New here & need help with baby sulcata not eating, etc.

km1913 said:

I have read a lot of post here. I know a sick sulcata isn't unique, but I am really hoping I can nurse her back to health.

Problems:
- hasn't eaten since I've owned her (9/22/18)
- rarely opens eyes except while soaking
- have only seen one poop
- bottom of shell is starting to get soft (noticed 9/28)
- not very active

What I have tried:
- started soaking daily 9/23
- started soaks with Vitasol 9/25 - 9/29, then started again 10/5
- started zoo med turtle eye drops once daily 9/28
- baby food soaks 1-2 times a day 9/29
- force feed zilla jump-start once 9/29
- put zilla jump-start dissolved in soaks from 9/30 to 10/3
- started adding Fluker's Liquid Calcium to soaks 10/5

Set-up:
- 40 gal reptile tank with screen lid
- MVB solar glo 100w
- ceramic heater w/ thermostat at 80 9/29 to 10/3, at 85 starting 10/4 ***was getting to 76 at night before ceramic
heater was added
- covered screen of lid with foil 10/5 (immediate, large improvement in humidity and overall temp)
- hide: zoo med haba hut with sphagnum moss, half buried in substrate
- substrate: 1/2 coco fiber, 1/2 peat moss, getting orchid mulch 10/6
- small basking rock
- 2 medium terra cotta dishes: one for food, the other for a shallow water dish
- small dish of planted wheat grass
- cool side temp 80-90,
- hot side temp 90-105
- misting entire tank well 1-2 times per day
Food:
- breeder said she fed her green leaf lettuce
- what I have offered:
> spring mix
> mashed strawberry
> watermelon
> grass clippings from outside
> hosta leaves
> wheat grass
> spinach
> baby kale
> shaved carrots
> cucumber slices
> clover
> mashed raspberry
- she will not eat anything
- I put her in food dish and she will walk to other side of tank
- I put a piece of cuttlebone in her dish. Have not tried to scrape it onto food yet only because she isn't even eating
the food

Other Important Notes:
- I live in Ohio and it is too cold to take her outside right now, limits food options
- she was not active, was not eating the food in tank, did not have eyes open when she was purchased
- have contacted breeder but not much advice offered
- baby food baths show some improvement in condition, but she still won't eat
- will move half way across tank, but then lay there for 6 hours (have video camera for when we are not home)
- soaks are 30 min long and done under lamp to keep the bath warm, she is then rinsed in a clean bath
- lights are on from 7-9 to allow me to get a soak in at 7am (before I have to leave) and at 8pm (the latest I get
home) with a 30 min window for her to dry off before the solar glo goes off
- did 3 baby food soaks today. plan to do 3 daily the rest of the weekend with baby food, vita sol, and liquid calcium


Questions:
- Is there some kind of food I can offer that might be more enticing? She has not showed interest in food at all since
I got her
- Is there anything else I can do to help her pull through?
- Should I keep using the eye drops?
- Do you know what is wrong with her?View attachment 253409 View attachment 253410 View attachment 253411 View attachment 253412 View attachment 253413 View attachment 253414

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km1913 said:

Sorry I haven't been on in a while!! She is still alive. We are still bathing her 3 times a day. We got a very large poo on Monday and a small poo on Wednesday. We have noticed her taking very long drinks during her baths for the past couple of days, but she is still not very active when she is not in a bath. She opens her eyes just fine while bathing but I still have not seen her with open eyes when she is in her tank. I think she isn't very fond of us because she is much more active when we are not home, but in the little time lapses we take I can't tell if her eyes are open or if she is eating. I don't think she is eating or if she is it is very little. I'm not sure how to encourage her to eat anything. Should I try baby food that has spinach in it to encourage her to eat greens like Gerber Peas, Carrots, and Spinach? I think the baths are definitely keeping her alive, I'm just really concerned about how to transition her to solids.

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km1913 said:

Shell B passed away this morning :'(

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km1913 said:

Shell B passed away this morning :'(

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km1913 said:

Shell B passed away this morning :'(

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Emily Contreras said:

I'm not sure what to tell you, but I hope he gets through it! His eyes look a little bit sunken in, he was most likely dry started, have you tried taking him outside alot? My baby was like that when I got him, but now he is good after some morning sun

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Arzu78 said:

Hi, he died

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