Home

>

Reptile

>

I have a tortoise. I have had him since 2018. I have not had any luck finding a veterinarian that sees reptiles. My tortoise s she'll is really rough and looks like there are some sort of cracks forming. Are these growing cracks? Also when he pees there is a whitish substance at the end?

I have a tortoise. I have had him since 2018. I have not had any luck finding a veterinarian that sees reptiles. My tortoise s she'll is really rough and looks like there are some sort of cracks forming. Are these growing cracks? Also when he pees there is a whitish substance at the end?

Updated On January 13th, 2019

Pet's info: Reptile | Tortoise

Image profile

Answered By Todd Cecil

Veterinarian

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

Thanks for reaching out about Shelley. Including a photo might help determine the nature of the cracks. The scutes typically have growth rings but these are symmetric around the scutes. They can vary on their width dependent on growth spurts. As for the white substance in the urine. Reptiles excrete kidney waste in two forms: clear urine and white, thick urates. The urates are a method to conserve water in the body. Large amounts of urates can be an indication of dehydration. Another possibility of white in the urine is calcium deposits. Excess calcium in the diet is excreted in the urine. This increased concentration of calcium in the urine, can be a precursor to a bladder stone. Different species (not identified by you) of tortoises are more prone to calcium stones. Research proper husbandry and nutrition for your tortoise to ensure long term health. A veterinary visit is recommended, at least annually, just as if for humans, dogs and cats. Good luck.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

See More Answers

Related Questions

left image

I have a cat that as a kitten was very ill. We got him from 7 months old. We knew he’d had cat flu prior to him coming here. He is now nearly 5 yrs old. He picks huge fights with our other cat. He keeps urinating and scratching at doors and windows around the house. We allow him to go out via the cat flap unlimited. What is happening to him

I'm glad to see that Pippin has been neutered because this eliminates that possibility of hormone-fueled behavioral changes and aggression. Behavioral changes in cats can occur at any point in time, and could be related to anxiety or stressful situations (even rearranging furniture or introducing new people to the home can be stressful to cats). Without a lot more information and observing Pippin's behaviors, I can't precisely tell you why these changes are occurring. It may be best to consult a veterinary behaviorist in your home so that they can observe everything firsthand. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers (Feliway is one example), and discussing the use of anxiety medication with Pippin's vet. I hope that all goes well!

Read More

My 3 year old long haired tuxedo female pees just fine in the litter box, but she preferred to poop on the bathroom rug or on the carpet behind the sofa. Then, she will go weeks and everything is fine only start pooping outside the box again. I have 4 litter boxes and 3 cats. I clean all several times a day. She is the youngest. I've put wee wee pads down and she lifts them up and poops under them. Any ideas to help? Thanks!

A good first step, if you haven't already, is to rule out any health issues with your vet such as arthritis that may be causing the accidents. Secondly, making sure none of the other cats are bullying her away from the litter box may also alert you to any issues. Thirdly, a good enzymatic cleaner may help reduce the smell/discourage use of these areas in the future. That said, if you've done the above and the issue is still happening, it's probably time to call in a veterinary or animal behaviorist that can visit in person to see what may be going on. They may be able to check for stressors that could be causing the accidents where they are, look for issues with refusal to defecate in the box, or see if there is a cycle that is happening that is triggering this reaction. From there they may be able to set up a more tailored plan to help reduce the accidents and encourage use of the litter box at all times. If you're in the US, you can use this website to help find someone available in your area: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

Read More

My cat is having trouble passing a turd... He keeps producing small amounts of this brown mucous on the pee pad I have in front of the litter box, but hasn't been able to completely eliminate the actual piece. He's eating normally & drinking plenty of water, & he's at a healthy weight. I realize that I'm going to have to take him to the vet if this doesn't clear up, but in the meantime, is there anything I can do to help him?

Seeing your vet ASAP is definitely a good idea to make sure there isn't an impaction causing the severe constipation that may need an enema or stool softeners to resolve. In the meantime, you can try offering a little bland yogurt to try and help the soften the stool, as well as make sure he's drinking plenty of water by mixing some into his food, but if Booboo is in severe distress, hasn't passed any stool at all, or is having other symptoms such as abdominal pain or stops eating, you should seek out veterinary care from your vet or a local ER clinic immediately.

Read More

Romeo was sick on Friday night and Saturday with vomiting so he did not feel like eating or drinking much during the time. He ate his fist meal and drank some water at 5 am this morning. He also ate lunch. His urine was this color this morning- could he be dehydrated? I’m working on increasing his water intake. He did get a fluid therapy injection on Saturday at vet

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Romeo and for providing a picture, it's helpful. I'm sorry that he's been sick. If he's been vomiting and not drinking much, yes it is possible that he's a bit dehydrated. His urine in the picture does look a bit yellow, but if he is now drinking water and feel better, I expect he will become hydrated again in due course. It's fine to increase his water intake, and you could add some gently warmed, low sodium chicken broth to his food to help with increasing his fluid intake. I hope this helps.

Read More

Hi there Switzerland is 7 yrs old mix of Swiss mountain dog & Rottweiler. He has blood dripping from his anal area but not in his stool (no diarrhea and his urine is not red). He chews at area like as if it itches. I noticed the blood is slowly dripping out very little. What can I do? It's not a lot, but it's been 2 days. His stool is normal. I have Forticept blue butter (an antimicrobial gel). Any advice is welcome.

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I am sorry to hear that Switzerland is having this issue. Please understand it is very difficult to give advice without examining him or at least seeing a photo. Based solely on your description it sounds like he had an impacted anal gland that ruptured. I do think it is best to take him to a vet for an exam. The first thing you need to do though is to get him a cone collar to wear so he stops chewing at the area. If the area is still bothering him the other anal gland (they have two) may be impacted/infected as well, hence, an exam is important. There is nothing you can do to sop the bleeding at home but you can put antibiotic gel/cream on it until you can get him to the vet. Again, without the cone collar though, he will likely lick off anything you apply topically. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-recovery-cone-collar-large-1225-21-3498991 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

3 year old lurcher just finished season. Small dark brown clots/mucus in urine past two days. Eating and drinking as usual, no other symptoms - no smelly urine, not excessive licking area etc

It's possible that the discoloration is from the tail-end of Ripley's heat cycle, however, if the spots continue for more than a day or so, or you begin to see other issues such as more frequent urination, cloudy urine, straining to go (squatting a lot with small amounts, etc), or other more systemic symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, changes in appetite, etc, it's a good idea to get Ripley into your vet to rule out any other issues such as a urinary tract infection.

Read More

right image
image

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored