Dry Dry Again on Desert Tortoise

Nobody

How can I tell if a tortoise is dehydrating?How does information technology look?
Thank you.

GBtortoises

Tortoises that are dehydrated usually experience lighter, they're eyes will appear sunk in their sockets and their rear legs and neck surface area may appear very skinny too. Often, they're skin will shed in big, dry pieces where shedding wouldn't typical be noticeable. They will usually not excrete much if whatever liquid wastes and may eventually lose their appetite in severe cases.

kimber_lee_314

Right now I am dealing with a dehydrated greek. I soak him in warm water every day, just it doesn't seem to exist helping. Is there anything else I can do for him - short of subQ fluids?

dmmj

I don't have greeks myself, just is he eating? if so I soak my guys food in some water before I feed them.

terryo

Put some Pedialyte in the water a few times a solar day.

webskipper

So if the Torts defecate within minutes of soaking so that ways they are properly hydrated?

I take never seen so much stinking poop from one baby allow solitary iii.

Maggie Cummings

I had a 4 yr onetime Gopherous agassizii that I got fresh out of the egg. I soaked her every day or every other day for her iv years of life. Then one mean solar day she stopped eating. When she hadn't eaten in 3 days I took her to the Vet and the very commencement words out of the Vet'due south mouth were..."oh my gosh, look at how dehydrated she is"!!! That blew me away! I soaked her at a minimum of every other day. So my religion in soaking tortoises has really changed. I'm non sure soaking frequently does whatsoever good. I know it didn't for Cali. That day I started sub q fluids and still she was expressionless in 3 weeks.
GBtortoises is correct... when dehydrated they look skinny. I sure didn't detect how skinny she was until the vet pointed that out to me.

ChiKat

That worries me, considering if soaking doesn't seem to do much to go along them hydrated, how the heck am I supposed to go on Nelson hydrated?! I'm lucky in that I've seen him potable from his water dish on his own (though never when being soaked!) but I haven't seen it recently.
I practise wash his greens before he eats them, so he gets some h2o from that.

Madkins007

A good tool for determining if a tort is dehydrated is the Donoghue Ratio: accept the tortoises length in centimeters, take information technology to the third ability, and multiply by 0.191 to go a minimum target weight in grams.

Mike Pingleton suggests information technology does not work equally well with babies, but feels that information technology is a valuable tool overall.

Some ways to increase hydration include:
- Offer very fresh foods with natural moisture levels- esepcially things similar cacti pads and thick institute stalks
- Mist, soak, or otherwise moisten foods existence offered, especially dark-green stuff
- Offer a good water dish 24/vii. It should exist big enough to sit in, deep enough to dunk their head at least part-way, like shooting fish in a barrel to go into and out of, and set flush with the substrate. Clean and refill it often.
- Humidity. Many ground animals live in decent humidity- 50%ish, while our winter indoor humidity can be dang close to 0%
- Boiling hides. Offer a hiding place with something increasing humidity inside it, like a cloth pocketbook stuffed with sphagnum moss soaked in warm water
- With Red-foots and like torts, offer 'juicy' fruits. I am not an skillful on other species, but I might consider things similar cactus fruits, strrawberries, or even melon to help heave hydration for other species of torts.
- Consider soaked bread. I saw this on ShelledWarriors.com for Red-foots and my knee-wiggle reaction was NO Fashion, merely I can really meet it helping dehydrated torts.

Homerist

How can I tell if a tortoise is dehydrating?How does it look?
Thanks.

not sure whether there is a standard look. just for mine, he announced listless, less responsive and walking like a drunkard.
He still eats and poo unremarkably. possibly mine was mild dehydration.

