Greek tortoise not eating

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Dec 2, 2018
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Abu Dhabi
This is really weird. She's been eating and pooping fine for the past two and a half weeks, and today, her appetite suddenly dropped. And the weird thing is, that's the only thing that dropped. The rest of the behavior is normal; normal drinking, normal pacing around the enclosure, normal excretion. But her will to eat has disappeared entirely. I've tried different foods, enticing smells, different temperatures, nothing. Any idea what's happening?
(the temperature in the room was around 24 C with an open window giving direct sunlight slightly hotter.)
 

RosemaryDW

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I wouldn’t be overworried about one day.

Of course I say that now. As a new owner I would have been watching her like a hawk. :)

Still, it’s just one day.
 
Joined
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I wouldn’t be overworried about one day.

Of course I say that now. As a new owner I would have been watching her like a hawk. :)

Still, it’s just one day.
Still no luck! I tried a warm bath and half an hour of sunlight, and she still shows zero interest in her dandelions or rocket or whatever lies in front of her. Even a few minutes of basking beneath her infra-red bulb did nothing to boost her appetite. What do I do?
 

Maro2Bear

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One day of not eating doesnt sound “that” bad. I wouldnt over react and make many (any) drastic changes. Maybe longer soaks, bump temps up...but not too much of any one thing.
 
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So I tried the soak, in carrot baby food with a few drops of bird vitamins, with the UV lamp overhead, and I was met with the characteristic running around instead of eating. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow morning (It was 9:30 when I tried for the first time), and I'll try feeding again. 48 hours without food shouldn't be incredibly dangerous, should it?
 

Yvonne G

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Whether they like it or not, you leave them in the carrot soak for at least a half hour.
 
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So the second soak improved her appetite a little (but only a little), and since my internet was down and I couldn't ask you guys, I took her to a vet just to make sure, and he went ahead and prescribed an antibiotic. Which, frankly, has me skeptical. Should I use as drastic of a measure as antibiotics, or just continue soaking and improve gradually?
 
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Day 3, still no luck... And, again, all other activities are normal. And the daily pooping seems to show that she's not impacted or anything.
 

daniellenc

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Pooping also shows he’s eating! Nothing in = nothing out. If the vet didn’t provide adequate reason for the antibiotics hold off and save them. Babies eat a small amount so it can be easy to miss. Leave the poor guy alone and be patient. Car rides, vets, and being disturbed throughout the day WILL reduce eating because you’re inducing stress. Do some yoga, meditate, grab a beer but leave your guy in peace. Warm temps and time work well. One thing I’ve noticed is my guy likes his food a little old and wilted. Leave his old food in an extra day and provide a second dish of fresh food. He may like funky food better torts are gross.
 
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