Chevy isn't doing so well..............

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Marty333

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Well he rarely moves around during the day. He might move a few steps or so to a different spot but he isn't being curious. I haven't held him in about a week. When I take him out for soaks he will brighten up and drink and then try to escape but once he is out of there he just falls asleep. He didn't eat yesterday. I have him on a diet of collard greens, mustard greens, and spring mix until my weeds start growing. His basking spot gets to be 100-113 degrees and his cold spot can be between 70 and 80 degrees at night it is a steady 80 degrees the humidity is 80-85% and I spritz him and his enclosure with water 3 times a day. He doesn't go into his hides at all any more he just sleeps basically in the same spot :( I have a cuttlebone for calcium and calcium supplement on his food. I really don't know what I can be doing wrong maybe this is normal tort behavior? I really don't know :( His eyes and noise seem clear no bubbles he poops and pee's still but he just seems so lethargic :( Am I just being over worried and he is actually perfectly fine? Please help!!

Katerina
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Katerina:

I'm so sorry to hear that.

Just keep him warmer than usual...maybe cover the top of the habitat to keep it really warm inside. And until you can figure out what's wrong with him, you can add either Gerber sweet potatoes, squash or carrots to his soaking water (daily). I use a small bowl with tall sides, and a half jar of baby food with enough warm water to come up to the baby's bridge (the part of his shell where the top meets the bottom). Like Maggie said in a previous post, this isn't a cure-for-what-ails-him, it just helps him to stay hydrated and get a few nutrients into him while he's not eating.
 

Tom

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Here are a few thoughts. Usually when a tort gets lethargic, I'll bump up the temps around 10 degrees and note any changes. With all that humidity, I think 70 is too cool at night. 1. Are you sure it isn't dipping down to 68 or 65 with evaporation?

2. Where is the one spot where he is laying all the time? Is it near the heat source? If yes then he's too cold. If no, then he might be too warm(not likely).

What about UV? I'm pretty sure you are okay here because we've been seeing outside pics. 3. Is he still getting regular sunshine? I can't recall seeing pics of your indoor set up. I'm sure I did, but can you post a link here for me to check it out again? 4. You aren't using one of those coil type cfl(compact flourescent light) bulbs are you? They are marketed for reptiles, but have a really bad track record.

5. How was he housed at the breeders from hatching until you got him? Did he get the dry routine on rabbit pellets with no water bowl or soaks?
 

Marty333

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Thanks for your speedy responses
1. Im pretty sure it isn't dipping because I have an individual heater in my bedroom that is usually at 75-80 degrees also I have a heat pad under his enclosure and I CHE for night time. He lays in the middle weird right? He usually lays perfectly in between the cold side and the hot side. He has a UVA/UVB bulb her is a link http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Chevys-new-and-improved-enclosure-for-now-P part of it is covered now and btw I don't just feed him pellets I always have fresh greens in there for him. His bulb isn't coil. When I got him he was at an expo with all his siblings and he was on coconut coir with fresh greens they said they soaked them every few days
 

Sweetness_bug

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I am sorry to hear about Little Chevy...Your a good mom though and people know what they are doing on here so take soem good advise and continue to love him like you do and i am sure he will pull through
 

Tom

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Marty, I'm not seeing anything wrong with your enclosure. It actually is very similar to my enclosure for my young sulcatas, except mine is an aquarium with taller sides. That's a MVB up there, right? It looks like its too far away, but your temp probe will answer that question for you. Does your thermometer record highs and lows? Put the probe over on the cool side tonight and lets see how cold it gets. Reset your highs and lows before bedtime tonight.

The set up that you bought him out of sounds good, but what was the set-up like at the breeders house? Was the person you bought him from the breeder? Or just a middleman? Since it looks like your enclosure is fine, the most likely cause of your problems are something from before you got him.

For the time he didn't have a water bowl, how often were you soaking him? How often now?
 

Tom

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Well, I'm not seeing any glaring errors yet. Check your night temps tonight, do the baby food soaks, like what Yvonne said, and see if you can get an additional thermometer to double check your temps. Sometimes they malfunction.

