Have you ever seen white stuff in the water after your tortoise has soaked? Or maybe you’ve seen your tortoise pee white stuff… Don’t be alarmed if your tortoise pooped white stuff. The white stuff that you’re seeing is normal!
Unlike mammals, tortoises produce three different types of waste – solid poop, pee, and urate. The urate is the white stuff that you’re seeing.
What is Urates?
Urates is the end product of protein digestion..
Basically, when your sulcata eats protein, the body metabolizes the protein into energy for growth and movement. Anything that’s leftover is considered a byproduct, which is filtered through the bloodstream into the kidneys.
Once in the kidneys, the byproduct turns into a liquid, uric acid, which is concentrated into urates. The bladder then stores the urates until it is passed out the body.
When your sulcata pees, it passes urine and the semi-solid urates at the same time.
What Should Urate Look Like?
Urates can have a variety of appearances, varying in color and consistency. Typically, urates can be white to a very pale yellow in color.
The consistency may be a creamy paste or a thin, watery substance. The more water your tortoise drinks, the more liquid the urates will appear.
Is Urates Bad?
You want your tortoise to pass urates. You don’t want it to sit in the bladder and build up. However, there comes a time when you should worry.
If you see your sulcata tortoise is only passing urates and not regular poop or pee, there could be a blockage. A blockage can occur when urates crystallize in the body and block regular waste output.
Urates cannot be dissolved in water, and there can be a buildup in the bladder or deposits in the tissues as it’s passed from the kidneys to the bladder, causing gout or bladder stones
If the urate is gritty, hard or chunky, your tortoise may be dehydrated. Increase soaks and ensure fresh water is available.
Generally, your tortoise should poop white stuff, or urates, a few times a week. If you notice that he’s pooping urates more frequently, reduce the proteins that your offering. Sulcatas should have a low protein diet. Too much proteins can cause the kidneys to work harder than they need to, causing health problems down the line.
Normal urates should be a light color, so if you notice dark urates, whether a dark yellow-brown or a green-yellow color, something could be wrong with the sulcata’s liver.
Always make sure to check your tortoise’s poop. It sounds gross, but healthy waste generally means you have a healthy tortoise. Just keep in mind if your tortoise pooped white stuff, you don’t necessarily have a sick tortoise in your care.
