# Help!! I'm really scared!! (soak water got cold)



## Bogie=babyDINO (Dec 15, 2015)

I gave my 8 month old sulcata a soak in the sick and I completely forgot about him while doing things around the house. The water got super cold and he was in there for about an hour!! When I found him is was very cold and his eyes didn't look healthy like they normally do and I saw a bubble come out of his nose. I'm freaking out. I feel like a horrible mother. I warmed him up and turned his temps up to 89. Is he gonna be okay? What an hour in cold water going to make him sick or kill him?! Please help what else should I do?


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## wellington (Dec 15, 2015)

Just keep him warm. I did the same thing when my leopard was an itty bitty, and 4 and a half years later he is fine.
When he is acting normal, put the temp back down to 80. Hey, your not terrible, your human and things happen. He should be just fine.


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## Bogie=babyDINO (Dec 15, 2015)

wellington said:


> Just keep him warm. I did the same thing when my leopard was an itty bitty, and 4 and a half years later he is fine.
> When he is acting normal, put the temp back down to 80. Hey, your not terrible, your human and things happen. He should be just fine.


Oh thank you Wellington! I was so scared Im sure its gonna kill him. Poor little thing. He seems to be acting okay but I'll keep the temp up for a few days. Thank you


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## jaizei (Dec 15, 2015)

How cold is your house? Unless you live in an igloo, room temperature water shouldn't hurt him.


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## MPRC (Dec 15, 2015)

We've all done it...my bearded dragon had dozens of cold baths in his extra long lifespan. Just watch him for changes in his behavior, but you should be fine. Set a timer next time, I used to do that constantly with my pets.


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## dmmj (Dec 15, 2015)

just make sure he's warm one cold bath isn't going to kill him. He may not have liked it but no permanent harm should result.


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## W Shaw (Dec 17, 2015)

Makes me wonder if I'm a totally overprotective mother. I've just had my first tortoise (a rescue) for a couple of months, and when he has his bath, I sit on the floor next to him and watch him the whole time, just in case the depth of the water magically doubles and drowns him or aliens try to abduct him or something.


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 17, 2015)

Hey don't worry about it, we have all done something we think is terrible. Try leaving a box turtle in a tub of water overnight. That's guilt for ya, and she's still fine today.


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## Kori5 (Dec 18, 2015)

W Shaw said:


> Makes me wonder if I'm a totally overprotective mother. I've just had my first tortoise (a rescue) for a couple of months, and when he has his bath, I sit on the floor next to him and watch him the whole time, just in case the depth of the water magically doubles and drowns him or aliens try to abduct him or something.


I do the same thing


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## Loohan (Dec 18, 2015)

maggie3fan said:


> Hey don't worry about it, we have all done something we think is terrible. Try leaving a box turtle in a tub of water overnight. That's guilt for ya, and she's still fine today.



Actually, some refer to boxies as semi-terrestrial, or semi-aquatic. My little 3-toed doesn't mind long stints in (warmish) water.
According to http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/avoidbox.html (i disregard the nutrition advice)
"The Three-toed box turtle (_T. carolina triunguis_) is particularly fond of water, and really behaves as a semi-aquatic turtle." Yes, i have noticed this. He can't submerge at all even to chomp a tempting superworm. He sometimes floats lazily for hours, calmly staring into space as though it took no effort at all to hold his head up.
Once in the summer of 2014 when kept him in a warm outbuilding, i'm pretty sure he spent the whole night floating in his bowl.


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## dmmj (Dec 18, 2015)

it's true my boxes and red foot love water, but they prefer it warm


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## Tom (Dec 18, 2015)

Bogie=babyDINO said:


> I gave my 8 month old sulcata a soak in the sick and I completely forgot about him while doing things around the house. The water got super cold and he was in there for about an hour!! When I found him is was very cold and his eyes didn't look healthy like they normally do and I saw a bubble come out of his nose. I'm freaking out. I feel like a horrible mother. I warmed him up and turned his temps up to 89. Is he gonna be okay? What an hour in cold water going to make him sick or kill him?! Please help what else should I do?



