Edd said:I am a new sulcata tortoise owner and I worry my two 20 inch tortoises may not be healthy. I think I need some advice. Also, I have never joined a forum nor made a post. Is this where I start?
My name is Ed. I live in Honolulu. I recently adopted two 20 inch sulcata tortoises that grew too large for their previous owner/enclosure. I thought my 2000 square foot yard would be a perfect place for them since it is fully enclosed with strong fencing, very well planted with a large variety of plants, has large sections of grass, is located in the dryer east side of honolulu, gets a lot of direct sun, has plenty of shady places.
I thought I could handle the complexities of caring for these tortoises since I have owned turtles for year including successfully breeding central american wood turtles in this yard described above. I did research prior to adopting the two tortoises and thought caring for them was pretty straight forward. These two tortoises appeared alert, healthy and active when I got them except for the eye problem I will describe below. They seemed very active and moved quickly around the yard in the beginning. They did not nor do not have runny noses nor bubbles from nose. Never wheezing. However since we got them two months ago I have developed the following concerns about them:
1) Their eyes will get a red, inflamed covering (nictitating membrane?) coming from the front lower part of their eyes and going back and up. The membrane is bulky and inflamed and takes a while to return to its normal position. While it is exposed I do not believe the tortoises can see.
Once the tissue returns the eye appears normal. It is not runny, nor dry, nor excessively sunken.
I have read that vitamin A deficiency can cause something like this. I recently placed them both in a smaller enclosure/pen in hopes of getting them to eat some carrots but so far no luck. Does this sound like vitamin A deficiency? If so how can I get them more vitamin A if they are not eating (see below)? Drops in nose? Injection?
2) The tortoises never come out to eat. For the first two days or so after we first got them they would walk around the yard and eat plants they encountered -grass, shrubs. Then they found a dry cool place to rest. Since then they don't come out any more. I have on a couple of occasions carried them out and placed them on the grass. They try to return to their hiding spots immediately. I have placed both of them in water allowing them to soak for a while.
My reading about sulcata tortoises suggested that they were "eating machines". This does not seem to be the case with mine. Are they sick? Are they scared? Are they just not hungry? What about thirsty? Could they be simply eating the dried leaves that fall from the overhead trees?
I realize I could bring them both to a vet. I am not worried about spending the money. However, I have not been able to find the name of a vet here in Hawaii that has been recognized as having meaningful sulcata experience. I am worried I will find a sucata-inexperienced vet who purports to know about sulcata.
Is this the right place to post my concerns? Any advice?
Thanks and Aloha,
Ed