The Tortoise Table

Hi! I have a 4 years old Horsefield Tortoise and I’ve noticed her urine has started to become quite thick and dryer. I bathe her often and she goes to the bathroom regularly just doesn’t urinate very often and when she does it’s becoming thick and dry.

Could there be something I’m not doing properly?

Worried there is something I’m missing or not doing right.

Thanks

Hi and welcome to The Tortoise Table.

Could you possibly post a photo of her urine? What colour is it? Urine should be clear or very pale yellow (sometimes light pink if they have eaten a lot of dandelions). I wonder if you are referring to the white matter that is produced with the urine -- it is called urates and should be very thin -- like liquid egg whites or very soft toothpaste. These are normal and are composed of uric acid and other waste that is excreted by the kidneys. If, however, urates are very thick or dry/sandy in texture then it means your tortoise is dehydrated and it's a good idea to bathe her more frequently. Also, I always wet the leaves and flowers that I feed to my tortoises, as it helps to get a bit more water into them (plus the calcium supplement that you give will stick to the leaves and won't be wasted.

If you can post a photo here, that would be great and would enable us to see exactly what you worried about. You will need to reduce it in size, and If you have trouble posting a photo here, just send it to me at nina@thetortoisetable.org.uk and I will reduce it and post it for you.

Nina