Feeding my tortoise

[Amber_123]

My four month old sulcata, Little Foot, has not eaten barely at all he ate for the first time last night in about 5 days but he didn't even eat like 1/4 of his normal dinner. I have been soaking him twice a day and taking him outside for an hour a day. I haven't seen him go in his water recently at all... What should I do?

 

[RedfootsRule]

Keep soaking him. Are you still doing the baby food soaks?
I would recommend switching to mazuri tortoise diet, which can be purchased from several members on this forum, mixed with hay salad from (carolinapetsupply.com). You can also add greens such as collard, turnip, dandelion, escarole, endive when you have it available. Butternut, acorn, and yellow squash can also be added for some variety.
The reason I recommend the mazuri is it has great reviews in raising sulcatas, and it is easy. On a green diet, there needs to be a large variety. Mazuri takes a lot of the work out of it, and you can just use it moistened mixed with hay salad. You can also allow him to graze in your lawn, as long as it is un-fertilized.
Weeds suc as mallow, filaree, sow thistle, plantain can also be added, assuming you can identify them in your lawn...Which can be tricky. Purchasing a hibiscus bush is nice, also, as the leaves and flowers offer a great food source.

 

[Amber_123]

Keep soaking him. Are you still doing the baby food soaks?
I would recommend switching to mazuri tortoise diet, which can be purchased from several members on this forum, mixed with hay salad from (carolinapetsupply.com). You can also add greens such as collard, turnip, dandelion, escarole, endive when you have it available. Butternut, acorn, and yellow squash can also be added for some variety.
The reason I recommend the mazuri is it has great reviews in raising sulcatas, and it is easy. On a green diet, there needs to be a large variety. Mazuri takes a lot of the work out of it, and you can just use it moistened mixed with hay salad. You can also allow him to graze in your lawn, as long as it is un-fertilized.

Okay thank you I'll go look for it now!

 

[RedfootsRule]

Search for a member "spikethebest". He's the only one I can think of off the top of my head....That, or go into the classifieds section. Several members here sell it.

 

[Amber_123]

Search for a member "spikethebest". He's the only one I can think of off the top of my head....That, or go into the classifieds section. Several members here sell it.

Okay

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

Search for a member "spikethebest". He's the only one I can think of off the top of my head....That, or go into the classifieds section. Several members here sell it.

You can also buy it from Mazuri.com they ship fast

 

[Amber_123]

Search for a member "spikethebest". He's the only one I can think of off the top of my head....That, or go into the classifieds section. Several members here sell it.

You can also buy it from Mazuri.com they ship fast

I'll go check it out!

 

[RedfootsRule]

Oh, I did not know they sold to the public. I thought it was just sold commercially from them....

 

[sibi]

Amber, what has changed since he last ate normally? What r his temps in his enclosure? What temp was it outside when u took him out? Have u noticed if he'd eaten any of those large barks in his enclosure? And tell me what he's doing all day when he doesn't eat. We'll figure this out. It is encouraging that he ate a little today. Give him 3 warm soaks w/ baby food daily, and up his temps in his enclosure by 5 degrees. Keep me posted. Btw, if he's compacted (we don't know yet), he won't eat masuri right now.

 

[Amber_123]

His temperature now is at 91, when he isn't eating he is sleeping ( which also worries me a lot) I haven't changed anything recently not even his food or temperatures.the temperature when I took him out today was about 83. I haven't seen him chomp at any recently and okay I will go get some baby food tomorrow after school. My cousin is a vet so do you think I should call her up and see if she knows what is wrong? She is a small animal vet but it might be better than nothing.

 

[RedfootsRule]

Amber, I thought you already did the baby food soaks I recommended? Or have you not gotten to the store yet? If not, you really should start doing them as soon as possible to get some nutrients into him...Sleeping is pretty normal for a hatchling, however. They don't have much activity, other then eating and soaking. After a year or so, they get more active.
It depends what type of vet your cousin is. Dog/cat vet? Most don't know much about reptiles (no offense to her). Those that would know are reptile specialized vets. Small animal vet could mean reptiles, however.
By the way, when you soaked him last night, did he go to the bathroom?

 

[Amber_123]

Amber, I thought you already did the baby food soaks I recommended? Or have you not gotten to the store yet? If not, you really should start doing them as soon as possible to get some nutrients into him...Sleeping is pretty normal for a hatchling, however. They don't have much activity, other then eating and soaking. After a year or so, they get more active.
It depends what type of vet your cousin is. Dog/cat vet? Most don't know much about reptiles (no offense to her). Those that would know are reptile specialized vets. Small animal vet could mean reptiles, however.
By the way, when you soaked him last night, did he go to the bathroom?

