What do healthy stools look like?
A healthy tortoise produces quite firm, well formed feces. If they contain undigested food, or are runny, then the possibility of parasites should be ruled by sending a sample to your local reptile vet to be checked under a powerful microscope. If no parasites are detected then a low fiber diet is the likely culprit. This can be avoided by taking care to feed coarser foodstuffs that are closer to the diet of the species in its natural habitat. Feeding too much fruit, especially to species that wouldn’t encounter much naturally, can also cause diarrhea. Frequency of defecation obviously varies depending on how much the tortoise is eating. If they appear to be straining to produce feces (or haven’t gone for several days) try more frequent and prolonged bathing, which can ease mild cases of constipation. Providing butternut squash to eat can also ease constipation, but should not be fed routinely. If this fails to encourage defecation, a trip to the vet is necessary to rule out the possib
