Beginner, just trying to do everything right

[Ambrr]

Hello all!

I was gifted a 5ish year old male Russian for Christmas. For the first while, he lived with my boyfriend's dad until I was settled back into my apartment where he lives with me now. While living with my boyfriend's dad, he was kept in a 20 gal. tank (which we have now switched him to a 3x2' box!!) but he never ate and was not very active at all. This forum has been a tremendous help to me as I found, as most do, that the instructions that we were given by the store clerk were not super great. I started soaking him, as many of you recommended, for 20-45 minutes 1-3x a day (depending on how cold it's been or how dry he looks etc.) We're college students and fortunately for us, our university veterinary school has an exotics specialty building where we took our tort (Gaia) for an emergency check-up. At the vet, they syringe fed him critical care and that caused him to poop for the first time since he's been in our care.
A week after, we took him in for a follow-up. In between the two appointments, he had seemed to be improving--he pooped a couple times during his soaks, he was moderately more active, and I caught him drinking his bath water (but still not eating). We saw a different vet during the follow-up, and she told us that he was in super bad shape--which we had kinda figured. She prescribed an antibiotic (a shot in the front half once every 3 days for 6 weeks), and syringe fed him critical care again.
Since then, he's had more trouble opening his eyes. I've followed some advice and have gently swiped at his eyes with a q-tip dipped in warm water, and for a while, that would help him open his eyes and I could see all the eye boogers, but for the past 2 days, even that hasn't been helping. Yesterday, I ordered some Vetericyn for his eyes so I hope that will help with that matter. Later today I plan to get some baby carrot food which many have recommended for non-eating torts.

About his enclosure: It's 2x3'-- it's the zoomed tortoise house which for now is the best option we have. His substrate is 2/3 cyprus mulch and 1/3 coconut coir. There is a small spider plant, and I have a little mound under his basking spot to make sure he gets heat. I use the Fulker's digital thermometer/hygrometer and I spray the encloser every time I walk by. I change the food out every few days--he doesn't even look at it, and I change the water when I change his food (he doesn't look at that either.) There's a log for decor also. I have sphagnum moss which I intend to put in the covered portion, but because he doesn't move, I don't want to waste it. I keep the screened part covered with a plastic trash bag to keep in moisture and heat. I turn his UVB bulb off at night around 10p-12a and I turn it on when I get up around 8a. The heat lamp stays on 24/7.

A couple of questions then, after that long blurb:
1. We have a CHE in a wire holder that I have over his basking spot (the only spot he sits in really because he doesn't move.) I just replaced a 75W infrared spot bulb with the 100W CHE but it seems the CHE isn't as hot as the IR bulb was, so I was wondering if I should instead use both?
2. Does anyone have any advice for soaking? Should I use more than just water+baby carrot food?
3. Any other general advice?

Thank you to anyone and everyone who has insight, I really appreciate everything that anyone has to say!!!
(I know the thermometer says 81 right now which is why I'm worried that the CHE just isn't doing the job so I'm switching back to the infrared for now.)

 

[Ambrr]

-bump-
He's not doing any better, I don't think, and I'm really worried. Please if anyone has any advice I would really really appreciate it. I have googled everything under the sun.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Ok, have you read therussian tort section care sheets? For one, that enclosure is way too small. He should have a minimum of 8 by 4 feet. Temps under the basking light should be 95 to 100 degrees. The enclosure is too small to have the different temp variations he needs. If his temps are not right, he will not be able to digest his food right. It will sit in his gut and rot and that can cause him to die. To up the humidity, you need to close the enclosure which will also help with heat . What temp gauge are you using? To make sure the temps are right, it has to be lowered to his shell level. Being up where you have it does not give a accurate temp at his level. Try a ir heat gun to spot check the temps.

 

[Ambrr]

Yes, I've read the care sheets. I know the enclosure isn't the best, but it's a temporary thing. Under the basking light, it gets to be about 96 degrees, at least where the thermometer is. I understand that he's not able to properly digest food in the wrong temperature, but the problem is that there's no food to be digested in the first place. The only times he's had food are the two times we took him to the vet and he was syringe-fed. I will lower the thermometer to about shell-level, though, as per your suggestion, thank you! I do cover the enclosure with a folded-over garbage bag, and I find that helps raise the temperature and keep the humidity from going bone-dry.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Have you tried the baby food carrot soaks yet? They have been known to do miricales with torts that will not eat.

 

[Ambrr]

I mix warm water with about half of a Gerber carrot container and I've done that for about 3 days now. I got a sweet potato flavor as well, because I've heard that sweet potato is like a treat, but I haven't used that yet because I wanted to make sure he was on the up and up with the baby carrot food first. Should I not put any water in during the carrot soak?

 

[Yvonne G]

Do you have a small aquarium, something like a 10 gallon? I like to set sick tortoises up in smaller hospital tanks. This will allow you to increase the overall temperature to about 85F degrees and you can cover it. At any rate, because he's sick, you need to keep his overall temperature higher to help him kick whatever bug is making him sick. Soak him daily in 50/50 Gerber strained carrots and warm water. The carrots has the highest vitamin A content. While sweet potato is also high in vitamin A, the carrot is higher, that's why we use carrots. Are you still giving the antibiotic? This puts them off their food too.

I'm sorry, but that's all I know to do - warmth and vitamin A soaks.

 

[Ambrr]

The smallest thing I have is the 20 gallon and it has a screen top, but I can put the plastic bag over it instead to keep the heat and humidity in! I'll also keep doing the carrot soaks. I am still giving the antibiotic because the vet said at the very least if it's not helping, it's not hurting, so I feel better by continuing to give that to him so long as I know he can absorb the nutrients in his baths. Thank you to you both!