Re: Terry, remember when we went thru this with Angel?/ No.........

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ]

Posted by Terry on July 20, 2001 at 22:00:01:

In Reply to: Terry, remember when we went thru this with Angel??? LOL (link inside) posted by Marissa on July 20, 2001 at 21:21:51:

Only kidding, of course I do.

It was my first question at this forum a few years ago,when I got my first sulcata Angel. Something like " Help, what's the white suff coming out of my sulcata"!
All in caps if I remember correctly! lol.
Marissa replied to me and set me on the right track.

Lisa,
Marissa gave you a link which should answer your question.
It's uric acid/urates and is normal. Only if it's hard/concentrated or gritty should you be worried, as it could mean that the tortoise is dehydrated.
If it's gel like or creamy, then it's fine.

The tortoises poops/stools though should be firm and a dark brown/slightly green in color.

It sounds as if the tort at the pet store is sick, poor thing. A sad but common problem with *some* pet stores.

On to fecal tests, you'll need to take in a fresh stool sample (from the tortoise!) which the vet will examine under a microscope to see if your tortoise has worms.
The vet will probably prescribe Panacur, if it does.
Usually one dose orally, followed by a second dose after two weeks.

Ask the vet to give the medication, as it can be tricky for somebody who's not used to giving torts oral medication.
Or the medication can be put on a favorite piece of food, something you know the tortoise will eat.

A second dose will usually be given after two weeks.

Don't give the tort any over the counter dewormer, as dewormers that are safe for cats/dogs
and even other reptiles, can be harmful to tortoises.
Try this web site for reptile vet listings in your area. Call the ones closest to you first to determine which is the most experienced treating tortoises:

http://www.sonic.net/melissk/society.html

You can soak your tortoise once a week, but I wouldn't soak it for 30 minutes. 10-20 minutes is enough.

Soak it in *shallow* lukewarm water, the water should only come to the point where the top shell (carapace) meets the bottom shell (plastron).
The bottom of it's neck.

It is a good idea to soak any new tortoise when you first get it though. Who knows when the last time it was offered water was, it could be a bit dehydrated.

I don't soak my Russians once a week, or ever. But I did soak them a couple of times, when I first got them.

Russians are not big water drinkers, in the wild they'll drink from puddles etc when it rains.

Mine are housed outdoors, but I've never seen them drink, ever.
They do have a small/shallow dish of clean water ( a little plant pot saucer) in their enclosure though. But I've never seen them drink.

So it's up to you, you can soak him once a week for around 10 minutes,It won't do any harm.
Some people do soak them, others don't, but provide clean drinking water.

Otherwise, if he's eating well, just provide a little dish of water for him.
Something easy to drink from that he won't spill all the time.

Lisa, what are you feeding him, and is he a good eater?

Hope this helps.
And feel free to ask away if you have more questions. This forum and Marissa were a great help to me, when I got my first tortoise.

Terry.

The tortoise

Follow Ups:

Terry, we are helping James in this post, not Lisa. Lisa is yours :) Marissa 07/20/01 (2)
- Re: Terry, we are helping James in this post, not Lisa. Lisa is yours :) Lisa C 07/22/01 (1)
  - Re: Terry, we are helping James in this post, not Lisa. Lisa is yours :) Terry 07/22/01 (0)

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: : Only kidding, of course I do. : It was my first question at this forum a few years ago,when I got my first sulcata Angel. Something like " Help, what's the white suff coming out of my sulcata"! : All in caps if I remember correctly! lol. : Marissa replied to me and set me on the right track. : Lisa, : Marissa gave you a link which should answer your question. : It's uric acid/urates and is normal. Only if it's hard/concentrated or gritty should you be worried, as it could mean that the tortoise is dehydrated. : If it's gel like or creamy, then it's fine. : The tortoises poops/stools though should be firm and a dark brown/slightly green in color. : It sounds as if the tort at the pet store is sick, poor thing. A sad but common problem with *some* pet stores. : On to fecal tests, you'll need to take in a fresh stool sample (from the tortoise!) which the vet will examine under a microscope to see if your tortoise has worms. : The vet will probably prescribe Panacur, if it does. : Usually one dose orally, followed by a second dose after two weeks. : Ask the vet to give the medication, as it can be tricky for somebody who's not used to giving torts oral medication. : Or the medication can be put on a favorite piece of food, something you know the tortoise will eat. : A second dose will usually be given after two weeks. : Don't give the tort any over the counter dewormer, as dewormers that are safe for cats/dogs : and even other reptiles, can be harmful to tortoises. : Try this web site for reptile vet listings in your area. Call the ones closest to you first to determine which is the most experienced treating tortoises: : http://www.sonic.net/melissk/society.html : You can soak your tortoise once a week, but I wouldn't soak it for 30 minutes. 10-20 minutes is enough. : Soak it in *shallow* lukewarm water, the water should only come to the point where the top shell (carapace) meets the bottom shell (plastron). : The bottom of it's neck. : It is a good idea to soak any new tortoise when you first get it though. Who knows when the last time it was offered water was, it could be a bit dehydrated. : I don't soak my Russians once a week, or ever. But I did soak them a couple of times, when I first got them. : Russians are not big water drinkers, in the wild they'll drink from puddles etc when it rains. : Mine are housed outdoors, but I've never seen them drink, ever. : They do have a small/shallow dish of clean water ( a little plant pot saucer) in their enclosure though. But I've never seen them drink. : So it's up to you, you can soak him once a week for around 10 minutes,It won't do any harm. : Some people do soak them, others don't, but provide clean drinking water. : Otherwise, if he's eating well, just provide a little dish of water for him. : Something easy to drink from that he won't spill all the time. : Lisa, what are you feeding him, and is he a good eater? : Hope this helps. : And feel free to ask away if you have more questions. This forum and Marissa were a great help to me, when I got my first tortoise. : Terry. : : The tortoise

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ]