13 y/o sulcata weighs 5lbs. HELP!

California_sultan

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Sh3wulf said:
that is animal abuse.
You said your husband is caring and a fantastic father, possibly pointing out to him that he is showing your children that neglecting a living creature is acceptable will snap him out of whatever world he has deluded himself in. It's a tough call cause sometimes you are trying to keep the peace in the household, but that tortoise is in desperate need of proper care and attention and not ensuring that it gets the help it needs is both your responsibilities.

Thank you for your words of wisdom. And you hit the nail on the head (trying to keep peace in the household). I always looked at the situation as *his responsibility, but now I see that by allowing it to continue without taking action I am just as much at fault :-(


Laura said:
DO you have a yard? one with grass? someplace to build a more suitable enclosure? I doubt Safari West would take him.. do they have tortoise?
You should go to your local feed store and see if you can get a partial Bale of Grass Hay. Or go to walmart and in the Section where they sell rabbit stuff.. buy a bag of Timothy Grass Hay. See if Sultan will eat that. Go to the Grocery store and get Spring Mix, Sprinkle it over the hay.. he is starving.... so he will probably eat it.

We do have a yard. S/O has been saying for a couple years that he'd build a large (proper!) enclosure, but it hasn't happened. Safari West does have some torts, I am going to reach out today and see what they say. In the meantime, I will follow your advice about the grass hay, etc. Thank you!


mikeh said:
Would it be of any help if few members would post pictures in your thread of their sulcatas around the same age, including their weight and pictures of their outdoor/indoor pen?

Perhaps if your o/s has a visual of how a healthy, happy sulcatas looks, lives and is being cared for, it may wake him up?

Absolutely, that would be *fantastic! Please and thank you.
 

yagyujubei

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I can't stand a liar. This is a tough situation that you're in. I think it has fallen on you to attempt to improve this tortoises life. You can acquaint yourself with the proper care without actually touching the sulcata. A heated house for the winter would be a good start. Mazuri tortoise food will help greatly.
 

janed100

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California_sultan said:
My s/o has a 13 year old sulcata. He is about 12-14 inches long and weighs approx. 5-6 lbs.

Hello. I'm new to this forum too.

I live in the UK, where we have an organisation called the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Is there a similar organisation in the States?

If you called them to come and see your sulcata would it create terrible problems for you with your husband?

I've seen some wonderful pictures of habitats for all sorts of tortoises since I've been on the forum - just look under habitat or enclosure threads. In fact I have been spurred into making my own tortoises' habitats much more exciting - I've seen such inventive ideas and not everything has to cost a lot - it just takes time to make stuff.

Do you have any friends with husbands that are good at DIY - could someone make something for Sultan, once you have an idea what he needs?

I'm afraid that we can only give you ideas - we can't make this thing happen - and it's really your husband who has to see the light and it doesn't sound as though he will!

I wish you the very best of luck xx:tort:
 

WillTort2

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I'm wondering if the kids and their dad could get involved and make this a family project. Spending time with the kids can take many forms and building a new larger indoor enclosure would be a good learning experience for the entire family. Two sheets of plywood and a couple of lengths of 1" x 12" white board would give you the necessary materials to build a larger enclosure. Pick up a old table from a thrift store for the enclosure to sit upon. Having the tort table elevated will avoid the cold spots near the floor.

The hardware stores will even cut the wood for you.

Good luck. A healthy tortoise will become something that can outlive every person alive today. He deserves the best that you can provide.
 

California_sultan

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yagyujubei said:
I can't stand a liar. This is a tough situation that you're in. I think it has fallen on you to attempt to improve this tortoises life. You can acquaint yourself with the proper care without actually touching the sulcata.
Thank you. I *really don't want to lie and even if I had the heart to, I don't think he would believe it for a second because I have been nagging him about Sultan for a *very long time.

Assuming I take charge of this situation...

