Avy
New Member
Real quick wanted to know if force bathing your tortoise is ok, because I have a 4 year old Herman’s tortoise and he hates water so right now I force him to bathe but he despises it.
Bathing
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The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
I think that the benefits outweigh the stress caused by the soaking.
Avy
New Member
Also how long should i soak him for
I don't know why people insist on using this awful terminology... "force bathing". There is no "force" involved. It's simply placing your tortoise in some warm water for a little while to keep it healthy and hydrated.
And your tortoise does not "despise" anything. That is a human emotion. Your tortoise is simply acting on instinct. It doesn't understand what is happening and it doesn't want to drown.
What you can do to help is first and foremost, stop using that term, and understand that soaking is hugely beneficial and can literally save your tortoise's life in some circumstances. Soaking also does no harm. You can soak for 5 hours every day, and it will not hurt your tortoise. This is certainly not necessary or even recommended, I just say it to illustrate that water won't hurt your tortoise. The next step is to make the soaking as comfortable as we can. Use a tall sided opaque container that the tortoise can't see out of or reach the top of. Use warm water, but not hot. 85-95 degrees is good. Keep the water warm for the entire soak, one way or another. If morning soaks are not his thing, try afternoon or evening. Some tortoises really enjoy a morning soak to warm up in. Other tortoises like to soak late in the afternoon after eating, basking, and running around all day. Try different times and see if there is a difference.
Avy
New Member
So I do use an opaque container and have him bathe for 15ish minuits. right now I just bathed him and gave him some lettuce, and now he is sleeping, is this normal.
Yes. Pretty normal. Show a pic of the soaking container? Do you know the water temperature? Have you tried different times of the day?
Avy
New Member
like a foot by 1.5 feet
mjwhite
New Member
I have an 8 year old Hermann's, but am very new to tortoise parenting. I give her a bath for 15-20 minutes 2 to 3 times a week. She doesn't seem to like it, either. Between the moist substrate and the amount of time she spends walking around in her water dish I'm hoping it's enough. She usually naps afterward, too. It's exhausting to be that irritated, I guess.
Here's the thing in plain language...you are NOT "bathing" the tortoise...you are soaking him to keep him hydrated and healthy. They will soak water in thru their cloaca and the soft skin under their neck and hopefully drink...in the wild they would soak in cool running water... in your house he's in warm water for about 15 minutes...generally they will drink and poop...he acts that way because they don't like it and are afraid...also you are a HUGE predator to him, don't stand over him and watch...it scares them...
My sulcata (129 lbs) HATES being soaked. I use a large tub or a Rubbermaid cart, and he just thrashes around. When I let him out, he hightails it to his house or the bamboo corner and I don't see him for the rest of the day lol.
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