Alice still acting strange

[Suey]

Hi I wrote last week about Alice my 6yr old Russian coming out in the snow. After viewing comments think we all agreed she was probably a bit dehydrated. Well since then she has had every other day 20mins soak. I gave her one this morning and has she still seems very restless I leave her hatch door open with heat bulb left on inside so she can please herself, always shutting her in about 3 30pm. The snow has melted away now but is only 6 degrees today. I have just gone to check on her and she’s sitting in her outside water dish, is this normal ?

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hi I wrote last week about Alice my 6yr old Russian coming out in the snow. After viewing comments think we all agreed she was probably a bit dehydrated. Well since then she has had every other day 20mins soak. I gave her one this morning and has she still seems very restless I leave her hatch door open with heat bulb left on inside so she can please herself, always shutting her in about 3 30pm. The snow has melted away now but is only 6 degrees today. I have just gone to check on her and she’s sitting in her outside water dish, is this normal ?

Yes and no. Personally in my experience Alice sounds really dehydrated and something else. I wonder if she could be egg bound? Also, while I do believe in allow adult tortoises the freedom to be tortoises, I do not believe that a tortoise as small as Alice should be allowed out in the cold weather.
If she were mine, and I AM NOT A VETERINARIAN I do this myself, I give sub q fluids (taught by my exotic Vet), 12 hours of basking light, 75 degrees at night. Let her have her tantrum., but keep her in. I have larger Sulcata, I have always allowed them the choice of snow or stay in. If Alice were mine, I would not allow her out in the really cold. And by that I mean not lower than 25 degrees celcius. So soak her DAILY for about 20 minutes, and do the rest that I do and you will see a difference.

 

[Suey]

Thank you before reading your reply I had just been outside to check on her. She was still in the water dish ( cold ) so I have shut her in now where it is nice and warm. I have got a Male who is 5yr old but they never meet and are housed separate.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Thank you before reading your reply I had just been outside to check on her. She was still in the water dish ( cold ) so I have shut her in now where it is nice and warm. I have got a Male who is 5yr old but they never meet and are housed separate.

She does not need a male to lays eggs. I have females who have never been with a male lay infertile eggs.

Thank you before reading your reply I had just been outside to check on her. She was still in the water dish ( cold ) so I have shut her in now where it is nice and warm. I have got a Male who is 5yr old but they never meet and are housed separate.

Is there a way you can set her up temporarily in a habitat in the house? What kind of box and temps do you keep? I really think she needs to be locked in.

 

[Suey]

Yes she can be locked in where she is. It’s a insulated heated shed. I only opened her hatch door because she’s scratching at the door as if wanting to come out.

 

[Suey]

This was her earlier in water bowl.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Yes she can be locked in where she is. It’s a insulated heated shed. I only opened her hatch door because she’s scratching at the door as if wanting to come out.

Wow! That's really nice. Doesn't that hay mold? Do the torts eat it? I really would lock her in, unless she hibernates? Maybe she wants to sleep? Damn, I'm just not sure. But we have a Russian expert. She will give you the best advice...
#Yvonne oh crap is it @Yvonne G

 

[Suey]

Thank you, no never had a mold issue but when I mist I only do it on the cypress mulch which is underneath. I don’t really know if they eat any, I sometimes think Alice does because it seems to go down and also seems to get chopped up somehow into shorter pieces. I keep thinking she wants to hibernate and have decided if I dare , will do it next year ( haven’t done it before )

 

[Yvonne G]

Leave her locked in. You're the boss, and letting her move out where she gets too cold isn't in her best interest.

 

[Suey]

Ok thanks Yvonne, will do. It’s good to have some expert advice ?