Is there an affordable way to better accommodate the tort outdoors? I was thinking about buying a rubbermaid outdoor storage house? Would that be adequate? And what kind of heating options do I have? I am afraid of having a bunch of lights on all the time (fire hazard, etc) And I have seen "pig blankets" mentioned but that seems a little scary to me too. Is there a safe, more "natural" way to provide heat for him?


WillTort2 said:
I'm wondering if the kids and their dad could get involved and make this a family project. Spending time with the kids can take many forms and building a new larger indoor enclosure would be a good learning experience for the entire family. Two sheets of plywood and a couple of lengths of 1" x 12" white board would give you the necessary materials to build a larger enclosure. Pick up a old table from a thrift store for the enclosure to sit upon. Having the tort table elevated will avoid the cold spots near the floor.

Great advice, thank you. I love the idea of a family project. I would be thrilled if that happened.I will try to change my angle when talking to him & present it as you said....as a fun possibility for a bonding experience with the kids.

And thanks for the elevation tip. I would have never thought of that.


Not the best quality but here are a couple of photos of Sultan I took with my cell this morning.

ImageUploadedByTortForum1381949148.724148.jpg
ImageUploadedByTortForum1381949163.982762.jpg
 
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mikeh

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Re: RE: 13 y/o sulcata weighs 5lbs. HELP!



mikeh said:
Would it be of any help if few members would post pictures in your thread of their sulcatas around the same age, including their weight and pictures of their outdoor/indoor pen.

Perhaps if your o/s has a visual of how a healthy, happy sulcatas looks, lives and is being cared for, it may wake him up?

Absolutely, that would be *fantastic! Please and thank you.


Create a new thread, in short explaining your situation and ask for TFO members to help you by posting photos and weight of their adult sulcatas, and their indoor/outdoor housing for your husband to see. There are many that have great pictures and I am sure they will be happy to share. That's as good as any expert coming over to convince him.
 

yagyujubei

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I'm glad you posted those pictures. I was expecting something much worse. He doesn't appear t0 be in too bad of shape. For his age, though, he should be significantly bigger. His diet needs some work, and I would still recommend Mazuri to get him growing. The house for him depends, really, where you are. As far as winter heat goes, pig blankets work very well (I have one in my basement). A hanging fixture with a CHE(ceramic heat emitter) may be your best bet.
 

Sh3wulf

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California-Sultan,
I'm glad to see that Sultan actually looks like he's managing fairly well given the circumstances. I'm so glad you reached out. Please don't get turned off by some of the posts that can get a little derailed when people get heated. Everyone here is a different person, with different ideas, I think however that we all care about our reptile companions.
I hope that the family bonding idea works. That would be amazing and my kids love learning from the forum and creating an interesting life for our leopard tortoise
Good luck and keep us posted on Sultan. We are all invested in his well being now :)
 

meghaffer

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With your phobia of picking up the tortoise, that doesn't mean you can't start working on a new habitat and then have one of the kids or a friend actually move the animal for you. If your children are old enough, they can even help you supervise the tortoise roaming in the yard for exercise in the interim. Check out Craig's list or freecycle for used habitats or materials for habitats at low costs or for free.
 

kanalomele

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If you are local to Safari West then I am not terribly far from you. If your husband needs to hear the truth from an "expert" (I would never referr to myself that way) then I would be happy to make a trip to your area for a consultation. If you are interested in making this happen feel free to contact me at Central Valley turtle and tortoise rescue league. [email protected]
 

sibi

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That's the greatest news yet! If someone who is involved in rescues can speak to your family, this could be a positive thing. Have you mentioned to your s/o some of the ideas here?

[wquote='kanalomele' pid='757886' dateline='1382027202']
If you are local to Safari West then I am not terribly far from you. If your husband needs to hear the truth from an "expert" (I would never referr to myself that way) then I would be happy to make a trip to your area for a consultation. If you are interested in making this happen feel free to contact me at Central Valley turtle and tortoise rescue league. [email protected]
[/quote]
 
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