Waste issue

[Kath73]

Hi there! I’ve had my red foot for 8 years now. I’ve never had an issue. The last 3 or 4 times that she has peed it is green mucous. She hasn’t been eating much at all and I changed her bedding to a coconut husk recently and it started after that. Any ideas what may me causing it

 

[ZenHerper]

Welcome!

Green urates may be a normal metabolic by-product, or they may indicate a health problem. (Helpful, right?)

In your place, since this is new after so many years, I would take a sample of the green urates and a separate container with stool to a veterinarian to send out to their lab for analysis (refrigerate, don't freeze, the samples until you can transfer them to the vet's). That would reveal if there is a problem with the liver, for example, or if everything is fine.

Not all veterinarians know how to manage tortoise medicine...reptile medicine is different from mammal medicine, tortoise medicine can be different from other-reptile medicine, and tortoise medicine can be different from turtle medicine.

If something comes up that is concerning, and your vet does not see tortoises regularly, ask for a referral to a tortoise specialist.

*******

Make sure your tort is not eating the coir -- it can pack up in the intestines and cause blockages. Be sure to soak daily in warm water and let her motor around in the water to hydrate and exercise her bowels.

You may need to discontinue the coir, and switch to a bark-based substrate (fir bark, coconut chips, etc.).

*******

These two issues may be a coincidence, or they may be related...that is, she may be eating the coir and metabolizing it into the green urates. I have not heard of coir processed for use with reptiles being liver toxic.

 

[Kath73]

Welcome!

Green urates may be a normal metabolic by-product, or they may indicate a health problem. (Helpful, right?)

In your place, since this is new after so many years, I would take a sample of the green urates and a separate container with stool to a veterinarian to send out to their lab for analysis (refrigerate, don't freeze, the samples until you can transfer them to the vet's). That would reveal if there is a problem with the liver, for example, or if everything is fine.

Not all veterinarians know how to manage tortoise medicine...reptile medicine is different from mammal medicine, tortoise medicine can be different from other-reptile medicine, and tortoise medicine can be different from turtle medicine.

If something comes up that is concerning, and your vet does not see tortoises regularly, ask for a referral to a tortoise specialist.

*******

Make sure your tort is not eating the coir -- it can pack up in the intestines and cause blockages. Be sure to soak daily in warm water and let her motor around in the water to hydrate and exercise her bowels.

You may need to discontinue the coir, and switch to a bark-based substrate (fir bark, coconut chips, etc.).

*******

These two issues may be a coincidence, or they may be related...that is, she may be eating the coir and metabolizing it into the green urates. I have not heard of coir processed for use with reptiles being liver toxic.

Thank you