Help please ASAP health is failing

[Lulabee247]

5 year old marginated tortoise
Substrate - Cyprus mulch, green Matt, all on top of slate (to hold the heat)
Humidifier struggling to keep up to 80-90%
Flood heat lamp
12% uvb
Home made viv with plastic greenhouse top

I’m in a difficult situation myself having to leave my home, moved in with family member who is now saying it costs too much to keep the lights on for tortoise.
Light and heat time have been reduced, humidity isn’t at what it should be. She has only just started been slow and miserable and not eating much if anything, she hasn’t peed in 3 days, she struggled but had a poo today, even when warm she walks slow when taken out for exercise. Have been giving her daily warm soaks.
She doesn’t seem happy at all.
Until I get in my new home which looks like it’s going to be another month, I don’t no what to do for the best ?
There is a tortoise hotel near me but she will be in a vivarium all the time, given shop bought salad. But I’m wondering is it best I put her in the hotel until I get my own house, or keep her ?
I’m so so upset right now I need help in deciding what is best as she is sad, holds her head low, doesn’t even like the massage I used to give her, wants to sleep all the time.
Please someone give me some brutal advise soon she needs help and I want her to be healthy. ?

 

[wellington]

Well, if it were me I would tell the family its animal abuse to not give heat to an animal that needs it to live and digest its food.
If they don't change their minds then find someone that can take her in until you get your own place or use the hotel.
She has to have heat, warm up under a basking spot of 95-100 to digest its food and regulate its body. She will likely die if this doesnt change asap.

 

[Lulabee247]

Well, if it were me I would tell the family its animal abuse to not give heat to an animal that needs it to live and digest its food.
If they don't change their minds then find someone that can take her in until you get your own place or use the hotel.
She has to have heat, warm up under a basking spot of 95-100 to digest its food and regulate its body. She will likely die if this doesnt change asap.

Ok, I think I knew the answer, Iv enquired about the hotel. At the end of the day my sister didn’t choose to have a tortoise, that was my choice, it wasn’t her fault that me and my partner split up and I had to move out. And it does cost a lot to keep a tortoise. But it’s killing me watching her suffer, it will kill me even more to let her go, but it’s better than killing her. I need to put her somewhere safe while I wait to get the keys to our new home. And build her the best castle ever. So that will be another thread il be searching for so I can buy the correct equipment.
Thankyou for your honesty. It’s time to put her in a hotel for a while. Not sure where to look for people who board tortoise at their homes Roy d here

 

[wellington]

Maybe offer to pay the difference in the electric bill.

 

[TeamZissou]

Can you offer to pay some of the electricity costs to your sister? I assume a tortoise hotel would cost something, and that paying an additional amount to cover electricity to your sister would be less money. Perhaps you could ask her what the normal monthly costs would be, and then pay the difference.

If it's a free tortoise hotel, then I suppose it would be a better way to go.

Your tortoise doesn't need crazy high humidity at this point in its life; 80-90% is really only needed for hatchlings. Foggers are also not the best. It can get by for a month with whatever the ambient humidity is.

 

[Lulabee247]

Can you offer to pay some of the electricity costs to your sister? I assume a tortoise hotel would cost something, and that paying an additional amount to cover electricity to your sister would be less money. Perhaps you could ask her what the normal monthly costs would be, and then pay the difference.

If it's a free tortoise hotel, then I suppose it would be a better way to go.

Your tortoise doesn't need crazy high humidity at this point in its life; 80-90% is really only needed for hatchlings. Foggers are also not the best. It can get by for a month with whatever the ambient humidity is.

In the enclosure Iv made the humidity is rarely past 60% unless I turn the fogger up but I understand that is bad as it’s cold not warm humidity so I don’t often do that. I spray a lot daily. But Iv been in temporary living arrangements for quite a while now and I’m thinking it’s taking it’s toll on her health. She is deffo not as happy as when we first arrived 2 month ago, she was so happy in the big garden. Now she is so depressed and sad and not eating, her head hung low instead of up when I know she is happy. I don’t feel comfortable now, my money situation hasn’t been the best as I’m training in a new career so yes Iv offered to pay even half of the bill when I actually get paid. As I sister I thought she was helping me out while I was down, but I guess she didn’t account for how much the tortoise would cost on top. I think it’s best she goes in a hotel where I know for sure she will have what she needs, all apart from exercise and loving. But surely she will be ok for a month or so till I take her home with me ?

 

[Bridgebob]

5 year old marginated tortoise
Substrate - Cyprus mulch, green Matt, all on top of slate (to hold the heat)
Humidifier struggling to keep up to 80-90%
Flood heat lamp
12% uvb
Home made viv with plastic greenhouse top

I’m in a difficult situation myself having to leave my home, moved in with family member who is now saying it costs too much to keep the lights on for tortoise.
Light and heat time have been reduced, humidity isn’t at what it should be. She has only just started been slow and miserable and not eating much if anything, she hasn’t peed in 3 days, she struggled but had a poo today, even when warm she walks slow when taken out for exercise. Have been giving her daily warm soaks.
She doesn’t seem happy at all.
Until I get in my new home which looks like it’s going to be another month, I don’t no what to do for the best ?
There is a tortoise hotel near me but she will be in a vivarium all the time, given shop bought salad. But I’m wondering is it best I put her in the hotel until I get my own house, or keep her ?
I’m so so upset right now I need help in deciding what is best as she is sad, holds her head low, doesn’t even like the massage I used to give her, wants to sleep all the time.
Please someone give me some brutal advise soon she needs help and I want her to be healthy. ?

