Xray post!

[philipgreece]

That's the Xray in took today! I asked her if there is a possibility if something else going on! I asked her about for bladder stone! I think she can't make a diagnosis 100% I had him some hours outside in summer! Last year the Xray I took he was totally clear!

 

[zovick]

That's the Xray in took today! I asked her if there is a possibility if something else going on! I asked her about for bladder stone! I think she can't make a diagnosis 100% I had him some hours outside in summer! Last year the Xray I took he was totally clear!

Those do look like small rocks. They do not look like bladder stones (calcified urate deposits) as they are too dense in appearance plus distributed throughout the gut rather than at the tail end of the tortoise.

 

[philipgreece]

Those do look like small rocks. They do not look like bladder stones (calcified urate deposits) as they are too dense in appearance plus distributed throughout the gut rather than at the tail end of the tortoise.

What can I do please? Will he pass these rocks? He poops almost every day and pees too!

 

[zovick]

What can I do please? Will he pass these rocks? He poops almost every day and pees too!

From your description of the tortoise's behavior, these rocks are not causing any trouble at this time. As long as the tortoise continues eating and defecating normally, they should gradually move through the digestive tract and be pooped out. Just keep watching the excreted material for the rocks, and eventually you should see them.

You won't be able to tell if they are gone without taking a new X-ray picture. To avoid having to do that, you could count the rocks now in the tortoise and try to find that same number in its excrement over the next several weeks. It appears to me that there are 4 rocks showing in the X-ray picture.

You can try feeding the tortoise foods with high fiber content which might help push the rocks along. IE, hay and grasses. Foods with high water content may or may not be another idea. Such foods would be cucumber, squashes, opuntia cactus pads, and romaine lettuce, to name a few. Personally, though, I think the high fiber foods would be more helpful in pushing the rocks along in the gut.

 

[Maggie3fan]

It works sometimes to put him in warm water deep enuf that he has to be afraid and he will swim frantically, and generally poop and poop....

 

[philipgreece]

From your description of the tortoise's behavior, these rocks are not causing any trouble at this time. As long as the tortoise continues eating and defecating normally, they should gradually move through the digestive tract and be pooped out. Just keep watching the excreted material for the rocks, and eventually you should see them.

You won't be able to tell if they are gone without taking a new X-ray picture. To avoid having to do that, you could count the rocks now in the tortoise and try to find that same number in its excrement over the next several weeks. It appears to me that there are 4 rocks showing in the X-ray picture.

You can try feeding the tortoise foods with high fiber content which might help push the rocks along. IE, hay and grasses. Foods with high water content may or may not be another idea. Such foods would be cucumber, squashes, opuntia cactus pads, and romaine lettuce, to name a few. Personally, though, I think the high fiber foods would be more helpful in pushing the rocks along in the gut.

I have tried hay and grasses but they don't eat! The others yes! I give them opuntia and aloe vera! Yes I take xrays every year! Last year he was clear! My mistake I let him outside at yard but I wanted to take sun!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That's exactly the kind of help I knew you'd receive.
And it's good news!

 

[philipgreece]

That's exactly the kind of help I knew you'd receive.
And it's good news!

Thank you all! I'm really sorry that I ask.all the time! These are my first pets! And they are so adorable!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I have tried hay and grasses but they don't eat! The others yes! I give them opuntia and aloe vera! Yes I take xrays every year! Last year he was clear! My mistake I let him outside at yard but I wanted to take sun!

No, it's not a mistake to let him walk outside in the yard. Sunlight, exercise and large space are really beneficial for them. You did it right!

You can try and grow some grass from seeds - like wheat grass or "cat grass" (oat grass, mostly). Some fresh sprouts might be tasty enough for them to eat. Also you might try to feed some "grassland" type pellets. And maybe large hibiscus and mulberry leaves are fibrous enough (and grape leaves as well).

As Tom mentioned in your other thread - there is a reason for him to eat rocks and pebbles.

And asking questions here is a right thing to do, as well. It's far much better then silently and unintentionaly do harm to them.

 

[biochemnerd808]

I have tried hay and grasses but they don't eat! The others yes! I give them opuntia and aloe vera! Yes I take xrays every year! Last year he was clear! My mistake I let him outside at yard but I wanted to take sun!

