# HELP baby sulcata eyes closed and lethargic



## interitus (Sep 29, 2018)

Hello. My mother bought me a baby sulcata at a reptile expo today but i noticed on the way home that he never really opened his eyes, and when he did it was never all the way. i have since got him set up and let him soak for 30 mins under his lamp. He is not eating or moving.

His shell does not feel soft at all. 

Please help, is there a way i can nurse him back to health or is this a lost cause? Should I return tomorrow and demand a different tortoise?


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## interitus (Sep 29, 2018)

here is a picture of Scoot.


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## Ivan_Diaz (Sep 29, 2018)

Unfortunately I had this happened to me as well, they told me to soak it in warm water almost mouth level till it opened its eyes, and since you got it today I wouldn’t expect it to eat or move much since it’s a new environment , hopefully the warm water works and I’m sure other keepers who have more experience than me help you out as well . A picture of the enclosure would help as well


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## interitus (Sep 29, 2018)

I do not have much of an enclosure set up yet, but a man at the reptile expo was helpful in getting some some of the essentials.

He currently resides inside of a large tub that is longer that is wide. It is one of those long, not tall, boxes that you can slide under your bed. I'd say from estimates that it is 2 1/2 feet long. 

It is filled with some mulch substrate i was sold, and he has a hide away, a watering hole dish, and a lamp hanging above one end of the tub. His water tub is underneath the tub so it can be warm for him to soak in. 

I dont have pictures right now but will upload some soon. 

My father says for me to give him a few days before i make any rash decisions about going back to the expo. He could be adjusting and im just being paranoid, but any kind of help will be great.

If you pray, please pray for Scoot for the time being.


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## Maro2Bear (Sep 29, 2018)

Greetings...

It’s too bad you got the tort first, and now are scrambling to set up an enclosure that will help your sully thrive.

Proper size, heat (day and night), humidity, substrate, food, hide, and lighting are all very important. Their bodies and systems are rather fragile at this age... too hot too cold too damp all have adverse conditions.

Hope you can read this care sheet on how to raise a young hatchling

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Good luck.


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## mark1 (Sep 29, 2018)

if you can take him back for another I would suggest you do ….. should be bright eyed wide open , even if scared ………. pick one that's bright eyed wide open , sick has a way of showing up in the eyes ……… if you got to keep him , keep him at a constant 85 degrees and humid …….. a vet if he doesn't perk up soon …. myself if I felt I had to go the vet route , I run him through a round of antibiotics , just because ………….


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## KarenSoCal (Oct 2, 2018)

Is there any update on Scoot?


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## interitus (Oct 3, 2018)

sadly scoot has not improved. my father and I have been doing everything in our power, and have been following all advice we could possibly find. 
We are keeping a close eye on him. 

sorry for slow replies to this forum.


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## KarenSoCal (Oct 3, 2018)

interitus said:


> sadly scoot has not improved. my father and I have been doing everything in our power, and have been following all advice we could possibly find.
> We are keeping a close eye on him.
> 
> sorry for slow replies to this forum.


I'm sorry to hear that. We're all pulling for him. Please keep us updated.


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## interitus (Oct 4, 2018)

He has been moving about his enclosure a little more, which it makes me a tiny bit more hopeful to see him moving about at times. As far as I can tell he still won't eat, and at the rare times he does open his eyes, it's only his left. My father has begun to believe that he is blind in his right eye. I have been soaking him for around 20 mins a day, following some advice given to me, and have kept his enclosure at around 85 degrees on one side and humid. 

If Scoot does not pull through, at least I'll know he wont be passing in the conditions to vendor had him in. Which was no heat/uv lamp, no proper food for a baby, and no sun light. 

I am continuing to pray for him and so are some of my friends who know of Scoot. 

As I was typing this, he pooped. His excrement is usually black and solid looking, but this was just green liquid, it seems. Does anyone know what that change could be about? I assume his diet.

On the topic of his excrement, my father hopes that since he has been pooping, it means he's been eating at least a little, right? I am not home all day to watch him and leave him with some spring mix and some grass I pull from the front yard in the morning, and occasionally text my father to check on the little guy while im in class.

