No growth for 8 months???

Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
I’ve had King for 8 months. I had him in a 60 gallon enclosure, and kept heat and humidity under control. For the past eight months I don’t see any growth or weight gain... I’ve always fed him a handful of food but he never finished it. I’m worried if I’m doing something wrong..? He always had a UVB lamp on and heat was on 24/7 I gave him baths twice a week and he went outside almost everyday. Can someone please send a growth chart or tell me if I’m doing something wrong? When we bought him he was about 1-3 months old. He’s about 4” long and his diameter is like 7”. He’s a Red Foot Tortoise bought from Petco.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
Sometimes he doesn’t even eat the food I give him, when he doesn’t I try to give him mango, watermelon, papaya, etc but he still won’t eat anything... am I doing something wrong raising him? Do I need to get him a new home that can take better care of him? Please help me I’m losing my patience and I don’t know what to do... I haven’t seen a single reptile vet here in Montgomery since I arrived so I can’t find anyone to help him. Please I need replies if anyone is in Montgomery and knows a REPTILE VET.
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
I’ve had King for 8 months. I had him in a 60 gallon enclosure, and kept heat and humidity under control. For the past eight months I don’t see any growth or weight gain... I’ve always fed him a handful of food but he never finished it. I’m worried if I’m doing something wrong..? He always had a UVB lamp on and heat was on 24/7 I gave him baths twice a week and he went outside almost everyday. Can someone please send a growth chart or tell me if I’m doing something wrong? When we bought him he was about 1-3 months old. He’s about 4” long and his diameter is like 7”. He’s a Red Foot Tortoise bought from Petco.
Something isn't right if he hasn't grown in 8 months? Do you weigh him? Has there been no weight gain at all?
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Sometimes he doesn’t even eat the food I give him, when he doesn’t I try to give him mango, watermelon, papaya, etc but he still won’t eat anything... am I doing something wrong raising him? Do I need to get him a new home that can take better care of him? Please help me I’m losing my patience and I don’t know what to do... I haven’t seen a single reptile vet here in Montgomery since I arrived so I can’t find anyone to help him. Please I need replies if anyone is in Montgomery and knows a REPTILE VET.
Montgomery where? Alabama, or is it a part of Mexico City?
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
Something isn't right if he hasn't grown in 8 months? Do you weigh him? Has there been no weight gain at all?
Thanks for replying, no every time I weigh him it stays the same at 1.1 lbs. Since I got him he hasn’t grown an inch and he’s about 10 months old now. I see how big yearling tortoises are and he doesn’t even compare to them. I’m trying to find a vet in Montgomery for now to help us, he also hardly eats anything I put in front him now and doesn’t drink anything even if I soak him for 30 mins in warm water.
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
Thanks for replying, no every time I weigh him it stays the same at 1.1 lbs. Since I got him he hasn’t grown an inch and he’s about 10 months old now. I see how big yearling tortoises are and he doesn’t even compare to them. I’m trying to find a vet in Montgomery for now to help us, he also hardly eats anything I put in front him now and doesn’t drink anything even if I soak him for 30 mins in warm water.
If he truly is a yearling that actually sounds about right. My youngest one gained about 400 grams in the first year.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
Thanks for the clarification. There are several good reptile vets in Atlanta if you want to take a drive.
King has recently been flying from MX to the USA and was on a 10 hr drive to get here... I don’t know if he can take another drive or if it’s the stress of the moving that caused this
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Thanks for replying, no every time I weigh him it stays the same at 1.1 lbs. Since I got him he hasn’t grown an inch and he’s about 10 months old now. I see how big yearling tortoises are and he doesn’t even compare to them. I’m trying to find a vet in Montgomery for now to help us, he also hardly eats anything I put in front him now and doesn’t drink anything even if I soak him for 30 mins in warm water.
1.1 pounds sounds pretty heavy for a 10 month old Redfoot Tortoise. Is that the correct weight? @Toddrickfl1 What do you think of that weight? Also is 4" large for one that age?
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
If he truly is a yearling that actually sounds about right. My youngest one gained about 400 grams in the first year.
Oh really? I couldn’t find a growth chart to confirm the weight and size of yearling tortoises so I just looked at images off google. If he’s at the right weight I shouldn’t worry too much about it right? I don’t know about the eating and drinking though, do I just wait until he settles down from all the stress of flying from MX to USA (6 hr flight + a 10 hr drive) Is it stress that makes his appetite go away?
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Oh really? I couldn’t find a growth chart to confirm the weight and size of yearling tortoises so I just looked at images off google. If he’s at the right weight I shouldn’t worry too much about it right? I don’t know about the eating and drinking though, do I just wait until he settles down from all the stress of flying from MX to USA (6 hr flight + a 10 hr drive) Is it stress that makes his appetite go away?
Yes, tortoises don't like changes very much. Often they will not eat for a couple of weeks or sometimes even a month after they have been moved to a new place. I had one tortoise which didn't move from the spot it was in for 4 weeks after I got it. I soaked it daily, then put it down in its pen and it never moved or ate after being soaked. Finally after 4 weeks, it just started walking around and eating like nothing had ever happened.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
Yes, tortoises don't like changes very much. Often they will not eat for a couple of weeks or sometimes even a month after they have been moved to a new place. I had one tortoise which didn't move from the spot it was in for 4 weeks after I got it. I soaked it daily, then put it down in its pen and it never moved or ate after being soaked. Finally after 4 weeks, it just started walking around and eating like nothing had ever happened.
Thank you so much for this reply helps a lot to know that this kind of stuff is just hard on him and he isn’t really sick with infections or anything.. I’ll try to soak him as much as possible and feed his regular amount of food until he’s ready to be open and eat again :) Thanks for the help ?? @Toddrickfl1 and @zovick
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
King has recently been flying from MX to the USA and was on a 10 hr drive to get here... I don’t know if he can take another drive or if it’s the stress of the moving that caused this
Did you fly on a commercial airline? Did you carry the tortoise onto the plane with you? If so, did the flight attendants know you had it? How did you get through TSA or another security checkpoint with it?

