Re: Sulcatas - clarification for EJ and Eric

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Posted by Heather on June 05, 2000 at 02:26:34:

In Reply to: Re: Sulcatas - clarification for EJ and Eric posted by Terry on June 04, 2000 at 15:47:11:

Hi Terry,
Short on time here...not trying to be rude - just quick.
My sulcata is on grazing diet outdoors. He does over do water to the point of runny, watery stools. He is healthy, parasite free, just been to the vet.
My CDTs do not get water nor do they get soaked anymore after the discussion I had with a Desert Tort rehabber who pointed out to me that wild desert torts do not have the daily, opportunity to sit in water; there is also a belief that soaking CDTs can lead to URIs.
Their systems are designed to extract moisture and process it from the diet around them, with periodic thunderstorms providing the rest.
(For those of you not familiar with the Mojave desert; it is a very dry place that rarely gets rain. The torts subsist on wild grasses and no significant rainfall, just a few inches a year, none in some years. In fact, in some places, the rain evaporates before it hits the ground.) Studies have been made that excess water in the diet of CDTs can "overwork" the kidneys, which are designed to handle very small amounts of water. Other studies indicate that soaking and excessive water intake throws this system off and can lead to other health problems.

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Re: Sulcatas - clarification for EJ and Eric EJ 06/05/00 (1)
- Re: Sulcatas - clarification for EJ and Eric Heather 06/08/00 (0)

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: Hi Terry, : Short on time here...not trying to be rude - just quick. : My sulcata is on grazing diet outdoors. He does over do water to the point of runny, watery stools. He is healthy, parasite free, just been to the vet. : My CDTs do not get water nor do they get soaked anymore after the discussion I had with a Desert Tort rehabber who pointed out to me that wild desert torts do not have the daily, opportunity to sit in water; there is also a belief that soaking CDTs can lead to URIs. : Their systems are designed to extract moisture and process it from the diet around them, with periodic thunderstorms providing the rest. : (For those of you not familiar with the Mojave desert; it is a very dry place that rarely gets rain. The torts subsist on wild grasses and no significant rainfall, just a few inches a year, none in some years. In fact, in some places, the rain evaporates before it hits the ground.) Studies have been made that excess water in the diet of CDTs can "overwork" the kidneys, which are designed to handle very small amounts of water. Other studies indicate that soaking and excessive water intake throws this system off and can lead to other health problems.

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