help an extremely no eating russian tortoise????

[38ray3838]

Helko everyone. i work in a pet store and recused my russian tort. i was on vacation and he went to the vet due to not eating. so the vet put a feeding tube in. Ajax (little warrior) had the tube in a week and it was out. then when i got back from vacation i picked ajax up from the vet and wouldnt return him back to the storre. so i syringe fed him for two monthes before he yanked out the tube himself. he wont eat veggies like carrots green beans peas. he wont eat a spring mix of lettuce no raddachio nothing i have to open his mouth to feed him.

i am worried about him. he wouldnt come out of his shell and had no muscle tone when i got him. but now he is walking around and digging in his bedding.

i have him in a forty gallon terrerium. I have a dandy rockish terrain. i am working on growing flowers he can eat on 1/3 of the tank. i have the temp consistantly at 80-85 on humidity at 35%. i know that is a little high but the flowers need it right now.

so i am seeking any help to get my little ajax to eat. i dont want to loose him after four monthes. all advice is welcine and appreciated. thanks ray

 

[lynnedit]

It sounds as if he is healthier, but......he needs a larger enclosure, so that you can create a variation of temperatures.
They need a basking area of around 95f (under the basking light), but also an opposite cool side of about 65 to 70f. If they can't warm up enough, then they can't digest their food, and won't eat.
If they can't cool down, then they will burrow all of the time.
Your substrate should have some topsoil or coir for burrowing in. The under layers should be kept moist. 35% humidity is not too high.
You should be soaking him regularly in shallow warm water, about 2x per week for a tortoise in an inside enclosure.
Does he have source of UV, like a Powersun MVB?

You have worked hard on trying to get him healthy, so read up a bit more about their care. Ultimately, Russian tortoises do the best if they can spend time in a secure enclosure outside.
Here are some good links:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://russiantortoise.net

Read up, and I think you will be able to make some adjustments that might help him continue to improve. Best of luck!

 

[38ray3838]

Ok i had turned my heat lamp off since i read that it was only suppose to be at 80-85. i have a UVB bulb that i have on for 12 hours so what should my bight temp should be at. my tank is 36inches so i have the heat gradient. so he is healthy even though he is losing weight. he still have white urine and
poos regularly. also can he soak to long in water. i soak him every three days. is that bad?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Have you tried to chop up real fine the spring mix ? And what are you feeding him right now liquid carrots ?


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum

 

[38ray3838]

We have cut it up we have prueed it. i have used frozen veggies. we have used fresh veggies. i have taken pellets and mafe them wet and mixed it up with the other food. we switched it up everyday. he also will get critical care from the vet when he hasnt eaten for a few days. i have even tried baby food. i have watched youtube videos i have been to several websites that many pages reference. the site that someone copied and pasted about what russians eat is the site i have visited a lot. that is how i found out about the plants. also we have tried appiete stimulators. so i am really at a loss.

 

[lismar79]

Have you tried mazuri tort diet? You can order the "old" formula from mazuris web site. The LS version sold now in pet stores is not as appealing for some reason. When my sully was sick that was the only thing I could get him to eat. Most torts do not turn it down. Soak a few pc in water till they get soft and offer it to him on chopped up greens. A baby food soak is a good thing to do as well.

Is your tank private? He might not feel safe enough to come out to eat if its glass. If so, just tape some paper around the bottom so he can not see out.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ray, and welcome to the Forum!

Russian tortoises don't eat veggies. You should be feeding him dark, leafy greens. Things like endive, escarole, radicchio, Spring Mix (a packaged salad mixture), turnip greens, etc. Broad-leaf weeds from your yard (if they haven't been treated with pesticides) is also a good choice.

Your tortoise would benefit from a slight drop in temperature at night. Get a bigger habitat so you can have a temperature gradient from one end to the other. It should be about 100F directly under the light, fading to 80 or so at one end, and down to room temperature at the other end. Then at night, it can be all over about 70F.

Once your tortoise is back up and running, be thinking about putting him outside in a safe, well-planted area. They do much better outside.

 

[lynnedit]

Ok i had turned my heat lamp off since i read that it was only suppose to be at 80-85. i have a UVB bulb that i have on for 12 hours so what should my bight temp should be at. my tank is 36inches so i have the heat gradient. so he is healthy even though he is losing weight. he still have white urine and
poos regularly. also can he soak to long in water. i soak him every three days. is that bad?

Since he is not eating, soak him every day to other day and add unsweetened canned pumpkin (a couple to tablespoons) or a jar of pureed baby food carrots to the water. You can also squirt in some bird vitamins.
I'm not sure what you are using to measure temps, but a 36" wide enclosure is not big enough to get a good temperature gradient like Yvonne mentions. Why don't you switch him out to a 50-55 gal Rubbermaid tote? They don't cost much at places like Lowe's or Home Depot.
If the temps aren't right, your all of your hard work will be for nothing.

 

[38ray3838]

Thanks guys we are going to do some of these suggestions. keep the help coming i am open to anything

 

[lynnedit]

When you get the tote, look for organic topsoil at one of those stores or ACE hardware (no chemical fertilizers or animal waste. Use that for the substrate. Basking/uv light on one side. Two tiles: one for feeding off of midway down the enclosure, and one under the basking light.
A shallow plant saucer for water. A hide at least on the cool end. (some of the Rubbermaids have a little indentation partway down, I sometimes set a piece of wood across one short side that can act as a hide.
Keep us posted!

 

[Saleama]

I am not to educated on re-habing russian torts, but it seems I have heard thet keeping their food in an unchopped state so that they can manipulate it with their feet is best. My Russians have become hand tamed but whenever I or my friend tries to hand feed they always claw at the food until we place it on the ground a few inches in front of them. The best advice I ever received was to always place the food in the dish and leave it there. Once it gets old, remove it but put new food in the next day. They will not starve themselves and will eventially eat.

 

[WillTort2]

Try feeding some dandelion flowers. My Russians love the ones with the purplish stems that grow in the spring and fall mostly. Also try rose petals.

Good luck.

 

[38ray3838]

Ok thanks guys i picked up some pumpkin and baby food carrots ti try in his bath water. i have tried dandilions he ate one and was done but atleast he ate one. i love this thanks. you are all awesome

 

[38ray3838]

So i am happy to report we have the one side during the day at 90 degrees and the other side at about 72. he really likes the pumpkin but not in a soak just sitting in his cage. we have yet to up grade to a tote but he is not digging all the time he is out and about moving. he is just moving his bedding around like a champ. we are going to put pumpkin on his greens here in a couple of days because i want to make sure he is eating really well. i put new pumpkin out last night and half was gone. some in his water dish. but i wanted ti thank you guys who gave me great advice i wss afraid we would have to do the feeding tube agsin but he is getting to his grub and active. thanks love to all torti lovers.