Tortoise is not eating.

Sharonnepon

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Hello, i have a 20 months old russian tortoise named Yoshi. In the beginning he ate very good every day. But for the last 2 weeks he hasn't been eating at all and he is sleeping all day in his cave. I read that he maby is having a summer rest but i am worried that he is losing to much weight. Is he sick ? What can i do to make him eat again.

I attached a photo of Yoshi.

ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1504543597.189743.jpg
 

Ed mitch

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Hello, i have a 20 months old russian tortoise named Yoshi. In the beginning he ate very good every day. But for the last 2 weeks he hasn't been eating at all and he is sleeping all day in his cave. I read that he maby is having a summer rest but i am worried that he is losing to much weight. Is he sick ? What can i do to make him eat again.

I attached a photo of Yoshi.

View attachment 217381
What sort of substate are you using? I recommend orchid bark
 

Eduardo Hernandez

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Yes, please get rid of that sand. If temperatures have been rising where you live, it could be summer estivation. I know my Russian is sleeping more often now that our temps are reaching 100 degrees.
 

Sharonnepon

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Hello, we used sand but replaced it this weekend with coco peat. I live in Holland and it is arround 68 degrees. I use a baking spot and a uv lamp. We give him only natural food and he has a water bowl. He lost 13 grams in 2.5 weeks. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1504554451.788614.jpg

The picture is of the coco peat we put in. He had coconuts and a wooden house he can hide in now.
 

Gillian M

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Welcome to the forum @Sharonnepon .

Is it warm enough? Please keep in mind that these cute little creatures are cold-blooded and are in need of relatively high temperatures.

I do not think that glass/transparent enclosures (so as to say) are recommended, as torts do not understand the concept of glass and would keep struggling to get out.
 

Sharonnepon

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I havent seen him acting crazy near the windows he was always just walking, eating and sunning. It is arround 80-85 degrees in his terrarium and arround 90-95 under his basking spot.
 

Ed mitch

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I havent seen him acting crazy near the windows he was always just walking, eating and sunning. It is arround 80-85 degrees in his terrarium and arround 90-95 under his basking spot.
Thanks for changing the substrate, for the glass if you put a line of tape around the outside the outside rim to stop him seeing through. If a Tortoise can see through something they believe they can go through it!
 

Sharonnepon

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Okay, but is that the reason why he is not eating and sleeping all day? Cause im really worried about that.
 

Gillian M

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I havent seen him acting crazy near the windows he was always just walking, eating and sunning. It is arround 80-85 degrees in his terrarium and arround 90-95 under his basking spot.
That definitely is good news.
 

Sharonnepon

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We didn't at first but we are for about a week now. He eats after he had his bath but then he goes back to his cave and sleeps all day and then eats nothing the next day.
 

Sharonnepon

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Ed mitch ; no we dont the humidity is very high and he always feels a little wet (i dont know how to discripe it)
 

Sharonnepon

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Gillian moore ; he ate once after bathing and he doesnt eat much so he eats once a week right know but he lost 13 grams and he hasnt eat in 2.5 weeks or some so i was/am really worried. He normally ate a lot every day
 
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Gillian moore ; he ate once after bathing and he doesnt eat much so he eats once a week right know but he lost 13 grams and he hasnt eat in 2.5 weeks or some so i was/am really worried. He normally ate a lot every day
hi there! what do you feed him normally? How much does he weigh (he went from what to what in 2 weeks)? There is a really good care sheet on this forum for Russians which you should definitely check out - but first I would see a vet. It seems to me that his temperatures may be too hot if the coolest is 80. He should have a range of temps from about low/mid 70s at one end of his home up to mid 80s at the other end with a hotter basking spot. Also, he should have a cool down at night (so no heat lamps) and he can drop to the 60s (this is all in the care sheet). You also want to make sure you are keeping him humid. Does he have water available all the time? Is he sleeping in a dry or humid hide? I think all these things are important to know but if he hasn't eaten ANYTHING in two weeks, it's time to visit a vet. I think that is the first thing you should do.
 

Sharonnepon

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The lamps are off at nights and he has water available at all time. It is also humid and i think he is sleeping in a humid hide. We feed him dandelion flowers and leefs, lettace, tomatos, cumcumber and other wild greens. He now sometimes eats after we bath him he did it 2 times. And he went from 76 to 63 grams.
 

Sharonnepon

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I dont know, could be. We bath him now and he poops when he is in the bath and that looks normal.
 

Gillian M

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Gillian moore ; he ate once after bathing and he doesnt eat much so he eats once a week right know but he lost 13 grams and he hasnt eat in 2.5 weeks or some so i was/am really worried. He normally ate a lot every day
I'm sorry to hear you are worried.

Are you sure that your tort is warm enough? If he is not, then he definitely will not eat.

Please keep us updated.
 
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