When coir is used in an enclosed environment, it evaporates moisture continually into the air within the unit, especially when heated, raising the ambient humidity dramatically. In a 1.2M X 60cm X 60cm test enclosure with a single 60W heat lamp at one end (not a type of enclosure we recommend at...
The answer is very simple, you don't even need to be a medical professional to figure it out.
Coco coir fibres with humidity that high is causing respiratory infection, which they are not strong enough to fight yet.
Sudden swelling or puffiness of the flash is called edema and constitutes a medical emergency. It suggests renal and/or pulmonary disease which needs urgent vet attention to not be fatal. I hope he'll be alright. Good luck 👍
Completely wrong advice you are right. That diet would suit a I think a red foot or sulcata tortoise but not horsfield. Unfortunately vets government out general advice bit unless they specialised in a species they wouldn't have a clue. There's so many species out there its impossible to know...
Dear @Cyrtor, @Polkadot and @The_Four_Toed_Edward,
Regarding substrate..... I'm not the one to advise anything off the top of my head as I base my knowledge on science based research and personally do everything I can to mimic my tortoises natural habitat. It does boil my blood when people...
Hey, here's some bits of advice as I'm in the UK too and have a Hermanns who's very healthy and content.
Regarding the slate, you should never put it under any heat source as it can burn your tortoise badly. They only need the slate to eat from, to file beak and nails not to bask so feel free...