What you are doing is about all that can be done.
 

Angi

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Marty,

I am so sorry to hear that Chevy is not doing well, but I am glad you are getting such good advice from the experts.
 

DeanS

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Markat...I always soak mine once in the mid-morning and again in late afternoon...warm water under a heat source for about 30 minutes. It is getting cold here at night now and I haven't had to set the heater until this past Saturday. And last night, the timer didn't trip so it was actually 50 in the room (won't let that happen again)...but they are scampering around like nobody's business...I think the fact that they get outside every single day is the key...direct sunshine and then back to their hot, humid indoor dwelling! Also! Chevy is a baby and sleeping that much isn't bad (as long as he's eating or basking when he's awake.
 

onarock

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Marty, sorry to hear Chevys not feeling well. I dont keep sulcatas, but I do keep hatchling babcocki (when I have them) and I think that your 100-118 degree hot spot might be a bit much for him at this point in his life. I usually keep my hatchlings between 85-90 with the hot spot at the most 95 fot the first 2-3 months. I also keep the humidity high, not as high as Tom, but my next time around I will, its usually 70%. Can you post some pics of his legs? If you can, some of his thigh area on his rear legs and some of the area on his front legs toward his neck. They need to be clear pics. Keep him hydrated Marty
 
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Maggie Cummings

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I think his MVB is too far away and I think that he is too cold. I don't know why I think that, but that's what I feel after I look at your set up. I don't like the substrate as it looks hard for a baby to walk on and hard to create humidity. I agree with Dean that babies sleep a lot but he should be wanting to sleep in his hide...which I don't think is a very good hide, I think he needs a better one. One that is darker and more secure...I am not trying to be mean and I don't mean any disrespect...I am just repeating what my experience tells me...
 

DeanS

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Maggie makes an excellent point! I keep my humid hide inside the denbox...nothing fancy...just the same sterilite that everyone else seems to be using. The denbox is dark...but I cover the top and sides of the humid hide with Zupreem Timothy Hay (junior bales)...it makes everything even darker...and when they're out...they're out! In your case, you might consider a CHE and dispense with a cool part of the enclosure...at least until you see more energy from Chevy...try a cool temp of 85 - 90 and keep it in the 110s on the hot side...trust me that 20 degrees will make all the difference. Also, cut out the spray of the terrarium glass...keep the spraying to the substrate and Chevy himself...I guarantee a noticeable difference soon!
 

Laura

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Marta, what is your lighting? How many hours a day and how bright?

I sure hope he isnt a hatchling that just doenst thrive..
We are here for you....
 

egyptiandan

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It sounds to me like the beginings of MBD Katerina. :( You'll need to start soaking him in water with liquid vitamins (I use Vitasol for birds) and start giving a calcium supplement with vitamin D3.
This is just the begining, so shouldn't take that long to turn him around.

Danny
 

Angi

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This is just a tought so I hope someone with more knowledge will reply. Could some outside time help? I think Marty quit taking hime out when she stopped handleing him as much. I know it is not THE answer, but I think he was used to going out. Is it warn in FL right now?
 

egyptiandan

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Going outside can't hurt, but it can't be the only thing she does. Vitamin D3 deficiency affects the muscles also, so your going to have a tortoise that doesn't want to walk around much. Not wanting to walk would keep him from going under the MVB light when inside.

Danny
 

Yvonne G

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DeanS said:
Markat...I always soak .........

LOL! What a memory you have. I had forgotten Marta/Katerina!!
 

Marty333

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MDB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS MY WORSE NIGHT MARE! :( :( :( :( :( I will post later but right now Im really upset I love all your guys advice thank you so much maggie do you think a pot would be good? I got squash and carrot baby food. I feel like such a bad mom right now.................
 

coreyc

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Marty333 said:
MDB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS MY WORSE NIGHT MARE! :( :( :( :( :( I will post later but right now Im really upset I love all your guys advice thank you so much maggie do you think a pot would be good? I got squash and carrot baby food. I feel like such a bad mom right now.................

Don't be mad at your self focus on doing every thing you can so Chevy will get better were all here for you:):):):)
 
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