Beginning tortoise keepers have a lot to learn about the biology of their pets – especially some of the common signs and symptoms of potential illness. As is the case with most animals, the appearance of a tortoise’s poop can provide a number of clues to the animal’s overall health.
But to learn how to use your tortoise’s poop as a barometer of overall health, you’ll need to know what healthy and unhealthy tortoise poop looks like, as well as some of the most common signs of potential problems. Read on as I explain all of these things and more below. Table Of Contents
As a tortoise owner, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with your pet’s normal bowel movements This will help you identify diarrhea quickly so you can determine the cause and implement a treatment plan
What is Normal Tortoise Feces?
Normal tortoise feces contains formed fecal material – the byproducts of digestion. The color, volume, and consistency depends on their recent diet, but it’s typically brown to greenish-brown.
Urates are white and paste-like They can pass alone or with regular feces Urates are byproducts filtered from urine and stored in the bladder before being released, so they often look like tortoise peop.
Symptoms of Tortoise Diarrhea
Like humans, diarrhea can lead to dehydration in tortoises. That’s why it’s important to identify it fast and treat it Symptoms include
- Watery, runny feces
- Lethargy and inactivity
- Decreased appetite
- Possible weight loss
Dehydrated tortoises may become lethargic with sunken eyes and dry skin. They can lose weight rapidly. Ensure access to fresh, clean water and moist vegetation. You can also provide a shallow bath.
Severely dehydrated tortoises require veterinary treatment. An immediate trip to the vet is warranted if diarrhea is extremely foul-smelling.
Causes of Diarrhea in Tortoises
An improper diet is the most common cause of diarrhea in tortoises. However, parasites can also cause digestive issues.
Dietary Causes
Diets too high in moisture or low in fiber often cause loose stools. Feed a varied diet with foods tortoises eat in the wild. Leafy greens and vegetables are staples.
Fruits are high in sugar and should only be occasional treats. Diarrhea frequently follows fruit consumption. Iceberg lettuce is pure water and lacks nutritional value, leading to diarrhea.
Parasites
Intestinal parasites like worms can cause diarrhea along with appetite loss and lethargy. Look for visible worms in the feces. Bring a fecal sample to the vet to check for parasites.
Treating Tortoise Diarrhea
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For foul smelling diarrhea, immediately consult a vet. Fecal analysis will reveal parasites.
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Review the diet. Include pellet food regularly to reduce moisture. Soak pellets before feeding if your tortoise doesn’t like them dry.
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Give lukewarm baths regularly. Warm water improves digestion and hydration.
Preventing Tortoise Diarrhea
Provide Proper Nutrition
Feed foods with fiber that tortoises naturally eat like weeds, flowers, sow thistle, pansies, hibiscus, hawk bits, plantain, and musk mallow.
Consider shell size when feeding. Offer a volume of food equal to the shell size 5 days a week with 2 non-consecutive fast days for digestion to catch up. Limit high sugar fruits.
Control Parasites
Pick up uneaten foods promptly. Spot clean daily and deep clean the habitat monthly. Good hygiene helps tortoises stay healthy and resist illness. But parasites can’t be fully prevented.
Most tortoise diarrhea is diet-related, often from excess fruit or moisture. Adjust the diet first. If diarrhea continues, have your vet analyze a fecal sample for parasites. Provide proper nutrition and hygiene to help prevent diarrhea in the future. With treatment, your tortoise will be back to normal bowel movements and good health.
Clean the enclosure thoroughly.
Some of the pathogens and parasites that can cause unhealthy tortoise poop may reinfect your tortoise if he comes into contact with his feces. This means you’ll want to clean the enclosure thoroughly with a 5% bleach solution. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly, then let it dry completely before returning your tortoise.
You should also remove the substrate if practical, and switch to a paper towel or newspaper substrate until you’re certain that your pet is healthy. This will not only help with hygiene, but it will also make collecting samples easier.
Inspect your tortoise from head to toe for other signs of illness.
Whatever illness is making your tortoise produce unhealthy poops may cause other symptoms, which may be helpful for identifying the causal agent. Accordingly, you’ll want to carefully examine your pet for any other potential signs of illness.
5 Signs Your Tortoise is Sick & Needs Immediate Care
FAQ
What to do if my tortoise has diarrhea?
To prevent or treat dehydration while they have diarrhea, you can give your tortoise a soak in a shallow dish of warm water for 15-30 minutes once or twice a day to encourage drinking. Water should be shoulder depth and they should be monitored to make sure their head does not submerge.
How to treat turtle diarrhea?
Diarrhea dehydrates, so if you have a box turtle with diarrhea, I recommend twice-daily soaks for 1/2 hour in a small container with a bit of warm water until the the turtle is well again. For recent diarrhea (measured in days), you can try and remedy it by changing the diet.
What are the signs of a sick tortoise?
Symptoms include loss of appetite, swelling or colour change in your tortoise’s mouth and gums, and a white, cheesy-looking discharge around the mouth.Mar 6, 2019
What is a laxative for tortoises?
Psyllium husk or pumpkin can be sources of additional fiber for the GI tract. They can be done in conjunction with the vegetable oil. Watermelon is a way to get more fluid and fiber in the GI tract also. Warm water baths and at times also adding some Epsom salt to the water may assist as a laxative too.
What causes diarrhea in tortoises?
The most common cause of diarrhea in tortoises is an incorrect diet, something that is causing digestive problems. The first thing you want to do is ensure you provide a diet that is as close to what your pet would eat in the wild. This usually includes green leafy weeds and a variety of vegetables.
Why does diverticulitis cause diarrea?
Diverticulitis is the infection of the pouch-like structures called diverticula in the intestines, commonly the lower part of the intestines, typically the colon. When infected, they cause inflammation and may cause partial or complete obstruction. When it is partially obstructed, they cause severe diarrhoea and when completely obstructed, they cause constipation. Patients with diverticulitis are advised to consume a fibre-rich diet.
Do spur thighed tortoises have diarrhea?
High sugar content causes diarrhea for spur-thighed tortoises. You can include a calcium supplement in the diet to boost nutritional value of foods. Spur-thighed tortoises rely on dark leafy greens such as dandelions, clovers, endive, plantains etc. to provide the right nutrition.
Can a tortoise get sick?
Turtles and tortoises are relatively hardy animals in captivity, which make them popular pets. However, if you don’t have proper housing and diet, and you’re not about to provide optimum conditions, your pet can get sick. If you can’t keep your temperatures high enough, the tortoise can get sick.
Do tortoise poop?
The more protein the tortoise consumes, the more urate there is to go around. When a tortoise pees, it also expels this urate, and this normally ends up as a sort of white sludge on the floor that you probably don’t notice. Sometimes, though, your tortoise will pee at the same time as it takes a poop.
What if my tortoise has stomatitis?
If you suspect your tortoise is suffering from any of the conditions below, make an appointment with your specialist reptile vet. Stomatitis, commonly known as mouth rot, is a common condition caused when bacteria in the mouth gets into an open wound and causes infection in the lining of the gums and mouth.