GBtortoises

Some ways to increase hydration include:
- Offer very fresh foods with natural wet levels- esepcially things like cacti pads and thick institute stalks
- Mist, soak, or otherwise moisten foods beingness offered, particularly dark-green stuff
- Offering a good h2o dish 24/7. It should be big enough to sit down in, deep plenty to dunk their head at least part-way, easy to get into and out of, and set affluent with the substrate. Clean and refill it often.
- Humidity. Many ground animals alive in decent humidity- l%ish, while our winter indoor humidity can be dang close to 0%
- Humid hides. Offer a hiding identify with something increasing humidity within it, like a cloth bag stuffed with sphagnum moss soaked in warm water
- With Crimson-foots and like torts, offer 'juicy' fruits. I am non an skilful on other species, but I might consider things similar cactus fruits, strrawberries, or even melon to help boost hydration for other species of torts.
- Consider soaked bread. I saw this on ShelledWarriors.com for Red-foots and my genu-jerk reaction was NO Style, but I can actually come across information technology helping dehydrated torts.

Most of the higher up suggestions are excellent. Tortoises typically become dehydrated because of ii reasons: Existence kept in an environment that is much besides hot and dry out or due to illness. The most mutual cause of dehydration brought on by illness is usually because of overflourishing protozoa which crusade a digestive imbalance. Food and liquid literally goes right through them.

Pedialyte contains salt products, which essentially make you thirsty and desire to beverage more. But pedialyte also contains sugars, which is ane of the last things that you desire to feed a dehydrated tortoise whose digestive organisation is under duress.

So before automatically feeding them fruit or Pedialyte, both of which contain a lot of saccharide, the source of the dehydration needs to be indentified and dealt with. If the dehydration is due to surround there are several things that tin can be done to solve the problem, some of which are listed in a higher place. The big three are to add more than warm humidity to the air in the enclosure and a more than moist substrate. Additional water should exist offered in the class of "soaking" which many people on this forum are confronting. Just in the example of a dehydrated tortoise that is frequently inactive or weak they will ofttimes non go to water on their own. In this case they demand to be soaked in slightly tempid water at least in one case daily, preferrably twice a day. Once in the morning time after warming upward to normal activity levels and again in the evening an 60 minutes or so before lights out. Pedialyte may or may non be helpful in this example. If the tortoise is physically weak Pedialyte is non recommended.

If it has been determined that the dehydration has been brought on past disrupted digestive processing then the tortoise should be medicated and the in a higher place procedure followed. Pedialyte should not be used in this case because you lot are adding saccharide to an already weakened digestive organization. 1 more thing the tortoise has endeavor to process which information technology normally would non have to.

A better alternative to Pedialyte when used for tortoises:

1 quart unchlorinated h2o
2 tablespoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon potassium chloride (common salt substitute)
1/two teaspoon salt

Warm water to 110-120 degrees to faciliate better mixing of ingredients. Mix all ingredients well and absurd. Can be refrigerated for several days (maybe longer).

If yous find that a dehydrated tortoise absolutely refuses to potable it a little fleck of Kool-Aid flavoring can be added.

The higher up is basically a "home" version used earlier bottled Pedialyte came along. The original recipe (for humans) also contains flavoring (Kool-Aid) and 2 tablespoons of carbohydrate.

Madkins007

Most of the above suggestions are first-class. Tortoises typically get dehydrated because of two reasons: Being kept in an environment that is much as well hot and dry or due to illness. The most common cause of dehydration brought on past illness is usually because of overflourishing protozoa which cause a digestive imbalance. Nutrient and liquid literally goes right through them.

Interesting you should mention that. Protozoa is the specific reason the author who mentioned the soaked bread gave for using it (Box Daughter). I don't know what the connection between staff of life and protozoa is, though.

Pedialyte contains salt products, which essentially brand you lot thirsty and want to drink more. Just pedialyte also contains sugars, which is ane of the terminal things that you desire to feed a dehydrated tortoise whose digestive system is under duress.

My question is whether in that location is any real prove that soaks in anything like that piece of work? We fence whether soaks actually work at all, and I really wonder if either salts or sugars are taken up via the cloaca.

Certainly, if your tort drinks when soaking, it helps- just my torts only drink about 1/5th of the time.

