what's wrong with her feces?

[flyinghome]

Now, it is the third or fourth week that she has come my home. During this period of time, she defecated twice and it was quite much each time, especially the second time. the feces could be as big as an egg.

But, the feces seemed a little abnormal. It contained some gel-like white substance and some stiff stuff. What was it? Were those worms?

Another question:I got another tort which was male. He pees more often than the female one. Today, he pees twice, whereas she usually pees every two or three days. and her urine is really smelly and sticky, but his is quite watery and not smelly at all.

What's wrong?

 

[Kristina]

Where in the world are you keeping this second tortoise? You don't even have a proper enclosure for the first tortoise, and now you have gotten another?

I am sorry if I sound harsh, but that upsets me that you aren't taking proper care of your first tortoise and now you have another.

It looks like only partially digested food in her feces. You are probably not keeping her warm enough, and the reason she is not peeing often is because she is dehydrated from being kept in that enclosure with out a damp SUBSTRATE that she can burrow into, like you were told on the other thread. There is still bare surface in your pics.

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I just caught that you said this is only the second time in 3-4 weeks that she has defecated... That is NOT a healthy tortoise. You need to change your husbandry ASAP or she will be a dead tortoise. Period.

What are the temperatures in that enclosure, and when will she be getting a bigger one? She can't even thermoregulate in that itty bitty little box she is in now.

 

[Yvonne G]

What are you feeding the tortoise?

 

[flyinghome]

Dear kristina, I am improving, give me some time. the pics were three-days ago. I promise them a better life.

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the food I have fed her were lettuces，cabbage, a little tomato, a little watermelon, a little dandelion。
I dont think it is because of the food I feed. I think it is the food that she had eaten before she came my home. the temperature is 25-32 here. it should not be low.

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I got another because I heard that loneliness was really bad for her and would make her downhearted. I want her happy, at least, a little more

 

[flyinghome]

a friend just said that the gel-like white substance might indicate that the tort had protozoa or infusorian infection. What do you think?

 

[Yvonne G]

Your friend's information is correct. When a tortoise has a protozoan infestation there is usually a lot of slime in the feces.

One way to firm up the bowell movement is to allow the tortoise to eat grasses and weeds...more fibrous than grocery store greens. Lettuces are mostly water and cause loose stools. You might try giving the tortoise some veggies, maybe some squash like zucchini. Something with a little more substance than lettuce, tomato and watermelon. Do you have access to a grape vine or a mullberry tree? The leaves from both are very good to feed a tortoise.

 

[Angi]

Isn't 25-32 degrees about freezing? I am cold if it is under 70 dergees out. Am I missing something?

 

[Shelly]

Isn't 25-32 degrees about freezing? I am cold if it is under 70 dergees out. Am I missing something?

Metric.

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I got another because I heard that loneliness was really bad for her and would make her downhearted.

Wrong. Torts are solitary by nature.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

25-32 C is like mid 70s to about 90 F. I wish we could switch over to C like the rest of the world...kinda stinks in situations like this.

 

[Angi]

Got it thanks.

 

[mightyclyde]

Dear kristina, I am improving, give me some time. the pics were three-days ago. I promise them a better life.

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Please find them a better home now... maybe you can get another tortoise when you are set up to actually provide a quality life when they arrive. Its just not fair to your tortoises to do anything less.

 

[Kristina]

My point is, you just spent money on another tortoise. You could have used that money to make a better home for the one you already had. Not only that, but those animals should be quarantined from each other. You already had one with a health issue, and if it does have a protazoa infestation. If they have been in contact with each other, now you most likely have two infected tortoises.

Tortoises do not need friends to be happy. The only reason to have two tortoises is because you want to. What you see as a friend the tortoise may see as competition for food and space (especially when you don't have proper housing for ONE, and now have TWO!!!) and that can cause a lot of stress. If your female is sick, the last thing she needs now is more stress.

I showed you in another thread a really cheap option for a better enclosure. You need two of SOMETHING bigger, asap.

I won't say anymore, I hope that you understand that I have your animal's best interests at heart. I am not saying these things to brow beat you, but so that you understand that they need better care. Not "eventually" but now.

 

[flyinghome]

Thank you all, especially dear Kristina.
In recent several days, I have kept discussing about the enclosure in a chinese tortoise forum too, especially about the substrate. In china, most owners keep elongated tortoises. But they have quite a different opinion on the substrate. In that forum, at least 50% people suggest the ceramic tile upside-down, with the more coarse surface upwards. That is why I used the ceramic tiles at first. Some of them in that forum do suggest some substrate like barks, coconut shells, and so on. But others argue that ceramic tiles can do better to keep the enclosure clean. As you said in another thread, the urines or feces could drain to the bottom, but how do you clean them if you dont replace the substrate? the urines or feces at the bottom (as well as the absorbed) might cause bacteria proliferation and bring torts diseases. Whereas you can see the urines or feces on ceramic tiles, so you can clean the enviroment in time.

some people on that forum have kept tort several years on ceramic tiles but they dont find any symptoms of leg malformation.
if the substrate is only for them to dig in and hide, I can supply them a hide place.

I think both sides are reasonable, and that is why I am a little hesitant now.

By the way, I have got a enclosure box big enough for them. I cut a hole in the lateral side of this box and put it beside the original wood box near its door. So they now can walk aroud as they like in this two-roomed house.

 

[sammi]

But others argue that ceramic tiles can do better to keep the enclosure clean.

You need to do whats best for the tortoise, not for you. Maybe this would mean finding a better home for them while you can improve upon their living situations.

Otherwise, if you need to do a little cleaning here and there, it won't kill you. When my tortoise goes to the bathroom in his substrate, I simply take a spoon, and remove all the dirty substrate. It takes maximum maybe five minutes here and there. I would think it'd be more hassle to remove, scrub, and sanitize those ceramic tiles you have.

Also, think about if someone stuck you in a tiny box, that was way too small, with no furniture, super bright lights, and no where to hide? Your tortoise needs some places to hide, and an environment that mirrors their natural habitats outside. Put some substrate in there, stick some rocks in, put fake plants all over the place, and build them a bigger house. The more space, the better.

The picture of your tortoise in the MUCH too small enclosure broke my heart to see.