understandind rehydration.

cogsred · 03-10-2012, 10:02 PM

The importance of hydration for tortoises is frequently stressed, and if i've got it right, its beneficial to bathe them for 20 odd minutes each day - creating an opportunity for our pets to drink. However, i believe i've seen a few references on the forum to tortoises rehydrating in a bath situation even if they are refusing to drink. my question is, can this be so? do tortoises absorb fluids diectly into their bodies when they are partially immersed, or am i misunderstanding something? One person has indicated the benefit of bathing in something called reptiboost, even if the creature is refusing liquids.

Sorry if i'm a bit confused.

Ozric Jonathan · 03-10-2012, 11:34 PM

Hi Cogsred

when we discussed this before, some keepers were sure that a tortoise can absorb water in the bath via the cloaca. Others said this is not the case and only turtles have this ability.

Many many people including some vets etc believe that a tortoise can absorb water via the cloaca but it seems to me it's not proved either way. Some people have tried weighing them before and after bathing but to my mind that's not conclusive.

As you say, its a chance to drink. Some of us reckon that our tortoises take some water in through the mouth in the bath even when it doesn't look like they are drinking.

I think it was accepted that the tortoise does not absorb water through it's skin.

I don't bath my bigger ones very much. They know where the water is and they do drink it. I do bath tiny ones quite a lot.

Hope this helps a bit!

burnt toast · 03-10-2012, 11:49 PM

I firmly believe they can absorb water by other means than just drinking. I have a hatchling who failed to thrive some years ago, that was until I started adding liquid vitamins to her bathing water. After nearly two years of being 15 grams, not gaining a single gram her growth sprang into action & she regularly gained between 1-4 grams a month thereafter, she is now a hefty 350grams!

I hardly ever saw her drink any, despite watching carefully. There is no other way I could explain the sudden ability to gain weight where as before this had proved impossible.

cogsred · 04-10-2012, 11:20 AM

Thankyou for the replies.

i've become interested in this because our newly acquired H boettgeri (two years old from Macedonia) isn't yet eating or drinking properly. Our table top environmental conditions seem to approximate those that are widely recommended, but she fails to activate herself until quite late in the day, often after dinner time. When she does finally stir i ensure that she bathes for 20 mins in warm water. No obvious drinking has occurred yet. When she is returned to the table (under the basking lamp) she warms herself and then walks about for an hour or two before returning to her selected sleep area under an earthenware pipe..

We are not overly concerned at the moment (she has only been with us for six days) because she is excreting, so she must have been eat/drinking in her previous home (maybe her land of origin?). my assumption is that she has reacted strongly to all her journeying, so needs time to settle.

i'll keep up the bathing regime etc and monitor closely. Has anyone got any suggestions on the length of time we should wait before panicking about her health?

emmajh · 04-10-2012, 01:00 PM

I don't bath my adults often unless they are dirty and have been rolling in poo! Or they are ill. Usually every couple of weeks .
As your tortoise is new it will take a while to settle in, I would try to get a poo sample from it one morning while bathing and take it straight to vet for analysis to ensure it doesn't have worms/parasites which can also make a tortoise sleepy and inactive. However it could just be that its anxious about its new environment. As for drinking I've had my male since april and never once seen him drink! But I know he does as when I check on him his head is all wet! Unless he's weeing on his head of course!!

Kirkie · 04-10-2012, 04:11 PM

I've got a fair bit of literture on this subject which I'll dig out later.

The answer appears to be either yes, no or maybe.

Some aquatic turtles seem to have the ability but it's used for buoyancy ballast rather than hydration purposes.

03-10-2012, 10:02 PM	#1
cogsred Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: on the Moray Firth Posts: 53	understandind rehydration. The importance of hydration for tortoises is frequently stressed, and if i've got it right, its beneficial to bathe them for 20 odd minutes each day - creating an opportunity for our pets to drink. However, i believe i've seen a few references on the forum to tortoises rehydrating in a bath situation even if they are refusing to drink. my question is, can this be so? do tortoises absorb fluids diectly into their bodies when they are partially immersed, or am i misunderstanding something? One person has indicated the benefit of bathing in something called reptiboost, even if the creature is refusing liquids. Sorry if i'm a bit confused.

03-10-2012, 11:34 PM	#2
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	Hi Cogsred when we discussed this before, some keepers were sure that a tortoise can absorb water in the bath via the cloaca. Others said this is not the case and only turtles have this ability. Many many people including some vets etc believe that a tortoise can absorb water via the cloaca but it seems to me it's not proved either way. Some people have tried weighing them before and after bathing but to my mind that's not conclusive. As you say, its a chance to drink. Some of us reckon that our tortoises take some water in through the mouth in the bath even when it doesn't look like they are drinking. I think it was accepted that the tortoise does not absorb water through it's skin. I don't bath my bigger ones very much. They know where the water is and they do drink it. I do bath tiny ones quite a lot. Hope this helps a bit! __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises Last edited by Ozric Jonathan; 03-10-2012 at 11:36 PM.

03-10-2012, 11:49 PM	#3
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,246	I firmly believe they can absorb water by other means than just drinking. I have a hatchling who failed to thrive some years ago, that was until I started adding liquid vitamins to her bathing water. After nearly two years of being 15 grams, not gaining a single gram her growth sprang into action & she regularly gained between 1-4 grams a month thereafter, she is now a hefty 350grams! I hardly ever saw her drink any, despite watching carefully. There is no other way I could explain the sudden ability to gain weight where as before this had proved impossible.

04-10-2012, 11:20 AM	#4
cogsred Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: on the Moray Firth Posts: 53	Thankyou for the replies. i've become interested in this because our newly acquired H boettgeri (two years old from Macedonia) isn't yet eating or drinking properly. Our table top environmental conditions seem to approximate those that are widely recommended, but she fails to activate herself until quite late in the day, often after dinner time. When she does finally stir i ensure that she bathes for 20 mins in warm water. No obvious drinking has occurred yet. When she is returned to the table (under the basking lamp) she warms herself and then walks about for an hour or two before returning to her selected sleep area under an earthenware pipe.. We are not overly concerned at the moment (she has only been with us for six days) because she is excreting, so she must have been eat/drinking in her previous home (maybe her land of origin?). my assumption is that she has reacted strongly to all her journeying, so needs time to settle. i'll keep up the bathing regime etc and monitor closely. Has anyone got any suggestions on the length of time we should wait before panicking about her health?

04-10-2012, 01:00 PM	#5
emmajh Member Hatched Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 446	I don't bath my adults often unless they are dirty and have been rolling in poo! Or they are ill. Usually every couple of weeks . As your tortoise is new it will take a while to settle in, I would try to get a poo sample from it one morning while bathing and take it straight to vet for analysis to ensure it doesn't have worms/parasites which can also make a tortoise sleepy and inactive. However it could just be that its anxious about its new environment. As for drinking I've had my male since april and never once seen him drink! But I know he does as when I check on him his head is all wet! Unless he's weeing on his head of course!!

04-10-2012, 04:11 PM	#6
Kirkie Senior Member Adult Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4,887	I've got a fair bit of literture on this subject which I'll dig out later. The answer appears to be either yes, no or maybe. Some aquatic turtles seem to have the ability but it's used for buoyancy ballast rather than hydration purposes.

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