SArchieIII
New Member
Hello, I posted for the first time recently about my baby Russian having Vitamin A deficiency.
I have been given info about temperatures (I believe I was using the "standard ones" which were not specific to babies) so I have increased the temps accordingly and waiting to add a CHE stolen from my birds so that I can use it during winter time.
I waited and waited something like 20-odd years to adopt a tortoise, and although experience is definitely forged by practice, as reading can surely help, I also think it "can't be all", and I thought I was doing "okay?". I guess I am feeling horribly guilty.
I have been feeding foraged weeds, washed, pat dry-ish, and given directly after this process: red clover, dandelion, wheat grass, chickweed, kale, chicory, collard greens, pak choi, and one time 3 petals of from our organic garden (they are planted by us 5 years ago, from full bloom rose), romaine lettuce, and every now and then 1/2 wafer thin slice of cucumber... a pinch of calcium. (no added vitamins. Is this what I failed at?)
Is it really "just the temperature" [this is how it was: Basking temp 89.6 F and opposite side 79.2F (in C)] that has caused her to have this ailment now?
What "normally" causes vitamin A deficiency in tortoises?
The Vet, that is following my tiny hard-shelled potato is supporting the tortoise and reptiles in our wildlife park here in Ireland He mentioned the incredible resilience of tortoises and that it might as well be possible that she has been unwell for a few months and only showing it now. He was happy to hear about her diet that Archie has been living, and suggested also to benefit from the amazing sun we are having at the moment (altho we are at 75.2F outside due to the breeze) to make sure she gets some real sun as well. So to avoid the chills I got a high-sided bucket and put her outside for a 30 min soak in warm water+electrolytes (which he gave us a pouch of loos Vetark Repto Boost).
She always stretches nicely in the water (similarly to how she basks under the light [with the previous temp - never under the light perpendicularly, always a bit off to the side, the basking bulb has always been an Arcadia normal shaped bulb, we shall see what she will do with the new temp].
I am probably focusing too much on "what have I done" instead of positively looking up at when she will be better... but so far, she is still not eating and yesterday was the first time pooping in a week or so. Before deciding to sleep a lot and stay hidden under the soil, she was eating fine, (maybe too much? as in maybe she stuffed herself and decided "y'all see ya" and aestivate?) , and doing her long laps around the enclosure 120cm x60cm (3.9x1.9 feet).
In the past 3 weeks she is active and roaming and doing things, only if I move her away from her hiding spot in a different environment, then she explore, she lift herself up, yawns, pees, and goes about, but she doesn't eat... at all.
I spotter her drinking though, and althogh the water for her soaking is just above the side scutes a little bit above, sometimes she pops her head below and exhales making bubbles, then brushes her eyes, and in one the third eyelid is not moving so the top and bottom blink but I cant see her eye, and the other one I can see a less than a third of her eye, and the blinking movement is there as well.
When she yawned I saw her tongue and mouth and it has a good normal colour... Vet said her shell and plastron is strong, and the weight increase means she has been growing nicely...
...tiny little guy... I don't know what else I can do QQ
Sorry for sounding as I sound to you, I am just going through some personal stuff with my health, and the last thing I want is causing pain to the pets that live with me... and Archie is family now.
Can she die due to this? Do I "just have to be patient"?
Will the recovery be slow as per tortoise things?
Should she be "blind" can she learn to live (granted I dont change the enclosure)?
She is currently in a smaller space with the temps suggested, so I can have her in a "fresh" place.
These animals have endured, and survived things the dinosaurs have not survived, I don't want to fail her again... I keep reading the articles I have been reading in this blog for a long time, and I can't find relief from feeling guilty.
Thanks for reading.
Picture of Archie when she joined us, her first meal (when "just a pinch" meant "Are you sure it is enough?" adds another pinch)
![1687968731157.png 1687968731157.png](https://data.www.tortoiseforum.org/attachments/344/344947-20cf34955c1fcd1fd293b1d90d0292f0.jpg)
I have been given info about temperatures (I believe I was using the "standard ones" which were not specific to babies) so I have increased the temps accordingly and waiting to add a CHE stolen from my birds so that I can use it during winter time.
