Greek tortoise not eating

[Blackninja]

Hellos,

Got Hulk (5-10yr Greek tortoise) 3 months back. In the beginning he used to eat a lott, twice a day but recently is sleeping a lot and hardly eats. I keep pulling him out of his 'cave' but he goes back in and doesnt come out all day.

Please advise.

Enclosure:
Substrate - Before walnut shell now play sand.
Diet - Mainly green lettuce, tomatoes, kale. Doesnt seem to eat cucmber/squash.

Pictures attached.

 

[Jabuticaba]

Hiya! nice looking tort! Hulk is a cute name. Here are my concerns and some suggestions:

When was the last time he pooped? If he hasn't pooped in a few days, maybe try soaking him; 95°F water, 20 mins.

What's the temperature in Hulks enclosure? Be sure to have it at the right levels for his species, or he won't be able to digest his food. Greeks need 95°F basking temp.

Lighting: Is it usually as dark as it shows in the pictures? Maybe more ambient lighting will make him more active. I leave the light in my guys' room on, even though I have lighting in their enclosure.

substrate: Sand is usually not recommended as it's known to cause impaction.

Lastly, is that plastic sticking out the sides? Is it possible Hulk tried to eat it? I'd use a different liner for the box, like pond liner. It's tough enough that your tort won't chew thru.

Hopefully, other members will have other suggestions. Say hello to Hulk for me. Hope he feels better soon.


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM], Hermann's [TURTLE][TURTLE] & Aussie [DOG FACE][DOG FACE][DOG FACE] (@YWG)

 

[GBtortoises]

What are the ambient daytime & night time temperatures & humidity?

Basking temperature?

Type of lighting and how long is it on during the daytime?

The diet should definitely be expanded in terms of variety. Greek subspecies are evolved to consume mainly dark, leafy greens. Lettuce and kale are not enough and tomatoes absolutely should not be part of their diet at all. Squash can be in small amounts. Cucumber is not harmful but also isn't really very nutritious either.
Diet should consist of, but not be limited to, a variety of the following: Dandelion, broad & narrow leaf plantain, lambsquarter, sow thistle, clover, chicory, alfalfa, vetch grasses, cactus pad (opuntia ssp.) and other wild plants known to be non-toxic. From the store: endive, escarole, chicory, dandelion, arugula, kale, beet greens, collard greens, mustard greens, carrot tops, romaine and occasionally green or red leaf. Vegetables can consist of squashes, pumpkin, green & yellow beans, peas, carrots and corn (occasionally).
The diet ratio should consist be about 80-85% greens and the rest the vegetables.
Keep in mind that grocery store greens are usually very high in water content because they are raised to grow quickly and look full and green for human appeal. They are often very high in water content and lower in nutrition than wild plants. Wild foods are always preferred when available.
The key is to feed quality and variety.

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Why not tomatoes?

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

I agree about the sand. No good. Could cause impaction problems if eaten. Warm soaks with bird vitamins or baby food, carrot or squash, are helpful, especially if he needs to get rid of something. Hulk may need to poop. You may find sand coming out. I use coco coir for mine. Do a search on TFO to see all the comments about that. I have read some posts in the Greek section - you may want to read through them - to boost temps to 90. Also sunshine. Sometimes sunshine gets them happy. Keep us updated so we can help. Hulk is a cutie. Hope he gets better. Oh and tomato has a lot of sugars and Greek tortoises do not do well getting a lot of sugar in their system. It's not natural. No tomatoes to be found in the middle eastern desert is the best way to "esplain" (sic) I guess. : )

And ... here's a cool picture of their natural habitat:
http://www.arkive.org/greek-tortoise/testudo-graeca/image-G130231.html

 

[Rural]

My god he's a cutie! Does Hulk hibernate? If not it's probably because torts sleep a lot during the summer if they don't hibernate, but if Hulk's behaviour makes you worry for his health, you could take him to a vet for examination, they might have some reasons he doesn't eat. Also tomatoes should be fed occasionally, and lettuce is not good for any species of tort as far as I know.
- By the way I love your enclosure! Might as well make my torts one of those in wood and put some legs on it for a tort table.
I hope Hulk starts eating soon!

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

I agree, have him examined by an experienced reptile DVM. I'd rather pay $30-60 for an exam and have the DVM tell me he's fine, than totally miss something and have a very sick (or worse!) little buddy.

With that sand as substrate I'd be concerned about impaction and constipation. Bring in a sample of feces if you can (only need 1 gram, which is an amount you can smear across a quarter). He could have Pinworms, easily treated. Make sure its fresh or at least still moist. Ziplock bag is ideal.
A blood test is also not a bad idea. The two major reference labs (Idexx and Antech) have reptile panels. If anyone lives near me (Oregon) I can get you a discount on lab work, not much but it can help!! I have a very good relationship with my Idexx rep. Plan on spending $80-150 on the blood panel.

I bought a big bag of bark mulch at the local farm/garden store for $4.99. It will take a year to use it up. Larry (my Greek) loves it and it holds moisture nicely. I just dump in a cup or so of water every few days and it keeps his enclosure around 50-70%.

Does Hulky have a water dish for soaking? Larry is in his all the time. I have to change the water 2x a day or its mud! LOL

And lastly, I have been completely amazed at how much of an activity change I've noticed in both torts (Greek and Sulcata), with gold ol' natural sunshine. They both go from slugs under the PowerSun UV light to running laps in my yard!!!! Take him outside for a walk and see.



"Hey, I'm from Africa, too!"


Sandy
.......................................
Oregon Tortoise Rescue

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Any update?


Sandy
.......................................
Oregon Tortoise Rescue