Drinking habits

[Russian Pebbles]

Pebbles ( my Russian tortoise) usually drinks out of his syringe, but lately he won’t drink. I have a water bowl out for him but I don’t think he is drinking out of that. Is something wrong with him? he has been eating though

 

[Melis]

Welcome!

Why is he being offered water out of a syringe?
Do you soak him? Does he have a dish big enough in his enclosure to self soak?

 

[daniellenc]

Tortoises don’t nurse. You may miss him drinking but if his water is accessible he’s drinking. Does he climb in and out of it? Can he? And do you soak ever? If you answered yes to all three he’s fine.

 

[Russian Pebbles]

Welcome!

Why is he being offered water out of a syringe?
Do you soak him? Does he have a dish big enough in his enclosure to self soak?

Yes I do soak him and I he never drinks. I went to the Petco that I bought him at and asked and they said he was young so I should nurse him

 

[Russian Pebbles]

Tortoises don’t nurse. You may miss him drinking but if his water is accessible he’s drinking. Does he climb in and out of it? Can he? And do you soak ever? If you answered yes to all three he’s fine.

The Petco I bought him at said he had to be nursed for a bit

 

[daniellenc]

No your petco gave bad info and would make me question overall health. They just need a shallow dish sunk in their substrate so it’s level. Depending on age and considering their crusty care of all animals do warm water soaks but no more syringe feeding.

 

[orv]

Do you ever notice any of his substrate, dirt or food in his water bowel? If so . . . he's drinking. Most likely, if he's being soaked, he's getting his hydration that way for now.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Gosh, a syringe for water? That’s a new one.

Russians don’t typically drink that much; they are from very dry climates. My outdoor Russian never drinks unless she’s just come out of hibernation. (It’s not terribly hot where I am.)

I soak her once a week or two but more to check her over than anything else.

I wouldn’t worry about it, so long as he or she has easy access to water. If he’s thirsty, he’ll drink.

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome

I dread to think what else Petco told you about your Russian. It is a wild caught sub-adult, not a baby and they don’t nurse!

We will be happy to check over photos of your enclosure and lighting to see if there are any modifications we’d recommend to help your tort.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Russian Pebbles]

No your petco gave bad info and would make me question overall health. They just need a shallow dish sunk in their substrate so it’s level. Depending on age and considering their crusty care of all animals do warm water soaks but no more syringe feeding.

Thank you

 

[Tank & Scooter]

Pebbles ( my Russian tortoise) usually drinks out of his syringe, but lately he won’t drink. I have a water bowl out for him but I don’t think he is drinking out of that. Is something wrong with him?View attachment 241008 he has been eating though

I have had 3 baby sulcata for almost 3 months, I have their 3 enclosures in my living room, I can see thru enclosures becuase I added pexliglas on 2 of 3. I pretty much keep an eye on them every minute im home.

And in the 3 months, I've only seen my sulcatas drink 3 times in their enclosures. It's so rare, the other day I seen em dinking and I dove face first to record it lol. I got it on video lol.

Watching them drink is rare for me, they always walk over it but never drink.

I give all 3 daily hour long baths. The two 3 month old will ocasinaly drink during bath. But my 8 month old I just adopted, he's a drinker. As soon as I put him in bath, he dips his head and chugs away. Non stop for 10 seconds plus. I think he came dehydrated.

What im trying to say is i think watching them drink is rare, ive only seen it 3 times in their enclosure. But I do see them drink during bath. Is yours drinking during baths?

 

[Eduardo Hernandez]

We will be happy to check over photos of your enclosure and lighting to see if there are any modifications we’d recommend to help your tort.
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Looks like their profile pic is a photo of their enclosure.

OP, please read those care sheets! Seems like you could change quite a lot judging by your profile pic.

 

[Russian Pebbles]

Gosh, a syringe for water? That’s a new one.

Russians don’t typically drink that much; they are from very dry climates. My outdoor Russian never drinks unless she’s just come out of hibernation. (It’s not terribly hot where I am.)

I soak her once a week or two but more to check her over than anything else.

I wouldn’t worry about it, so long as he or she has easy access to water. If he’s thirsty, he’ll drink.

Yeah. The Petco told me to buy a needleless syringe

 

[Russian Pebbles]

Looks like their profile pic is a photo of their enclosure.

OP, please read those care sheets! Seems like you could change quite a lot judging by your profile pic.

Yeah that is an old picture of her enclosure