Hi,

I think my tortoise is constipated. Its a horsefield tortoise and until about 4 this afternoon was happy, mobile, eating and sunbathing. Then he started straining to go to the toilet (I think). He has his bottom end raised and is waggling his tail at times. I have been bathing him on and off since, giving him sometime in water and some time out. He is weeing ok and has passes some pieces of poo including a long strand of something green like a leaf stem.

I cant take him to the vets till tomorrow now, can anyone suggest anything I can do. He is currently sitting under the heat lamp.

Zoe

Hi Zoe

The raising of the shell, waggling tail and pushing the head in, is normal toilet procedure, hard work eh? Does he actually go when he does all that, and if so does he pass any urates at all? It doesn't sound like he is constipated as you said he had done a poo!!  How old is your tort?  I bath mine everyday, and if the urates are not nice and white like toothpaste then I bath twice a day, and that normally sorts them out. When one of mine was constipated I gave her Aloe Vera, which was suggested from TPG, and that worked well. 
Where do you keep him? hope you don't mind the questions, it just  helps to give the correct answers. If he looks and acts well, then I wouldn't worry, just keep a close eye on him
Hope that helps
Jane, Keya & Molly

He (she?) is about 3.5/4yrs old and during the day, weather permiting they stay outside in their run. Since the bit of poo he did yesterday there has been nothing. He did sleep last night and was in the same place this morning. Both my boys are warming up at the moment under the lamp and I am going to bath them in a minute.

I will keep an eye on him today and see how he goes.

Thanks for your support!

an where do they stay when there not outside table or viv?????

Hi Zoe, it would be worth you getting a poo sample sent to the vets incase s/he has worms, you mentioned there was some long green vegetation coming out, this may have been irritating him giving him the feeling he wanted to go, so keep up the baths, but do not pull this grass/vegetation out, let it come out naturally.

Let us know how you get on, regards Vivienne