I waited and waited something like 20-odd years to adopt a tortoise, and although experience is definitely forged by practice, as reading can surely help, I also think it "can't be all", and I thought I was doing "okay?". I guess I am feeling horribly guilty.
I have been feeding foraged weeds, washed, pat dry-ish, and given directly after this process: red clover, dandelion, wheat grass, chickweed, kale, chicory, collard greens, pak choi, and one time 3 petals of from our organic garden (they are planted by us 5 years ago, from full bloom rose), romaine lettuce, and every now and then 1/2 wafer thin slice of cucumber... a pinch of calcium. (no added vitamins. Is this what I failed at?)
Is it really "just the temperature" [this is how it was: Basking temp 89.6 F and opposite side 79.2F (in C)] that has caused her to have this ailment now?
What "normally" causes vitamin A deficiency in tortoises?
I did so, thank you!@wellington kindly suggested to increase the temp to 95-100F around 38c I believe. All over temp 80F night
The Vet, that is following my tiny hard-shelled potato is supporting the tortoise and reptiles in our wildlife park here in Ireland He mentioned the incredible resilience of tortoises and that it might as well be possible that she has been unwell for a few months and only showing it now. He was happy to hear about her diet that Archie has been living, and suggested also to benefit from the amazing sun we are having at the moment (altho we are at 75.2F outside due to the breeze) to make sure she gets some real sun as well. So to avoid the chills I got a high-sided bucket and put her outside for a 30 min soak in warm water+electrolytes (which he gave us a pouch of loos Vetark Repto Boost).
She always stretches nicely in the water (similarly to how she basks under the light [with the previous temp - never under the light perpendicularly, always a bit off to the side, the basking bulb has always been an Arcadia normal shaped bulb, we shall see what she will do with the new temp].
I am probably focusing too much on "what have I done" instead of positively looking up at when she will be better... but so far, she is still not eating and yesterday was the first time pooping in a week or so. Before deciding to sleep a lot and stay hidden under the soil, she was eating fine, (maybe too much? as in maybe she stuffed herself and decided "y'all see ya" and aestivate?) , and doing her long laps around the enclosure 120cm x60cm (3.9x1.9 feet).
In the past 3 weeks she is active and roaming and doing things, only if I move her away from her hiding spot in a different environment, then she explore, she lift herself up, yawns, pees, and goes about, but she doesn't eat... at all.
I spotter her drinking though, and althogh the water for her soaking is just above the side scutes a little bit above, sometimes she pops her head below and exhales making bubbles, then brushes her eyes, and in one the third eyelid is not moving so the top and bottom blink but I cant see her eye, and the other one I can see a less than a third of her eye, and the blinking movement is there as well.
When she yawned I saw her tongue and mouth and it has a good normal colour... Vet said her shell and plastron is strong, and the weight increase means she has been growing nicely...
...tiny little guy... I don't know what else I can do QQ
Sorry for sounding as I sound to you, I am just going through some personal stuff with my health, and the last thing I want is causing pain to the pets that live with me... and Archie is family now.
Can she die due to this? Do I "just have to be patient"?
Will the recovery be slow as per tortoise things?
Should she be "blind" can she learn to live (granted I dont change the enclosure)?
She is currently in a smaller space with the temps suggested, so I can have her in a "fresh" place.
These animals have endured, and survived things the dinosaurs have not survived, I don't want to fail her again... I keep reading the articles I have been reading in this blog for a long time, and I can't find relief from feeling guilty.
Thanks for reading.
Picture of Archie when she joined us, her first meal (when "just a pinch" meant "Are you sure it is enough?" adds another pinch)
![1687968731157.png 1687968731157.png](https://data.www.tortoiseforum.org/attachments/344/344947-20cf34955c1fcd1fd293b1d90d0292f0.jpg)