I'm considering purchasing some antibiotics for him, just in case. Do you people have any recommendations for what would help Scoot, perhaps? I spoke with a teacher about Scoot, and she said that since he is a reptile she believes that he most likely has salmonella.

I would like to thank you for sticking with this thread and helping me with Scoot. Please continue to keep Scoot in your prays.


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## Bee62 (Oct 4, 2018)

Hello,
not all reptiles have salmonella. Saying that Scoot has salmonella because he is a reptile is wrong.
He is sick from being kept in false conditions. Baby torts get quickly sick then.
Soak more often and longer ( twice a day for an hour in warm water ). Add baby carrot food to the soaking water. 
Keep the *whole* enclosure at 85 F *day and night.*
Cut his food in very small pieces to make it easier for him to eat and place him in front of the food after each soak when he is really warm.
Liquid green poop means his intestine is "empty" and he should eat.
Purchasing some antibiotics isn`t helpful because you don`t know if it is the right one for a tortoise and the dose the tort needs. Do you have a VET that is familiar with reptiles ?


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## interitus (Oct 4, 2018)

Hello Bee62,

I will begin to soak Scoot longer then, as soon as I get home I will get him soaking.

My father and I have been adjusting the lamps height to get the right temperature, so I will double check the overall enclosure after school. I also open the curtains of the window to let the heat in. My room in particular is often much hotter than the rest of the house, so once I am home I will be checking the temperature of the whole enclosure. 

This was the first time that his excrement had looked like that, so that must mean he has been eating _something_ at least, correct? I am hopeful that he has eaten some today since I had texted my father to please feed Scoot since I don't have time in the early morning when I get up to. He knows to tear up the food (in fact I bought a small chopper to easily chop the food into small pieces, just have to un-box it), and has been collecting some grass from outdoors for him.

And yes, there is one vet in town that accepts reptiles. I trust this vet, considering he is the city zoo's vet, and I have taken my rats to him before and he was very helpful. I have his number saved in my phone, but my father is a bit against taking him to the vet at this point in time because he is convinced there is no point in it (he doesn't like to spend money on _my_ animals, sighs). But I do _*not *_ share those sentiments, and am going to contact my grandmother to see if she would be willing to take Scoot and I to see visit the vet.

Thank you for your response. I appreciate everyone's help a lot. I know I am an amateur owner, but believe me I want nothing more than Scoot to be healthy and happy, and to stay that way for a long time. I am passionate about tortoises, especially sulcata's, and this have one as a companion has been a dream for me. 

If you have any more advice, tips, resources, etc, please share. And if comfortable, please pray (or anything else like that within your religious beliefs) for Scoot. 

I am hopeful he will make a good recovery.


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## KarenSoCal (Oct 4, 2018)

First, I am praying for your baby! "I am the Lord that healeth thee". Exo 15:26

I hope you have already read these, but just in case,
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

And
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

We read about so many of these babies, and I hate to say it, but the end is usually heartbreaking, not only for you, but for us as well. I become attached to these little ones who were doomed from the moment they hatched into the care of a breeder who probably just doesn't know any better.

But please don't give up on Scoot! I think you are already doing the carrot baby food soaks? I know you wrote that you are going to check his temps...double check he is warm enough and the humidity is where it should be.
Offer him anything he will eat...a safe flower maybe? Personally, I believe the rules re' what's good for him can be bent a bit when he's not eating at all.

It's my thought that you might know more than the vet! I think the reason for taking him would be to confirm that there is nothing else wrong with him other than hatchling failure. If you go, stand up for what you have read here! Ask questions, and don't be afraid to say no to a treatment you believe is wrong.

Most of all, if Scoot doesn't make it, don't beat yourself up with guilt. You have done, and are doing, everything possible!


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## Bee62 (Oct 4, 2018)

interitus said:


> Hello Bee62,
> 
> I will begin to soak Scoot longer then, as soon as I get home I will get him soaking.
> 
> ...


