13 year old outdoor female sulcata not eating during summer?!

[SealMarioz]

Hello Im new to the tortoise forums!
I have a sister pair of sulcata tortoises I've had since hatchlings since 2011-2012 and have loved since I was a little kid. One is 15 inches other around 9. The larger female, named George, I noticed past 2 days may be sick or just no appetite. She seemed less active and was refusing to eat despite being interested and very alert, she normally is a very voracious eater. Her smaller sister who normally is very picky was eating like normal. George did nibble on some dried mulberry leaves and a bit of some alfalfa hay though not enough for me to worry, she spent most of today just basking. I want to wait another day to see if their behavior is the same to ensure she is sick and not just a temp thing. But I'm just worried since I don't think they ever got sick before. George seems to be really alert, but it was so hot some days I had to bring them inside.
There's a reptile vet specialist near us but their prices are beyond expensive and is around 3 hours away.

One thing Im really worried it may be is a respiratory issue since we have had a new neighbor who's been nothing but issues harassing us and being a bully, but she vapes and smokes on our fence and wind moves smoke and vapor near our goat paddock, patio and the tortoise pen. And she's around like 9 feet from them too and for past week specifically on our fence even though my dad and I have told her to quit it but she doesn't care. We've also had a wildfires this summer so the air has been rather smokey too.


My only other thought is she's been using and caught eating a wallow I made to help stay cool when letting them out for grazing, or if they picked something up from grazing with my baby goat foster, our picked something from the crazy neighbors outdoor cat or wild animal at night. Is there anything I should do or check or try for before taking her to the vet? I'm bringing them inside for the night. Going to make them a salad which they always love tomorrow too when it's nice and warm.

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[Tom]

Where in CA are you? What are the daytime high temperatures typically during this time of year?

Tortoises should never live in pairs. They need to be separated ASAP. That is part of the problem.

9 and 15 inches at 12-13 years old is terribly undersized. You probably got told the usual incorrect care info, and this is what happens. We will help get you on the right track if you will let us.

Vaping and second hand smoke from a neighbors property is not likely to cause any problems for a tortoise down on the ground.

Where do they sleep at night? What is the over night low temperature?

Have you ID'd all the plants in that grazing area?

 

[SealMarioz]

Sorry late response I just got back from my 2nd job. (messaged when on my dinner break)
Yeah for longest time I got wrong/outdated info between my uncle (he improved a bit but feel he is a lot like the "Kamp Kenan's type", and some other tortoise keepers over the years, and it wasn't till 2019 when I got super serious with husbandry. I know they were undersized from my bad care as a kid to mid teen, but I've and since improved their diet they've grown about 4 inches since I improved my care back in 2019.

I only found this forum out earlier this year. I
I always thought cohousing females were okay, but can understand how it can be pecking order issues when it's only 2, so thank you for critique. ( I may transform a third of my goat paddocks into a 2nd pen when I have the time, I've been downsizing herd to only a few males)

I live in southern cali in high deserts areas, summers usually around 90-105 (nights 70-55) but I've experienced as hot as 118 and as (cold as 50F at night) All the way to October it can stay above 55-high 80's. Then it doesn't get until April Im able to keep the torts outside in their outdoor 3 foot "doghouse" overnight.
When too hot, during winter/early spring, or too smokey, I bring them into their own 7 cubic foot indoor pens seperated completely. I try to keep them outdoors as much as possible though when the weather is great.
When grazing, eating, etc they usually separated on other sides of our backyard, or supervised as much as possible, and at all times when on grazing field. I always supervise when their outside since I work in my office and have transparent window to my yard so I can watch them while doing my at home 1st job. When warm enough nights they share a wooden house, but if too cold or smokey, they just get brought indoors.
For grazing plant IDs , (I normally remove milkweed, tumbleweeds, spurges, Stinknet.)
But most plants they have acess too are orchard, fescue, creosote bush, wild oats, feral oats, thistle, mallow, dry or fallen mulberry leaves. I haven't recently been able to pull more weeds due to starting a 2nd job (full time school too ughhh)
They also have their own mini garden with aloe vera, hibiscus, elephant bush, and will dethorn and cut dragon fruit branches.

I have also seen Puncture Vine, London Rocket some years but not in past 2.
They get fed mostly bermuda, orchard hay with ocassional romaine lettuce, spring mix with no spinach, and some mazuri tortoise chow. then treats of fruit and carrot treats twice a month.
Even if the lady isn't harming the torts it's def worrying for me and my goats. (I have immune medical issues and can't be around smoke or vape, and our bottle baby runs up to her whenever) I've asked her to vape on her front yard because of my own immune system issues and told me to "F-off mind your own buisiness" and yet won't stop pestering me on wanting to pet the damn goats despite me telling her no dozens of times. Same lady put rat poison out and killed 2 outdoor cats (one being her own... BRUH) I've had worse issues too..

I do know their pen I've found wild reptiles such as a red racer, fence lizards, alligator lizards, plus woodrats and norwegian rats. I keep a chain fence lid to keep out prevent cats & opossums.
I'll let u know any changes of behavior in the morn. Either way it's most likely have to take her to the specialist to be safe. But Im trying to learn more what's possible to do on my own since I don't like over-relying on vets, and there's things we can do here to avoid/cure ourselves. : ) but I think it should be good balance of both when possible.

I'm always scared joining any animal forum/group since so much mis-info and toxicity, to point I avoid reptile conventions, and had some horrible experiences with bad breeders, caretakers vets with animals that aren't cats, as well as some petty people who bully and berate instead of normal cretique just to brush their ego...
I've seen some of the worse of petty people and bad vets and poor mangement from being raised surrounded by rabbit breeder community (my parents were top breeders and left due to other's pettynes.)