Bullied tortoise:( advice please!

[joevovrosh]

I own two hermanns tortoises, they until recently have lived together, I know now that this was a bad idea but my advice at the time was wrong, one of them, Bruce, got ill before summer so we took him to the vet and he got better, through summer both were very active and healthy, then as winter approached they both slowed down, about a month or so ago Sandra started to wake up alittle more and is now more active than ever! But Bruce got ill again, I took him to the vet and got the same treatment as before and, touch wood, no more runny nose! However he is not eating much at all and asleep all the time, I recently got told he is bullied by Sandra! So they have been separated for two-three weeks, he receives a couple warm baths a day with reptoboast, has a diet for dandelions kale and greens mainly with the odd bit of vegetable of lettuce, temps are about 20-21 and 31-32 in the heat lamp, at night never less than 18, any advice on this situation as I'm starting to worry would be lovely thank you!!!

 

[ascott]

Is he eating still and basking? If yes then give him time...I have two Redfoot torts here that I took in from a girl who had taken them in from another...by the time they arrived here they were both heavily pyramided..dehydrated and one was near blind and not doing anything but hiding from the other...I set up two enclosures and it took months for the submissive one to begin to come around...now alot more confident.

 

[joevovrosh]

He will eat if we hand feed him but I've not seen him do it by his own doing, again he will bask for a while if we put him under but just wants to sleep!

 

[ascott]

Yup...I also had to physically bring the tort out of the enclosure every day two times a day for a couple months until the will came back and then there was effort to seek the food out...then the tort ate slowly because the eyesight was not developed correctly...but now..the tort takes longer than the others to eat but the commitment to finish every bit is there even if I put a giant amount of food...he will sit there for well over an hour and finish every bit....

I would get a soaking container ready with warm water...retrieve the tort slowly and gently...then while the tort is soaking you can prepare the food offering...I use to count out everything each food offering..this way I knew he was progressing with each meal..the first week was near nothing and then he began to increase amount...now he will finish off a like twice his size...then I would take him outside and provide a place for him to bask in the sun...I used the top cage part of a big rodent cage my cousin had...I also would lay a piece of flat paving stone across one end...this worked for shade and a weight to assure the crate top was not moved....we did this for a couple months along with the food and soaking routine...it will take time, after all the condition the tort is in now did not occur over night....right?

 

[joevovrosh]

Nooo, it was a process of slowing down as winter came around which he never seemed to snap out off, I will keep on doing what you say and try bring him out in the sun more now summer is coming, hopefully after a month or two he will be back to his happy self! When he is taken out side he will run around like before, maybe he is more confident in a new environment cause he knows Sandra isn't there or he sees it as a chance to get away from her! Thanks a lot for replying!

 

[ascott]

Outdoors is a perfect place for a tortoise....and yes, be patient and diligent ...be the buffer of will for the tort till he regains his natural confidence....and since you have them in their own enclosure he can learn to not be submissive....and I did not mean a jab when I I said it did not happen overnight...it was just a reference for the rebound taking a little while as well

 

[joevovrosh]

Thank you for replying made me relax alittle