Have you contacted any reptile rescue organizations?

I had a baby squirrel that I rescued and found a home for this squirrel.

If you are in the DC Area I can take it in, but it has to live with a Eastern Box Turtle and the enclosure is not very big. Your tortoise can easily find a new home here in the DC region.

 

[TeamZissou]

Your tortoise can get by without UVB for a month, so you could shut that light off. Foggers generally are not great because they can contribute to upper respiratory problems--they are not recommended on the forum.

Ultimately you need to get the tortoise to the proper temps so it can resume eating normally.

The cost of running the tortoise setup would not be that much money. The average price of energy in England is about 19 p/kWh. The three components you mentioned, assuming they are run for 14 hours per day (though hopefully the fogger isn't being run for 14 hours continually), with

1. 100 W basking bulb
2. 39 W UV bulb (Arcadia 12%, 34" length)
3. 25 W fogger (Zoomed)

Would be about 2.3 kWh per day, which comes out to about 13.5 pounds per month. Any increase in your sister's electric bill is most likely due to having another person using electricity rather than the tortoise.

 

[Lulabee247]

Have you contacted any reptile rescue organizations?

I had a baby squirrel that I rescued and found a home for this squirrel.

If you are in the DC Area I can take it in, but it has to live with a Eastern Box Turtle and the enclosure is not very big. Your tortoise can easily find a new home here in the DC region.

DC region ? That doesn’t sound like UK. But thanks anyway, it’s not a new home I need, it’s a temporary home for a few weeks. Cheers

 

[Lulabee247]

Your tortoise can get by without UVB for a month, so you could shut that light off. Foggers generally are not great because they can contribute to upper respiratory problems--they are not recommended on the forum.

Ultimately you need to get the tortoise to the proper temps so it can resume eating normally.

The cost of running the tortoise setup would not be that much money. The average price of energy in England is about 19 p/kWh. The three components you mentioned, assuming they are run for 14 hours per day (though hopefully the fogger isn't being run for 14 hours continually), with

1. 100 W basking bulb
2. 39 W UV bulb (Arcadia 12%, 34" length)
3. 25 W fogger (Zoomed)

Would be about 2.3 kWh per day, which comes out to about 13.5 pounds per month. Any increase in your sister's electric bill is most likely due to having another person using electricity rather than the tortoise.

I hardly use any as I’m out training all day and used to work away too. I can only go by what she says and she states it’s got to be the heat and lights that’s caused the increase which is stated to be an extra £170 on top of what she usually pays. I will only know when I get my own home and start paying my own bills for my baby, but it’s not a happy place right now so I at least want me baby to be happy and healthy. I can’t believe you say she can go without the uvb tho ?
So what about a mercury vapour bulb then ? Would that be better or just the flood lamp. I think the hotel would be a better choice for her health tho even tho not for mine emotionally.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Sorry to hear all of this. All very sad for you & stressful on your tortoise. At £170 extra per month? Your sister is totally taking advantage of you during this time. Id say it’s best for you to look for some kind tortoise loving soul who can assist. If not, the “hotel” is second. Hopefully you don’t have to stay very long with your sister.

Good luck. ?

 

[TeamZissou]

It can't be that much unless this website is way off on the price of energy (supposedly it was last updated Jan 24, 2022):

Average Cost of Electricity per kWh in the UK (2024)

According to OFGEM the average cost of electricity is now 28.6p/kWh for January to March 2024 for a customer with typical usage paying by direct debit on a default tariff. Read how rates change by area, from London to Merseyside.

www.nimblefins.co.uk

To calculate the cost, just add up all the watts from all the lamps, and plug in how many hours you are running them into this calculator to get the the total power used per day in kWh (kilowatt-hours). Alternatively, you can look at the actual electric statement to see what the price is per kWh:

Watts to Kilowatt-Hours (kWh) Conversion Calculator

Convert watts to kilowatt-hours (kWh) given power in watts and time in hours. Learn how to calculate kilowatt-hours using a simple formula.

www.inchcalculator.com

Then multiply the kWh by the price in p/kWh (first link), and you get the cost per day. Multiply by 31 days to get the monthly cost.

Regarding UVB, it takes a long time to become deficient in vitamin D. Some people keep their tortoises outside during the warmer months and bring them inside during winter without running a UV lamp. I did this for years with my turtles and they were quite healthy.

Do whatever you think is best, but you need to get your tort up to operating temps, ie., basking spot of 95-100 F and ambient temps in the 75 F range. Mercury vapor bulbs are no good for torts. They output inconsistent UV and are too hot and concentrated. Just use your normal incandescent flood bulb and things should be fine.