Uncle Bri not pooping

ben awes

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Uncle Bri has not pooped for a number of days. He has always been a tort that poops only a couple times a week but it's been at least 5 days. He very rarely poops during a soaking. His diet has not changed that I am aware of. We're going out of town for 5 days tomorrow and I'm concerned. I want to get him to poop today! Since yesterday been giving him long soaks, adding aloe to his food. He won't eat straight aloe and is not eating much of anything the past couple days so it's hard to get much aloe down. He did gain 4 ounces yesterday so he must have been grazing when I was not watching.

Any suggestions?
 

wellington

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Maybe feed some cucumber and water melon. Maybe the extra water of these too will help. However, because your gonna no to be leaving for 5 days, a vet trip might be needed before you leave? Good luck, hope all is okay. Maybe @ALDABRAMAN will have any ideas.
 

Yvonne G

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Put him into something big enough that he can walk around, then add enough warm water to come up to the middle of his sides (it may have to be the human bathtub). Scrambling around in the warm water usually makes them poop. Leave him in there for a long time, maybe even an hour or more, but keep checking to be sure he's staying safe. Don't worry about if the water gets down to room temperature (unless your 'room' is below 70F). I remember reading someplace that the larger species (like Aldabran) need to move around quite a bit in order to poop daily. Are you keeping Uncle Bri in a large habitat where he has plenty of roaming room?
 

ben awes

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I do keep him in a "relatively" large enclosure considering its indoors. It's also not just a big square, it has several areas to explore. But, he's been spending most of his last few days outdoors, only coming in at night. I soaked him for two hours in a large tub today, but not large enough that he could walk around. I don't have anything like that. I guess I need a kiddie pool!

I went a got canned pumpkin and mineral oil - mixed some oil in the pumpkin and he freaking ate it like it was his first meal in a month - then went right to his hide for a nap.

I wonder how long it will take to know if it's working?
 

wellington

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Seeing it's summer time, have you not had him outside every day all day, only bringing him in at night? You said before he doesn't poop every day. I am wondering if this has been a problem building up? According to Greg and maybe Yvonne and Greg can confirm, but they poop a lot and Greg has mentioned befor the buckets loads they pick up each day. Granted he has 11 maybe 12 now large adult ones, but still pooping scooping everyday. I wonder if you are not offering enough room to get the exercise needed to keep the things working properly? Even in humans, if you sit and lay around too much, problems like this can arise. He should be outside every day in the warmer months and only brought in at night.
 

Yvonne G

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Yes, my two poop a couple times a day, and three or four "torpedoes" in each sitting. Like I said above, they need to do quite a bit of walking to keep the manufacturing plant in operation.
 

ALDABRAMAN

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Yes, my two poop a couple times a day, and three or four "torpedoes" in each sitting. Like I said above, they need to do quite a bit of walking to keep the manufacturing plant in operation.

~ This was my first thought also, they need exercise!

IMG_6636.JPG
 

ben awes

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That's all good advise folks, doesn't really help me in the moment.

I took him on a long drive in the car (always poops on the way to the vet, or at the vet) and he peed buckets, and then pooped a little bit after, but not enough. The poop looked. relatively soft and not abnormal, just not enough.

What I don't know is if it's safe to leave for 4 days before going to the vet if he still has the problem why I get back.

More pumpkin? He ate about 12oz of it already. More mineral oil?
 

Keith D.

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That's all good advise folks, doesn't really help me in the moment.

I took him on a long drive in the car (always poops on the way to the vet, or at the vet) and he peed buckets, and then pooped a little bit after, but not enough. The poop looked. relatively soft and not abnormal, just not enough.

What I don't know is if it's safe to leave for 4 days before going to the vet if he still has the problem why I get back.

More pumpkin? He ate about 12oz of it already. More mineral oil?
You can try more pumpkin (make sure its pure organic pumpkin with no preservatives) I have also read that some people have used iceberg lettuce with a little vasaline on it, make sure its unscented pure vasaline. You could even possibly try some EVCO in the pumpkin to help lube things up a bit, the EVCO can cause diarrhea if used in large amounts. Is there any chance your tort consumed sand or even worse rocks?
 

Keith D.

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That's all good advise folks, doesn't really help me in the moment.

I took him on a long drive in the car (always poops on the way to the vet, or at the vet) and he peed buckets, and then pooped a little bit after, but not enough. The poop looked. relatively soft and not abnormal, just not enough.

What I don't know is if it's safe to leave for 4 days before going to the vet if he still has the problem why I get back.

More pumpkin? He ate about 12oz of it already. More mineral oil?
You can try more pumpkin (make sure its pure organic pumpkin with no preservatives) I have also read that some people have used iceberg lettuce with a little vasaline on it, make sure its unscented pure vasaline. You could even possibly try some EVCO in the pumpkin to help lube things up a bit, the EVCO can cause diarrhea if used in large amounts. Is there any chance your tort consumed sand or even worse rocks?
 

ben awes

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I'm soaking again, a bit more pumpkin & mineral oil.

There are no rocks that I'm aware of, but it's possible outside.
 

Amanda81

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I had this problem with one the sudans over last winter. I put him in the bathtub and filled the water to a level that he had to hold his head up to keep it out the water, this made him want out instead of relax and he stood against the side of the tub running, it took a little bit but I got a big poo at the end of it. It sounds horrible cause it's kinda like your making them panic but between all the movement, warm water, and perhaps a bit of nerves mine cleaned right out and I didn't have anymore issues after that.

Hope all works out!!

Oh, make sure to bleach the tub afterwards.
 

ben awes

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Poop update. I was out of town all last week and so he was indoors all the time. He pooped once during the week unassisted. As soon as I got home on Friday afternoon I soaked him and got him outside. I walked him a lot, he did not poop on the walk but shortly after - a good size one. It seemed like a healthy one, nothing unusual. I think exercise is key as folks have suggested. I don't know what I can do besides give as big a space as possible. I've been to zoos that do not have large enclosures and the giants don't have a huge area to walk around and they seem to do OK.
 
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