Another option I found online is to increase in foods rich in potassium and water, like tomatoes (circumspection- tin crusade diarrhea in some torts), mushrooms, spinach, figs, dates, banana (notation- high in carbohydrate), cantaloupe with skin, or sprinkle a little dried bakers yeast on other foods. (Cocoa powder is Actually high in potassium if yous need some other reason to eat chocolate.).

I also like your home-made recipe idea! Cheers!

GBtortoises

I've never heard the bread idea so I really don't know if information technology works or not. I'm not certain what role the bread serves either.

As far as soaking, the tortoise has to still be strong enough to drinkable. I've always thought that the term "soaking" isn't actually accurate, at least not in the way that most people call back of it. Most people recollect of soaking every bit a way to absorb moisture. Equally if the tortoise's peel is going to suck in h2o like a sponge! I endeavor to refer to the process equally watering, not soaking. I have never believed that tortoises blot very much, if whatever h2o through their clocoa or skin.

Considering information technology is so dry indoors where I have to continue my tortoises I regularly water them by placing them in individual containers with tempid, knee deep h2o. Some drinkable, some don't. A tortoise may drinkable in one case and that same tortoise may not drink again for the next few times. I've establish no pattern. I believe that it is solely based on their need for hydration.

I remember that if a tortoise is simply dehydrated because of dry ecology atmospheric condition information technology is fine to offering water laden foods, even if they do have some sugar content in them. Whatever you tin get it eat that will help rehydrate it. Along with diet the surround needs to exist changed to foreclose aridity in the future. In this same situation Pedilyte is probably fine.
But if it's a case where the dehydration is due to or in conjunction with a protozoa imbalance foods containing high amounts of carbohydrate are not a adept idea. In uncomplicated terms it is merely going to crusade more stress to the already taxed digestive system.
That home fabricated recipe is really a variation of i our family doc gave to my mother when I was kid! I merely took out the sugar and flavoring for the tortoises. I used it quite a number of years ago for some newly imported tortoises that were in bad shape. It seemed to have done the job, or at least helped because all the tortoises fabricated it through.

dmmj

well I am gonna get against the grain here, simply if information technology is drinking on it'due south own, is it really dehydrated?

GBtortoises

Information technology's drinking on it'southward own to rehydrate itself or to maintain hydration. Tortoises with pocket-sized dehydration usually will yet drink on their own equally long as h2o is available. Until the betoken that they are too weak to do so. I've had dehydrated wild caught tortoises that seem to drink a gallon (exaggerated of course) and and then ten minutes later on after beingness placed back in their enclosure are sitting in a pool of waste water that they only expelled. And so they aren't retaining what they should.

DoctorCosmonaut

I don't soak my girls too oft, unless they are muddied. Neither seem to like information technology, they always but want upward and out (and no I'm non sitting them in boiling or freezing water). They usually don't drink considering they seem to preoccupied with not liking the soak (not that they haven't drunk while in there).

I just mist, provide clean water (alter it once to twice a day), and mist them/their food while eating.

GBtortoises

I don't soak my girls as well frequently, unless they are dirty. Neither seem to like it, they ever merely want up and out (and no I'm not sitting them in boiling or freezing water). They ordinarily don't drink because they seem to preoccupied with non liking the soak (not that they haven't drunk while in at that place).

I only mist, provide make clean h2o (change it once to twice a day), and mist them/their nutrient while eating.

If you're providing water within their enclosure what would exist the need to remove them and water them anyhow? I do the same with my Redfoots (offer constant make clean water & misting) and I never remove them to offer them water elsewhere. They're entire enclosure is moist all the time. Simply other species cannot (and should not) exist kept like Redfoots and vice versa. Dehydration oddly enough, seems to be a problem moreso with arid climate and some Centre Eastern and Northern Mediterranean species. I remember alot of it has to exercise with the misguided belief that they should exist kept dry out and hot all the time which simply is not true.

Dry Dry Again on Desert Tortoise

Dehydration

dmmj

The member formerly known every bit captain awesome

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome

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