. If you don't correct the problem that cause these symptoms, treatment is futile. I suspect you will see the cause as you read the care sheet.

There is more info here too:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

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