Urates problem

Albee vw

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Hi there, I have a tortoise named kiwi and his age is 2 years old, unfortunately by this 3 weeks I haven't seen him pass any urates, is this a concern and what should I do?
 

Randy Micheals

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Is he peeing clear with no urates? If so he could just be well hydrated and a-ok. Is he drinking regularly?
 

KarenSoCal

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Urates in the urine is normal. Urates are the byproduct of a tortoise eating protein, or are indicative of the tort being dehydrated. If the urates are soft, creamy feeling, that is not a problem. If the urates are gritty, thick, or huge amounts over a period of time, the tort may be eating too much protein or be dehydrated. If dehydrated, those gritty urates can become bladder stones that can become so large they require surgical removal.

Is he peeing and pooping normally? If he is, and you don't see urates, that's a good thing! That means your tortoise is properly hydrated, and not getting too much protein in his diet.

Now if by urates you mean urine, if he is not peeing, that's a whole different case. If he isn't peeing, you need to soak, soak, soak. And take him to a reptile vet to determine what's wrong.
 

Albee vw

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Urates in the urine is normal. Urates are the byproduct of a tortoise eating protein, or are indicative of the tort being dehydrated. If the urates are soft, creamy feeling, that is not a problem. If the urates are gritty, thick, or huge amounts over a period of time, the tort may be eating too much protein or be dehydrated. If dehydrated, those gritty urates can become bladder stones that can become so large they require surgical removal.

Is he peeing and pooping normally? If he is, and you don't see urates, that's a good thing! That means your tortoise is properly hydrated, and not getting too much protein in his diet.

Now if by urates you mean urine, if he is not peeing, that's a whole different case. If he isn't peeing, you need to soak, soak, soak. And take him to a reptile vet to determine what's wrong.


He's peeing and pooping frequently but I don't see any urates, I'm afraid he'll have problem at her urinary system such as the bladder stone, but seeing your reply I guess his's fine, thankyou for your help ?
 

Albee vw

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Is he peeing clear with no urates? If so he could just be well hydrated and a-ok. Is he drinking regularly?

Yes he did peeing clear frequently but no urates, I haven't seen him drinking but I offer him a diet including water such as pellets which I soak it with water before I feed him, also I soak him frequently, is that ok?
 

Randy Micheals

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Yeah soaked pellets are ok. If hes peeing clear I wouldn't worry too much, urates are stored in the body when the tort feels it needs to conserve its water supply. As long as you are offering fresh water at all time in addition to other ways of hydrating, should be ok.
 

Tom

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Yes he did peeing clear frequently but no urates, I haven't seen him drinking but I offer him a diet including water such as pellets which I soak it with water before I feed him, also I soak him frequently, is that ok?
Its not "ok". It is excellent. Your tortoise is well hydrated, and this is very good for them!

And you paying such close attention to your tortoise's behavior and habits is also excellent. I would venture a guess that your excellent level of observation and care is the reason why your tortoise is healthy and thriving.
 

Albee vw

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Its not "ok". It is excellent. Your tortoise is well hydrated, and this is very good for them!

And you paying such close attention to your tortoise's behavior and habits is also excellent. I would venture a guess that your excellent level of observation and care is the reason why your tortoise is healthy and thriving.
Well that's a good thing to hear! I just knew that no urates means they are dehydrated well. Thank you ?
 

Albee vw

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Yeah soaked pellets are ok. If hes peeing clear I wouldn't worry too much, urates are stored in the body when the tort feels it needs to conserve its water supply. As long as you are offering fresh water at all time in addition to other ways of hydrating, should be ok.
Thanks for the advice, it's really helpful
 
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