They ingest rocks and pebbles in thebwild, the important difference is that they eat higher fiber foods and are able to poop them out. I find pebbles in my tortoises' feces sometimes, surrounded by long fibers. E.g. they eat plantain weed and dead nettle and other high fiber weeds, even if they don't eat grass (sometimes mine do).

The natural sunshine is so good for them. Keep putting them outside, just maybe make sure the area doesn't have a lot of small pebbles.

 

[philipgreece]

No, it's not a mistake to let him walk outside in the yard. Sunlight, exercise and large space are really beneficial for them. You did it right!

You can try and grow some grass from seeds - like wheat grass or "cat grass" (oat grass, mostly). Some fresh sprouts might be tasty enough for them to eat. Also you might try to feed some "grassland" type pellets. And maybe large hibiscus and mulberry leaves are fibrous enough (and grape leaves as well).

As Tom mentioned in your other thread - there is a reason for him to eat rocks and pebbles.

And asking questions here is a right thing to do, as well. It's far much better then silently and unintentionaly do harm to them.

I will try for catt

They ingest rocks and pebbles in thebwild, the important difference is that they eat higher fiber foods and are able to poop them out. I find pebbles in my tortoises' feces sometimes, surrounded by long fibers. E.g. they eat plantain weed and dead nettle and other high fiber weeds, even if they don't eat grass (sometimes mine do).

The natural sunshine is so good for them. Keep putting them outside, just maybe make sure the area doesn't have a lot of small pebbles.

Thank you buy I can't find some weed to feed them! I will to plant cat grass! Thank you!

 

[philipgreece]

No, it's not a mistake to let him walk outside in the yard. Sunlight, exercise and large space are really beneficial for them. You did it right!

You can try and grow some grass from seeds - like wheat grass or "cat grass" (oat grass, mostly). Some fresh sprouts might be tasty enough for them to eat. Also you might try to feed some "grassland" type pellets. And maybe large hibiscus and mulberry leaves are fibrous enough (and grape leaves as well).

As Tom mentioned in your other thread - there is a reason for him to eat rocks and pebbles.

And asking questions here is a right thing to do, as well. It's far much better then silently and unintentionaly do harm to them.

Can I order timothy grass? Or its ot good? Like this?

 

[Maggie3fan]

Russians do not graze on grass... you need to feed him weeds or different lettuces from the store...but they really don't eat grass or hay...

 

[Maggie3fan]

No, it's not a mistake to let him walk outside in the yard. Sunlight, exercise and large space are really beneficial for them. You did it right!

You can try and grow some grass from seeds - like wheat grass or "cat grass" (oat grass, mostly). Some fresh sprouts might be tasty enough for them to eat. Also you might try to feed some "grassland" type pellets. And maybe large hibiscus and mulberry leaves are fibrous enough (and grape leaves as well).

As Tom mentioned in your other thread - there is a reason for him to eat rocks and pebbles.

And asking questions here is a right thing to do, as well. It's far much better then silently and unintentionaly do harm to them.

Alex Russians don't eat grasses...tender shoots or not... sorry

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Alex Russians don't eat grasses...tender shoots or not... sorry

That's true. I was keeping my redfoot in mind, who grazes shoots from time to time. Thanks for pointing that...

However, some tortoise pellets (like ZooMed Grassland) contain grasses as primary component and mention Russian tortoises among recommended species. That was another source of confusion for me.

 

[philipgreece]

Tha

Russians do not graze on grass... you need to feed him weeds or different lettuces from the store...but they really don't eat grass or hay...

Thank you! Is this OK though right?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Tha

Thank you! Is this OK though right?

These can be used as a supplement (it has high fiber contents) when moistened and mushed with grocery greens. Your tortoise most likely will refuse to eat at first (as happens with most high-fiber diets) so be prepared to add it little by a little.

 

[philipgreece]

These can be used as a supplement (it has high fiber contents) when moistened and mushed with grocery greens. Your tortoise most likely will refuse to eat at first (as happens with most high-fiber diets) so be prepared to add it little by a little.

My male will eat it! I'm sure! My female she will reject this! Thank you!

 

[wellington]

Incase you are housing these two together, you need to separate them ASAP! Living as a pair causes them to live in stress which is dangerous. One will also bully the other to illness or death.

 

[philipgreece]

Incase you are housing these two together, you need to separate them ASAP! Living as a pair causes them to live in stress which is dangerous. One will also bully the other to illness or death.

I have them separated 2 years now! I noticed from the beginning that my male was going after her!