Eastern Box Keeps Coming Out of cave head lays on ground Help

[DEBBIEDIPI]

Hi Thanks for letting me in your group.
We have 5 Eastern Box Turtles. We have had them for 2 yrs now. Then last fall we found 5 little baby box turtles in our turtle pen. (We are keeping them inside for this year I hope that is ok for them we have uvb light). My 2 grandsons was so excited me too really. LOL. The turtles belong to my grandkids they are 6 & 2 yrs old. So I do take care of the turtles. LOL I am sure everyone knows what I mean. Anyway 1 of my big turtles keeps coming out of there winter cave and just setting there with head laying down and not moving. So I brought her in to warm her up gave her warm water soak, have UVB light on about 12 hrs. heat lamp to keep her about 85 deg. hide box. After 2 days she act like she wanted to eat the crickets and meal worms and veg. but she just bumps at them and wont open mouth to eat it. Does anyone know if this is just something they do in winter cause they should be herniating and not eating or maybe she is sick she looks like she is skin and bones. PLEASE HELP Thanks

 

[mark1]

it's not normal ....... take her to a vet for sub q fluids , unless you can do it yourself ............ soak her constantly and keep her 85 degrees and wet with lots of light ..... a good vet may be able to perk her up to get her eating and drinking ...... a hibernating cave doesn't sound exactly right , they should hibernate underground , under a pile of leaves at around 40 degrees ............ someone on here described 50-60 degrees as the "killing zone" , I agree with them ... she sounds dehydrated and starved ..... I would guess kept too warm to hibernate , to cool to function ......

 

[PJay]

Hi Thanks for letting me in your group.
We have 5 Eastern Box Turtles. We have had them for 2 yrs now. Then last fall we found 5 little baby box turtles in our turtle pen. (We are keeping them inside for this year I hope that is ok for them we have uvb light). My 2 grandsons was so excited me too really. LOL. The turtles belong to my grandkids they are 6 & 2 yrs old. So I do take care of the turtles. LOL I am sure everyone knows what I mean. Anyway 1 of my big turtles keeps coming out of there winter cave and just setting there with head laying down and not moving. So I brought her in to warm her up gave her warm water soak, have UVB light on about 12 hrs. heat lamp to keep her about 85 deg. hide box. After 2 days she act like she wanted to eat the crickets and meal worms and veg. but she just bumps at them and wont open mouth to eat it. Does anyone know if this is just something they do in winter cause they should be herniating and not eating or maybe she is sick she looks like she is skin and bones. PLEASE HELP Thanks

Can you post a picture so we can see the turtle? Maybe a pic of the cave too.oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

Ok I will. Her hibernating cave is where we dug up the dirt mixed in leaves and put it all back and cut a hole in the side of a rubber water trough then put more dirt on top of that. They all did good last year.

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

Ok here are pic. Please help

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

sorry I sent them 2 times new at this

 

[PJay]

It's good to keep new hatchlings indoors so you can regulate their environment. You mentioned uvb, it it a mercury vapor bulb or a fluorescent bulb? They should be in a high humidity enclosure. My adult eastern box turtles are awake but a little groggy, only one has started eating so far.

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

How warm should I keep the soak water and how deep and how long to soak her ???

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

It's good to keep new hatchlings indoors so you can regulate their environment. You mentioned uvb, it it a mercury vapor bulb or a fluorescent bulb? They should be in a high humidity enclosure. My adult eastern box turtles are awake but a little groggy, only one has started eating so far.

Baby box has fluorescent bulb What is best to put in the bottom for them

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

it's not normal ....... take her to a vet for sub q fluids , unless you can do it yourself ............ soak her constantly and keep her 85 degrees and wet with lots of light ..... a good vet may be able to perk her up to get her eating and drinking ...... a hibernating cave doesn't sound exactly right , they should hibernate underground , under a pile of leaves at around 40 degrees ............ someone on here described 50-60 degrees as the "killing zone" , I agree with them ... she sounds dehydrated and starved ..... I would guess kept too warm to hibernate , to cool to function ......

How warm should I keep the soak water and how deep and how long to soak her ???

 

[PJay]

Baby box has fluorescent bulb What is best to put in the bottom for them

Do the hatchlings have a heat source? They should be kept around 80 to 85 F.

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

Do the hatchlings have a heat source? They should be kept around 80 to 85 F.

yes a 75 bask light

 

[PJay]

How warm should I keep the soak water and how deep and how long to soak her ???

I use water 85 to 90 F, up to where the top and bottom shells meet. It's also good to add some carrot baby food to the water. They may drink it and get some calories and vitamins.

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

I use water 85 to 90 F, up to where the top and bottom shells meet. It's also good to add some carrot baby food to the water. They may drink it and get some calories and vitamins.

OK GOOD IDEA Thanks

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

I use water 85 to 90 F, up to where the top and bottom shells meet. It's also good to add some carrot baby food to the water. They may drink it and get some calories and vitamins.

How long do I soak her??

 

[PJay]

That's a nice turtle pen! I like all the rock work. Sorry, I forgot to tell you how long to soak. Go for about 30 minutes, twice a day. Many people use coconut coir for substrate in their indoor setups. Is your adult turtle exhibiting and signs of illness other than lethargy and low appetite? Any discharge from eyes, nose or mouth. Any whistling, popping, wheazing sounds? It looks like there might be a little goop in the left eye. Are you seeing that too?

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

That's a nice turtle pen! I like all the rock work. Sorry, I forgot to tell you how long to soak. Go for about 30 minutes, twice a day. Many people use coconut coir for substrate in their indoor setups. Is your adult turtle exhibiting and signs of illness other than lethargy and low appetite? Any discharge from eyes, nose or mouth. Any whistling, popping, wheazing sounds? It looks like there might be a little goop in the left eye. Are you seeing that too?

Tks No no discharge at all No wheezing or breathing problems I don't see anything in eye

 

[dmmj]

if your turtle looks like skin and bones it may have been wasting away while hibernating. did you happen to record a weight prehibernation? When you pick up the turtle does it feel light like it's only the shell?

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

if your turtle looks like skin and bones it may have been wasting away while hibernating. did you happen to record a weight prehibernation? When you pick up the turtle does it feel light like it's only the shell?

no I don't know I should do that. No it has some weight to it

 

[DEBBIEDIPI]

no I don't know I should do that. No it has some weight to it

She has always been slow moving