Weighty matters

If urates were gold, my tortoise parents could have my vet bills covered for life!

When I said I outdid myself last night by drinking and expressing my bladder so it flushed out the urates, I was not kidding. Those urates must weigh a lot because I weigh 116 grams LESS this morning than just two days ago. Yikes! Who knew a bladder flush could add up to so much weight? (4 common ounces)

So it's obvious there's a lot of variation in my weight depending on what I've been up to. Back when I was tube feeding, a meal would equal 100 grams. And to keep things simple, so could a healthy poop. Equilibrium!

Well I'm not upset about this weight loss. Losing urates is a very good thing. Two years ago I was hauling around a bladder stone that Dr. Johnson said accounted for 1/10 of my total weight. Shudder. So I think flushing out 4 ounces of urates last night is a very good thing. I have to work hard at it because Dr. Johnson says some tortoises, especially urban tortoises, tend to make bladder stones. We don't know if it's diet, access to water or just genetics, but now that we know I have that high risk factor, we stay on top of it with soaking to promote bladder flushes and check-ups with Dr. Johnson. He can actually feel stones when they're smaller and remove them without invasive surgery. My goal, of course, is to not form another stone if I can help it. So I'm a soaking/flushing tortoise now. Who says a tortoise (of a certain age) can't learn new healthy habits? You can see what I'm trying to prevent here.

Did you know that tortoises don't drink standing water? That's why we come out if there's a chance of rain. Oh we love rainwater! We'll sip it right off the patio or when it collects in the grass. And then we store it in our special bladders that take in water from the mouth and from the cloaka. When rain comes so infrequently in the desert, it's a handy thing to be able to tank up from both ends!

The rest of the time we get water from our food and store it all until the next rain. That's why picking up a tortoise in the wild can kill them as they will flush their bladder in an attempt to protect themselves. Then the bladder is empty and they might not survive until the next rain. They don't get to soak like I do.

Grazing again!

It's been a very hot, tough couple of months and I haven't felt perky enough to graze on the grass in the yard. I either didn't come out of the burrow at all for days on end or I just sat under the Little Leaf Cordia and nibbled on dried flowers. My tortoise mom picked Desert Willow flowers for me, which I love, but that's not enough food for an adult tortoise. So I haven't been blogging and I hadn't gained any weight at all. My tortoise mom was really worried. She even coaxed me into eating a little romaine and kale while waiting for Dr. Johnson to call back last week, but he said they don't offer enough fiber so that ended that. My best bet is eating grass which has the right amount of protein, vitamins and fiber to pack on the pounds for hibernation.

Anyway, I started feeling better in the last few days and I've been coming out of the burrow to eat grass again. My tortoise mom was so happy when she found out I had gained 30 grams in just two days. Finally some progress and normal eating behavior! I know I have to tank up so they'll let me hibernate outdoors again this winter. No one wants me to have to stay indoors all winter again. So I'm eating again, but much slower than Tortellini, so I stay out in the yard longer to make up for it. She, of course, is at an ideal weight and lack of appetite has never been her problem. In fact, if she went shopping, it would have to be at Tortoise Shells Big & Tall.

Dr. Johnson rates my weight at 2.5 on a 1-5 scale with 1 being way underweight and 5 being very overweight. My goal is to hit a "3", the healthy weight, again. I haven't been at that weight since the bladder stone surgery almost two years ago. So I'm working on it!



Last night my tortoise mom gave us some strawberries. Oh what a treat! We smacked our beaks and savored every mushy bite. By the time we were finished eating, we looked like toddlers who got into their mom's lipstick. But we sure were happy!



Tonight I outdid myself when I let my tortoise mom know I needed a drink by sniffing at the ground and following her. So she filled my soaking pan and I went right to work drinking water and expressing my bladder to get rid of urates. Usually I fight the soaking pan, but not tonight. No more bladder stones for me!

By that time it was late and I was so tired I was literally dragging my shell as I lurched along heading for bed. I decided to sleep outside, tucked under the edge of some yard equipment instead of going back inside the burrow. I'm weak but I'm feeling better. I finally feel like grazing again, and that's really good news.