Concerns around eating, pooing and weight loss

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flowerpot
Posts: 1
Joined: 05 Aug 2018, 12:52

Concerns around eating, pooing and weight loss

Post by flowerpot » 05 Aug 2018, 13:06

Hello,

My lovely old spurthigh has been enjoying the weather but over the last couple of weeks I've developed some concerns. He is eating fine (just being picky about what he does eat) but nothing much is coming out the other end... He's not a big drinker (or bather, never has been, he acts like he's allergic to water as soon as his belly hits the bath!), so have been keeping him hydrated with cucumber. I weighed him about 3 weeks ago and he'd lost weight so I upped his food and varied it a little more but having weighed him again today he's still losing weight.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what might be up with him, or what I could perhaps do to encourage some bowel movement?

Thanks 😊
Flora

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lin
Posts: 1034
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Concerns around eating, pooing and weight loss

Post by lin » 05 Aug 2018, 13:31

Hi Flora, welcome, and thanks for contacting The Tortoise Table.
This weather we are having in the UK seems to be causing problems for a lot of people and other pets as well as tortoises. I think a lot of them are not eating as much but a few things you could try is and feed him earlier before the heat takes effect and a bit again later in the day, when the sun has gone over and it starts to cool down. Offer many places to hide from the sun and many places with fresh water because although he isnt bathing he might surprise you if he gets to hot.

I think you are doing well offering the cucumber for hydration and that should also work to help with pooping ans weeing, but be careful he doesn't get addicted to it in place of the good things. You can also try wetting any food you offer by picking his favorites (dandies, plantain oand sow thistle) and dip them in water before offering them to him.

The less he eats the less he will poop but I suspect you know that - lol and things like cucumber will only hydrate as he will retain the water so still have nothing to poop.

Try weighing him weekly for a couple of weeks to have a record of how his weight goes on from now (it is supposed to get hotter for the next few days but then start to cool again) but if it dont start to go up or stabelise then I would pop along to a good tortoise vet.

Please keep us posted Flora and let us know how he goes over the next week or so and if you do need a good vet we have a list of reccomended vets you can look through for one local to you.

Lin

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