Urates or Clear Liquid?

[Tori67]

Do tortoise have to excrete urates? I have a tort who mostly pees clear liquid, and a good amount of it too. I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad considering that he only passes urates sometimes

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Not sure what "sometimes" means as far as frequency, but it's my understanding that if they don't expel urates, it can cause bladder stones.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

My leopard tortoise frequently has clear pee only. He's very well hydrated.

 

[Tom]

Do tortoise have to excrete urates? I have a tort who mostly pees clear liquid, and a good amount of it too. I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad considering that he only passes urates sometimes

If your torts is soaked regularly and fed foods with a high water content, clear urates are likely. If someone is seeing frequent urates, they might need to bump up their hydration routine.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think leopards pass urates. I've been keeping that species for a very long time and I've never seen urates.

 

[Tori67]

That’s the thing, he had a bladder stone removed. But i am making sure he is VERY hydrated, spraying his greens with water before he eats them, cucumber once a week (he’s on antibiotics so he needs to be very hydrated because he can’t take baths for now)

He pees a whole lot of clear liquid, it makes me nervous when I don’t see urates often. But he is also being way more hydrated then his previous owners gave him (which is where the bladder stone began)

 

[Tom]

I don't think leopards pass urates. I've been keeping that species for a very long time and I've never seen urates.

Now that you say this, I can't remember ever seeing urates out of a leopard either... Mine always had water sources and lots of opuntia to eat, so lots of clear urine all the time (sooooo messy....), but I can't recall any urates ever.

My sulcatas would occasionally drop some urates. Russians, DTs, stars... but not my leopards, nor my radiata. The radiata drink all the time too though. I see them drinking almost every day. Very interesting...

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I don't think leopards pass urates. I've been keeping that species for a very long time and I've never seen urates.

I have seen some from Levi. Not often and definitely not thick or gritty either. However, I can recall at least once or twice over the last 10 years where I saw small amounts of white liquid come out of him in his bath (before all the water was turned black and nasty from the poop!!)