Substrate issues - Coco Fiber is too dusty

Sa Ga

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Good idea. Borris is pretty good about avoiding non-edibles, but he hasn't encountered wood chips yet. My dad does a ton of wood working, do you think some wood scraps would be a good substitute for a test?
No. Use the actual thing.

But...because an animal can suddenly start to eat anything at any time, I won't use anything that could be confused as food and can't be digested/passed if munched on. Morla's never gone for the cypress mulch in my yard before--and when she's outside, I'm right beside her the whole time, so I'd see her if she had. My dog, Tidus, went 9 long years of life and then one fine October day in 2017, decided steel wool would be delicious. (They were new pads, used to stop up some cracks in my garage to keep out any mice.) Luckily I stopped Morla in time, but with Tidus, well...we didn't see it happen, and didn't know anything was amiss w/ him until the impaction 3 days later.

It was an extensive surgery (he was cut open along his entire abdomen and had staples and stitches in!) with a week long, intensive recovery. I can't even imagine having tortoise impaction surgery and the ensuing, slooooooow recovery!
 

Michael Twohy

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No. Use the actual thing.

But...because an animal can suddenly start to eat anything at any time, I won't use anything that could be confused as food and can't be digested/passed if munched on. Morla's never gone for the cypress mulch in my yard before--and when she's outside, I'm right beside her the whole time, so I'd see her if she had. My dog, Tidus, went 9 long years of life and then one fine October day in 2017, decided steel wool would be delicious. (They were new pads, used to stop up some cracks in my garage to keep out any mice.) Luckily I stopped Morla in time, but with Tidus, well...we didn't see it happen, and didn't know anything was amiss w/ him until the impaction 3 days later.

It was an extensive surgery (he was cut open along his entire abdomen and had staples and stitches in!) with a week long, intensive recovery. I can't even imagine having tortoise impaction surgery and the ensuing, slooooooow recovery!
Oh god, that's horrible, glad your pup recovered though! I'll follow your advice then, and pick up a small bag to test it out. Ingestion is definitely something that worries me.
 

Sa Ga

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Oh god, that's horrible, glad your pup recovered though! I'll follow your advice then, and pick up a small bag to test it out. Ingestion is definitely something that worries me.
1st pic: 1st day home--ouch!
2nd pic: Tidus relaxing (pre-steel wool)
3rd pic: Staples out, incision fully healed closed!
4th/5th pic: Cone of Shame (and he still managed to work around his original, properly sized one, so we had to go to Petsmart and get the biggest one there is!) He's such a little devil!
20171011_162434.jpg
20171006_222516.jpg20171025_191612.jpg20171018_203804.jpg20171019_175557.jpg
 

Michael Twohy

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1st pic: 1st day home--ouch!
2nd pic: Tidus relaxing (pre-steel wool)
3rd pic: Staples out, incision fully healed closed!
4th pic: Cone of Shame (and he still managed to work around his original, properly sized one, so we had to go to Petsmart and get the biggest one there is!) He's such a little devil!
View attachment 290373
View attachment 290374View attachment 290375View attachment 290376
He's a cutie! I remember when my last dog had a cone for a week or so... he absolutely hated it. I think we were both relieved when it came time to finally remove it.
 

Sa Ga

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He's a cutie! I remember when my last dog had a cone for a week or so... he absolutely hated it. I think we were both relieved when it came time to finally remove it.
Thanks! Being cute is his one saving grace.... ?

Yeah, esp having to have such a huge one (meant for dog 100 lbs+, and he's only 22 lbs), he banged into EVERYTHING . He was pretty smart and learned quickly how to navigate with the least possible of collisions, but it was still a week full of constant plastic slapping against doorways, furniture, us!
 

Sa Ga

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He's a cutie! I remember when my last dog had a cone for a week or so... he absolutely hated it. I think we were both relieved when it came time to finally remove it.
Thanks! Being cute is his one saving grace.... ?

Yeah, esp having to have such a huge one (meant for dog 100 lbs+, and he's only 22 lbs), he banged into EVERYTHING . He was pretty smart and learned quickly how to navigate with the least possible of collisions, but it was still a week full of constant plastic slapping against doorways, furniture, us....!
 

Sa Ga

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Anyway, long-winded point.... you can test this out, but you'll never truly know: it'll be fine--until it isn't.

My personal recommendation? Don't use anything that poses a possible impaction risk ever if at all possible. My heart would be absolutely broken to come to Morla's enclosure and find her dead from choking on it (when i worked at Petsmart, we had at least two reptiles die from ingesting orchid bark (aka fir or Reptibark). We could see it still stuck in their throats.

I deal with the "crumblies" by taking this silicone bbq sauce brush and brushing her off (its bristles are really soft and easy to clean then) and then gently lifting each limb and brushing or blowing gently the rest off/out from under them. (All done over the enclosure of course.)

How big is your guy? That may not be so easy if he's big or esp surly!
 

Michael Twohy

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Thanks! Being cute is his one saving grace.... ?

Yeah, esp having to have such a huge one (meant for dog 100 lbs+, and he's only 22 lbs), he banged into EVERYTHING . He was pretty smart and learned quickly how to navigate with the least possible of collisions, but it was still a week full of constant plastic slapping against doorways, furniture, us....!
I bet hahah
Anyway, long-winded point.... you can test this out, but you'll never truly know: it'll be fine--until it isn't.

My personal recommendation? Don't use anything that poses a possible impaction risk ever if at all possible. My heart would be absolutely broken to come to Morla's enclosure and find her dead from choking on it (when i worked at Petsmart, we had at least two reptiles die from ingesting orchid bark (aka fir or Reptibark). We could see it still stuck in their throats.

I deal with the "crumblies" by taking this silicone bbq sauce brush and brushing her off (its bristles are really soft and easy to clean then) and then gently lifting each limb and brushing or blowing gently the rest off/out from under them. (All done over the enclosure of course.)

How big is your guy? That may not be so easy if he's big or esp surly!
Dang it, now I'm conflicted.

Pretty dang small - a 5 inch Golden Greek (Mesopotamian.) He HATES being cleaned off though. He's enjoys shell scratches, but will not tolerate his limbs being cleaned off. That's another reason I want to switch away from coco coir.
 

JTH

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You're right - I realized that I misspoke; he's not a desert tortoise. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I'll monitor his temps and humidity more closely.

Would you recommend that I mix the fine grade orchid bark with coco coir? Or should I use straight orchid bark? Also, what is the best way of keeping it damp?
Mixing the choir with bark is OK. Everyone has different experiences I guess. I've never found coconut choir to be dusty as long as it's kept lightly moist. On the other hand, the orchid/cypress bark dries out too quickly and is very dusty after the tortoises trod on it for awhile. I have elongateds and red-foots, both of which like a more moist substrate and higher humidity.
 

Sa Ga

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I bet hahah

Dang it, now I'm conflicted.

Pretty dang small - a 5 inch Golden Greek (Mesopotamian.) He HATES being cleaned off though. He's enjoys shell scratches, but will not tolerate his limbs being cleaned off. That's another reason I want to switch away from coco coir.
Then just blow on him. It blows right off, for the most part.
 

Michael Twohy

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Mixing the choir with bark is OK. Everyone has different experiences I guess. I've never found coconut choir to be dusty as long as it's kept lightly moist. On the other hand, the orchid/cypress bark dries out too quickly and is very dusty after the tortoises trod on it for awhile. I have elongateds and red-foots, both of which like a more moist substrate and higher humidity.
Thanks!

Edit, just realized this response makes no sense, was typing absentmindedly hahah. I'll probably stick with coir then
 

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