Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone help please,

I have a little baby Russian called scrabble, less than a year old. I have had him for a few months now to couple an older russian I have ( Mr snuffles ). Both usually have some soft urates in their wee from time to time, but yesterday scrabble had a hard stone of white urates which I know is a bad sign.
(( This is despite fresh water being available each day. Could it be that my tortoise is just not drinking, or is there another reason why he may have produced a hard urate, and if so is there any danger to him???

I appreciate any info as I do worry about them...

Ta.. Steph

The most important factors with hatchlings is heat and hydration.

For any hatchling tortoise I suggest a temperature range of 80 to 100 F

I found a moist hide gives you a little more room for error.

Are you providing water or are you soaking daily? I always suggest doing both.

What are you feeding the little guy.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Hi EJ
Well they have a background/ night temp of 75F but daytime hot spot around 95-100F
he feeds mostly on weeds and spring cabbage with some cucumber at times, which I merely give to help with some water intake occasionally. When they do get to go out.... the weather has been foul in the UK recently.... they have eaten petunias and weeds and like scoffing bizzie lizzies too

I originally used to bathe the larger one daily, but when I purchased scrabble he wouldnt stay in the little bath and kept climbing out, so now I have taken to leaving them a dish of fresh water daily instead.

steph.

If you are dosing calcium at high levels this could (notice I said could) cause a hard urate. One of my western hermanns had the same issue (even though he was soaked daily) and I cut back to only putting Miner All on his food every 3rd day and that seemed to take care of the problem. We haven't had that happen in months now.
Just a thought.
Lori