This is no big deal. Shouldn't do any harm at all. I frequently soak all of mine for an hour.


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 18, 2015)

Kori5 said:


> I do the same thing



I care for about 15 turtles and tortoises, so babysitting them in a soak is too time consuming for me or any keeper with numerous animals. I put a sick turtle in for a soak and clean his habitat and add his breakfast. I do that for numerous sick or disabled chelonia, so I'm too busy to make sure they don't drown or something. The water up to the bridge is the key. Most of my animals have their own water dish to swim in etc. But I soak the sick ones at times in antibiotic water. Put a light over the container, and the water will stay warm. My box turtles all soak themselves. Or I soak the sick ones, they love water, boxies that is.


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## Kori5 (Dec 18, 2015)

maggie3fan said:


> I care for about 15 turtles and tortoises, so babysitting them in a soak is too time consuming for me or any keeper with numerous animals. I put a sick turtle in for a soak and clean his habitat and add his breakfast. I do that for numerous sick or disabled chelonia, so I'm too busy to make sure they don't drown or something. The water up to the bridge is the key. Most of my animals have their own water dish to swim in etc. But I soak the sick ones at times in antibiotic water. Put a light over the container, and the water will stay warm. My box turtles all soak themselves. Or I soak the sick ones, they love water, boxies that is.


I will try with the light over .Its just that he trys to escape from the container so it makes me wonder if he could fall and get hurt ( I know I'm being irrational). I think that is just a newish owner thing and I really hope I'll loosen up and stop worrying about every little thing . It takes time, doesn't it? To know him, let him know me, his habits, all the little things .


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## MPRC (Dec 18, 2015)

What sort of container are you soaking in? If it is see through that might be part of why your tort struggles, that or if it is too warm or too cool.


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 18, 2015)

It should also be escape proof. Just put the water up to his 'bridge'. That's where the plastron (bottom shell) meets the carapace (top shell). It's almost right 
in the middle, warm water and a light and a good long soak is good. Stop worrying, tortoises have wandered the earth for thousands of years.....
course, when people got ahold of them they got all screwed up. But so many people are trying to make it right, now....


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## Kori5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Its not see through, it is a nice size and I soak in baby warm water, change when it starts to cool. So that is not the issue. Also water reaches the bridge .He just doesn't like soaking, I think it is unatural to him as he is a Hermann. I'm just worrying too much .


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 20, 2015)

I have a female adult Hermanni, she gets in the water, poops almost within 5 minutes, then she's done. In the 7 or 8 years I've had her I have never seen her drink. She poops, then she wants out. The way she poops, I can't blame her. But I soak her and she has a pot saucer for water in her house habitat. I think that we offer the food, soaks etc. IF they are healthy and normally well fed, the tort is happy etc. I offer them what they need, soaks, different types of food etc they either want it or they don't. Just like us. So, she does what she wants and I offer her what she needs. In my opinion, Hermanni are easy keepers...
Your guy doesn't like his soaks, too bad! He needs them to live. For young tortoises water is a life or death situation. Some tuff love to him.....


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## Tom (Dec 20, 2015)

1. The container needs to be tall sided, opaque and escape proof. If you are worried about him climbing out and falling, then you are using the wrong container.
2. What makes you think hermanni are any different than any other tortoise species when it comes to water and soaking? It rains where they come from and they drink and self soak in puddles just like every other species. Soaking is very natural for them.


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## Kori5 (Dec 20, 2015)

It is just like you described. I will post a picture of him while soaking. I don't know why he hates it so much if it is natural but I have to say I read everywhere about people complaining about their Hermanns hating their soaks. I live in the Med, see Hermanns in their natural habitat and here it rains rarely. Maybe once a month. I think it makes him scared when put in a container with water from which he cannot escape . I'm not arguing just feel that it is different when they are free to choose what they like.


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## Kori5 (Dec 20, 2015)

I do plan to soak him every other day because I feel it is important even if he doesn't like it . I did hope he'll get used to it after all these months.


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 20, 2015)

Good girl!


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