My 60 year old Turtle

Question

frank 3 weeks ago   Hello, two weeks ago a gardener put scouts tuff and weed killer on our lawn...Frank might have eating MAYBE three bites of grass after it was put down.  I had him out and in a pin in our yard..and have been hand feeding and he was lots of water.  But today two weeks later he has a loose stool.  Two things 1. do you think it could have taken two weeks to get sick, or is it being off grass and being hand feed? He seems happy and regular to me! 2. How long will he have to be kept off of the lawn.  We flooded the yard the very afternoon it happened...and have watered everyday since and have had the grass cut two times.  Thank you for any help you can give me.  I have had Frank since 1974 and he and I are 61 this year...I love him with all of my heart.  Help me in Torrance California

Answer
Terry, I think you have a tortoise, rather than a turtle. Maybe a CA. Desert Tortoise?

Depending on the chemical toxin involved, and the concentration that was on those three bites he took, it could take some time to have full toxic effect. Reptiles have slow metabolism and so medications and poisons often don't act as immediately as for mammals and birds. A tortoise, being herbivorous, also relies on a certain type of fermentation digestion, and the gut transit is often slower than for carnivores.

It's also similarly likely that a rapid change in diet has caused the loose stools, as such changes can sometimes adversely affect gut flora.

Is the new diet you are hand feeding composed of enough dry matter such as hay, flowers, grasses, or are you feeding a lot of fruits and veggies that have high water content?

What do his urates/urine look like? Do you see a chalky white residue that is normal? Or are you seeing an off-white, green, or brownish urate in the urine? This could indicate kidney dysfunction from poisoning as a possibility.

Please respond with the answers to those questions.

If he in any way slows down his activity or appetite, or there is off colored urates, then there is cause for concern, and a trip to a vet would be warranted immediately. By the time symptoms present sufficient for the layperson to observe something wrong in a reptile, there is often ZERO time to wait to be seen by a vet. In fact, taking him as a preventative measure would be advisable, IF you know a vet there who has a great deal of experience with tortoises. I know that in CA. there are such vets, and you might contact some of the turtle and tortoise rescue societies out there to get their recommendation.

CA. Turtle & Tortoise Club www.tortoise.org
San Diego Turtle & Tortoise Society www.sdturtle.org
American Tortoise Rescue (Malibu) www.tortoise.com or www.facebook.com/AmericanTortoiseRescue

In the meantime, standard practice for dealing with a possible environmental contaminant/poisoning is to increase hydration so as to aid in protecting the liver and kidneys, so the loose stools may not necessarily be a bad thing in helping him clear what he ingested....IF his loose stool is a result of a more water filled diet or change in diet RATHER THAN a result of a toxin. The answers to those above questions will tell me more.

If he presents with symptoms of poisoning, a veterinarian can infuse him with a chelation IV.