My mom couldn't take me to the store today because she was absolutely packed with work and if she left she would have been fired. I'm going to get them tomorrow for sure no doubt about it. My cousin I would like to say is a small animal vet and I know she has treat some reptiles before so I can ask her. She may have people at her office, too who have worked with tortoises before.

 

[RedfootsRule]

Ah, okay. Just keep soaking in warm water and get the baby food as soon as possible...It couldn't hurt to ask your cousin. Just tell us what she says before you do anything. I know of some vets that can cause more damage then harm to reptiles, because they're used to dogs and cats...

 

[sibi]

Honestly, I don't think that is necessary right now. If u have a vet in the family, that's great news for u and your tort. Tell me again, when did he last eat, even if it was a little bit? We may have to use a little mineral oil to get him to poop. If he still doesn't eat or poop by tomorrow, I want u to get "mineral oil," not oil or a mix, but pure mineral oil and an eyedropper. I'll wait to hear from u tomorrow.

His temperature now is at 91, when he isn't eating he is sleeping ( which also worries me a lot) I haven't changed anything recently not even his food or temperatures.the temperature when I took him out today was about 83. I haven't seen him chomp at any recently and okay I will go get some baby food tomorrow after school. My cousin is a vet so do you think I should call her up and see if she knows what is wrong? She is a small animal vet but it might be better than nothing.

 

[Amber_123]

Ah, okay. Just keep soaking in warm water and get the baby food as soon as possible...It couldn't hurt to ask your cousin. Just tell us what she says before you do anything. I know of some vets that can cause more damage then harm to reptiles, because they're used to dogs and cats...

Okay I will try to get ahold of her tomorrow!

---

Honestly, I don't think that is necessary right now. If u have a vet in the family, that's great news for u and your tort. Tell me again, when did he last eat, even if it was a little bit? We may have to use a little mineral oil to get him to poop.

His temperature now is at 91, when he isn't eating he is sleeping ( which also worries me a lot) I haven't changed anything recently not even his food or temperatures.the temperature when I took him out today was about 83. I haven't seen him chomp at any recently and okay I will go get some baby food tomorrow after school. My cousin is a vet so do you think I should call her up and see if she knows what is wrong? She is a small animal vet but it might be better than nothing.

He ate like three bites at 1:00 this morning. And what is mineral oil, like what does it do?

 

[RedfootsRule]

Mineral or vegetable oil basically just helps whatever blockage there may be to "slip out" of the intestines. It must be given orally, however, by a syringe. Soaking frequently also encourages defecation, and clearing of any blockage, assuming there is one. Has he gone to the bathroom in his water when you soak him? This would have a lot to do with wether or not he's impacted.

 

[Amber_123]

Mineral or vegetable oil basically just helps whatever blockage there may be to "slip out" of the intestines. It must be given orally, however, by a syringe. Soaking frequently also encourages defecation, and clearing of any blockage, assuming there is one. Has he gone to the bathroom in his water when you soak him? This would have a lot to do with wether or not he's impacted.

No hasn't, normally he goes in his cage but he hasn't gone either. He did pee today if that changes anything!

 

[RedfootsRule]

Not really. Have you changed the substrate of his enclosure? You need to remove all of the chips, reptile carpet, etc. as soon as possible. He could just not be going to the bathroom because he has not eaten...He will not really defecate if he has not ingested anything.
Something else that is recommended to prevent and help blockages, increase his fiber intake. The diet you've been feeding him is rather low in fiber; try to take some grass clippings from your lawn and feed it to him, if he starts eating again.

 

[sibi]

You would need to get"mineral oil," not vegetable oil...it's not the same. And, you can use a syringe or an eyedropper. Orally is not the only way to administer mineral oil. You can insert it through his rear end. But, let's just see what happens tomorrow. Obviously, if you need to give him the mineral oil, you'd want to do it in a way that's less stressful for your baby. But, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

 

[RedfootsRule]

You would need to get"mineral oil," not vegetable oil...it's not the same. And, you can use a syringe or an eyedropper. Orally is not the only way to administer mineral oil. You can insert it through his rear end. But, let's just see what happens tomorrow. Obviously, if you need to give him the mineral oil, you'd want to do it in a way that's less stressful for your baby. But, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

Vegetable oil and mineral oil have exactly the same effect, and are both effective in the treatment of impactions. Through the rear end would require a hypodermic needle...Which is not something a beginner should attempt.