I tried to carry on a tortoise in an airline approved dog kennel but was told I could not carry on a tortoise. Dogs, cats, and birds were allowed to be carried on, but not tortoises. It made no sense to me.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
Did you fly on a commercial airline? Did you carry the tortoise onto the plane with you? If so, did the flight attendants know you had it? How did you get through TSA or another security checkpoint with it?

I tried to carry on a tortoise in an airline approved dog kennel but was told I could not carry on a tortoise. Dogs, cats, and birds were allowed to be carried on, but not tortoises. It made no sense to me.
We’ve called several airlines before traveling with him, we were tempted to give him away to a new family since no airlines were taking him. But after many calls Aeromexico (MX airline) allowed these animals on boar because my psychiatrist wrote him down as my emotional support animal. When we got to the us we had to hire a driver to get us from Chicago to Montgomery after we arrived because no Us airlines took him even as an emotional support animal. ??‍♀️ Long trips also doesn’t make sense to me why tortoises aren’t allowed on airlines like they aren’t bothering nobody and they’re as quiet as a mouse compared to cats, dogs, and birds.
About the TSA security, they took him out the bag and just looked at him lol, as long as we had the Ok from Aeromexico it was okay to get through the gate.
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
We’ve called several airlines before traveling with him, we were tempted to give him away to a new family since no airlines were taking him. But after many calls Aeromexico (MX airline) allowed these animals on boar because my psychiatrist wrote him down as my emotional support animal. When we got to the us we had to hire a driver to get us from Chicago to Montgomery after we arrived because no Us airlines took him even as an emotional support animal. ??‍♀️ Long trips also doesn’t make sense to me why tortoises aren’t allowed on airlines like they aren’t bothering nobody and they’re as quiet as a mouse compared to cats, dogs, and birds.
Yes, my sentiments exactly. Plus no other passengers are allergic to tortoises as they could be to the dogs, cats, and birds.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
I read that the airlines have limited emotional support animals to dogs and cats. The emotional support ploy was being abused to the point that people thought they could bring any animal on board.

The straw that broke the camel's back was a woman who brought her pot bellied pig.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
I read that the airlines have limited emotional support animals to dogs and cats. The emotional support ploy was being abused to the point that people thought they could bring any animal on board.

The straw that broke the camel's back was a woman who brought her pot bellied pig.
I didn’t know about that.. I feel really bad now because I might have abused the system... My psychiatrist and therapist wrote him as my emotional support animal just for the flight to get him there but he’s my household pet... oh no..! ?
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
I didn’t know about that.. I feel really bad now because I might have abused the system... My psychiatrist and therapist wrote him as my emotional support animal just for the flight to get him there but he’s my household pet... oh no..! ?
I don't think you need to feel bad. Any one of us would do what was necessary to keep our pets.

But a pig? That was a bit much. ?
 

mastershake

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
585
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
people try to get away with all sorts of animals. locally the airport has seen snakes, gerbils, ferrets, baby alligator etc etc people try to label them as support animals and ill bet soon they may stop all but dogs and maybe cats. its like the old one bad apple ruins it type thing if u know what I mean
 

New Posts

Top