White Urine powder

[hermit]

I would like to ask under what circumstance will a land tortoise excrete urine in white powder form?

Under stress?
Lack of water (to preserve water)?
Any time?

I ask because I have kept my baby Leopard for 2 months now and I have never seen her excrete white powder. Only watery clear (straw color) liquid. Is sher normal?

 

[Yvonne G]

You've never seen her excrete white powder, and that's a good thing!! When they excrete urates it should be a creamy, semi-liquid consistency. It its too dry and powdery that means the tortoise isn't well hydrated.

Yvonne

 

[hermit]

Yvonne, Thank you for the reply. I have NOT seen the baby leo excrete creamy, white paste of urate as well! All I have seen is clear straw color liquid like water.

???

 

[hermit]

Perhaps I didn't say it clearly enough. I mean my baby tortoise has never excreted semi-solid white urate for the last two month since I acquired her. All I can see is just watery clear (or straw color) liquid pretty much like human urine (except for much less smelly). Is this normal?

 

[bdoyle]

Urates are not passed with every urination.. it can be long periods between it..

as long as you are supplimenting their diet with calcium/vitd3 powders etc.. you'll be fine.

Urates appearing too often can be a sign of over-supplimenting... and not occuring at all, could be malnutrision/under supplimenting..

so if you are current supplimenting with calcium/vit d3 only once a week try bumping it to twice a week..


if your tortoise is otherwise behaving normally and maintaining a proper weight i would not be concerned in the least.