hi newbie hear my tort has not eaten since coming out of hibernation she is 7 years old she urinates clear occasionally there are yellow bits in it she is drinking loads i bathe her twice a day and i am keeping her under her lamp does anyone have any ideas ? thanks
Hi and welcome to the forum. Firstly how long has your tortoise not eaten for? Also you say the urates have yellow bits in it, it should be a creamy white for a well hydrated tortoise? I would give the tortoise a thorough check over, look inside the mouth to make sure it is clear and the tongue is nice and pink. I once had a tortoise that came out of hibernation and was exactly the same as yours and he didnt eat for nearly 2 months, when it was suggested i check his mouth i found he had mouth rot and was also anemic. I know mouth rot can cause misery and discomfort for a tortoise and can often go unnoticed. Also check your tortoises poo's if she is passing them as it may be worth checking her for worms too. Reptoboost is a great pick-me-up for tortoises and it would also be a good idea to use this when you bath her. I would suggest that once you have tried these suggestions if she still isnt eating then take her to a reptile vet to get her checked out properly.
hi ali thankyou for replying she has not eaten for a month now only when i feed her she did eat a dandlion flower on her own yesterday she i have looked in her mouth and her tounge is pink i will look for a repltie vet locally she does poo and i have looked for worms but not seen any i will get the reptoboost i have noticed this week that her beek is slowly dissapering on each side of her mouth any idea what mouth rot looks like ? thanks so much for the advice i will get onto it right away regards jue
Hi again, Not sure what you mean by her beak disappearing? Mouth rot (Stomatitis) is a yellow creamy substance inside the mouth. If you type this in Google images you should see some pics to help you identify this. I really think you need to visit a vet. Whereabouts are you based? There is a section on here "vets & health issues" where you will find a list of recommended vets, hopefully there will be one near to you.
hi Ali there is definately no yellow creamy substance in her mouth its hard to describe but the top beak has recieded to the gums on either side i am in hereford and i am going to ring round our vets to see if anyone specialises in torts she had a wee and poo today sometimes when she wees there are like yellow granules in the wee she hasnt had any of the cream sustances that they should pass regards jue
Hi Jue, Her urates should be a white creamy yoghurt like texture, when you say granules do you mean gritty bits? Sorry to go on about it. Is there anyway you can post a pic up of her beak so we can have a look?
hi u are not goin on at all i will try today to put a photo on line today !! i know what u mean about the creamy sustances i the wee and yes they are girtty bits and they are yellow - this is dehydration isnt it ? she is drinking twice daily and passing loads of water with the gritty bits occasionally regards jue
If there are gritty bits in the urates - this is a sign of dehydration. I'd be inclined to increase bathing to twice a day to ensure he/she is well hydrated.
hya darren i am at present soaking her twice a day with warm baths and she has uringate every day but as i said its just like clear water occasionally she passes the gritty substances infact today she has weed twice this morning and loads on both occasions thanks for the reply regards jue
hi ali or darren i have managed to put a photo of jo on the gallery its not very clear but u can see her upper beak i will try to get some more on any idea how long it takes to re-hydrate a tort ? regards jue
If your tortoise hasn't eaten very much for a month since coming out of hibernation, and given the condition you describe with Jo's beak, I should, as Ali has suggested, you get your tortoise checked over by an exotics specialist as soon as possible, because this isn't normal.
Rehydration should start to become evident almost immediately. The passing of gritty urates, means her body is starting to take on fluids and she is passing her old reserves (containing the gritty urates). She should start to have clearer urates in a few days, but it is important to maintain hydration at all times to avoid the possibility of the formation of an impassible bladder stone. Daily bathing, access to water at all times, hides, a deep enough soil/sand substrate, so she can burrow down and limit the loss of water through evaporation will all aid keeping her well hydrated.
hi darren the photo is in members gallery and under tort june 09 i have contacted a vet in gloucestershire and i will be seeing her she did pass in her water the mosty tiny amount of creamy stuff in her wee but today i had yellow again ! going to see vet tomorow will let u know how i get on regards jue
i would like to let you know that i have had my tort in the vet for tests for the last week and the result is that they think she has 'run down' tortoises syndrome she came home to day with a tube to feed her daily and give extra nutrition and steroids so hopefully she will come on now i took her to rachel mowbray over at dursley and i must say i am so very pleased with the treatment and advice i have recieved so now we must wait for her to get better
i would like to thank everyone for their imput on my questions and if i can ever help anyone with advice about my tort i am only to happy to help