I am praying for your sick baby tort. It is so unfair to you that you got a sick baby. I am hoping so much that Scoot will be able to recover, but when not: It is not your fault. Please try to remember this always whatever happens with Scoot.
When you take him to the vet, please don`t let him give any vitamin shots. These shots often do more harm to a tortoise than good. When the vet recommended antibiotics it is okay but you must know that mostly all tortoises stop eating when they get antibiotic shots.
Do you know Scoots weight ? How does the shell of Scoot feels? Does it feel a little bit like a sponge ? Baby torts have not such a hard shell but the shell shouldn`t feel like a sponge.
Please don`t forget to add the baby carrot food to Scoots soaking water. Torts can absorb a little bit of nutriets through the skin.


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## TammyJ (Oct 4, 2018)

You are getting a lot of wonderful good advice and help here and obviously you care very much for the little guy! I really wish he would recover, and as has been said, if he does not make it, you will know that you did your very best and it was no fault of yours and your Dad's. Good luck!


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## interitus (Oct 4, 2018)

Thank you all for your kind words. They mean a lot to me, so much in this moment. I have just gotten home, and was told by my father I had to go see him because my father feared for the worst when he wasn't responding when he fed him.

I knew the moment I saw him that Scoot was no longer with us. I am completely devastated, because a creature so young didn't deserve to be so ill and to die this early on, especially a creature with the life span of a tortoise. 

I will be giving him a proper burial because I believe that all living creatures deserve to be given back to the earth.

I am doing my best to remember your words that you all go through this at some point, and that I shouldn't blame myself. I know that the vendor was not taking care of those babies at all, and I know that I did everything I possibly could, prayed hard, and did my best to help Scoot make it. But a higher power had different plans for him, I suppose.

Once again, thank you to everyone who replied to this thread to help me. May Scoot rest easy in heaven.


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## lilly_sand99 (Oct 4, 2018)

I'm sorry honey. This is the hardest part of getting a new pet. Especially when you put in every effort to be better than the best, and you are told there was nothing more you could do. I think that's the hardest part. I am sorry. I don't have the words to make it better. But I think you should do the research to find a healthy tortoise and try one more time.


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## vladimir (Oct 4, 2018)

I'm so sorry for your loss [emoji45]


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## KarenSoCal (Oct 4, 2018)

I am so very sorry you, your dad, and Scoot had to experience this!
Please don't let this awful thing sour you on having a sully.
When you're ready, get one from one of the breeders on this forum. You will not have to live through this ordeal again.
Sending hugs to you...[emoji847]


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## TammyJ (Oct 5, 2018)

interitus said:


> Thank you all for your kind words. They mean a lot to me, so much in this moment. I have just gotten home, and was told by my father I had to go see him because my father feared for the worst when he wasn't responding when he fed him.
> 
> I knew the moment I saw him that Scoot was no longer with us. I am completely devastated, because a creature so young didn't deserve to be so ill and to die this early on, especially a creature with the life span of a tortoise.
> 
> ...


RIP Scoot, and I am sure he will! Thank you.


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## Bee62 (Oct 5, 2018)

I am so sorry for your loss.
RIP little Scoot.


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## Arzu78 (Oct 6, 2018)

The same exact thing happened to me with my Jack, what a feeling of helplessness watching your baby lose his battle. We tried, Jack tried, which is why re-gaining my peace day by day to move on and taking care of Lizzy. So sorry for your loss [emoji17][emoji17][emoji17]


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## interitus (Oct 6, 2018)

I'm sorry for your loss, Arzu78. I wish Lizzy the best of health!

And thank you to everyone else who shared their condolences.


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## Bee62 (Oct 7, 2018)

Arzu78 said:


> The same exact thing happened to me with my Jack, what a feeling of helplessness watching your baby lose his battle. We tried, Jack tried, which is why re-gaining my peace day by day to move on and taking care of Lizzy. So sorry for your loss [emoji17][emoji17][emoji17]


It is heartbreaking to see a young tortoise slowly die and that`s only because someone kept them in wrong conditions before you got the tort.
I am sorry for your loss Arzu78.


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## Arzu78 (Oct 7, 2018)

Bee62 said:


> It is heartbreaking to see a young tortoise slowly die and that`s only because someone kept them in wrong conditions before you got the tort.
> I am sorry for your loss Arzu78.


Thank you, let’s keep posting so we can help people in the same predicament ...


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