HELP

[Jc918]

My Russian Tortoise has been sleeping ALL the time and hardly eats? Is this normal for this time of the year? I know towards the end of the month there supposed to be more active. He's got heat and UV bulb and BIG housing

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jc918:

Did you ever share your name with us? And where you are?

I think its time for you to go back to the beginning and start over. Read this:

http://www.russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm

then take a good look at your habitat/heat and feeding habits. Once you've tweaked your system, gotten the heat up where it should be, made the days long enough so he doesn't want to hibernate, I think you'll find that he's a happier, more active tortoise.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I'll use my Russian as an example...captive bred, 2 years 7 months, indoors 99.9% of the time (sadly), grocery diet but very varied. During the winter months, even being an indoor tort that has never been hibernated, he will way slow down. This winter it was much more pronounced than the first winter with him. I see him eat 1/3 to 1/2 of what he eats in the warmer months, awake half the time, etc....but still up every day. But, he is still growing a bit. Just slower than the warmer months (maybe 1/3 of the growth rate). Just this week he is coming out of his winter funk (PNW). It is thought indoor captive torts can still feel the pressure and season changes...they just won't get the temp drop to signal them to hibernate.

That said, you need to ensure:
1. your tort's habitat remains the same temp gradient (actually check this every 1-2 days...don't assume)
2. you replace UVB bulbs as needed (12 months for a MVB, although the sooner the better)
3. your tort is up and active a bit everyday to eat, bask, etc; if not, then physically get your tort out of the hide and place in a warm area near food
4. your tort is healthy (regular vet check ups and twice yearly fecal tests for parasites); no signs of RI, etc
5. your tort is a healthy weight; weigh and measure on a regular basis...weekly or every other week if you are worried, monthly if everything is looking right; if your tort is still growing, even in winter, you should still see some steady growth, but at a much slower pace than the warmer months; if full grown, just beware that they don't lose weight

A bit of this knowing whether it is ok or not ok comes with experience (which I still don't have much of...this winter has been a learning experience for me). What do you mean the end of the month they are to be more active? You mean because spring is coming now? How long has this been going on? Are the criteria I listed met? I assume this is your first winter with your tort. How old is he?

 

[Jc918]

Thanks I had that on hand. I turned up his heat a bit. I have been taking him out for soaks about twice a week and I have been putting some shell lotion on his shell that I got from the pet store.


He get's up for about 2 hours after that digs him self back in. WON"T touch food but maybe a byte or two if that. I am using cypress mulch for bedding he has water and lots of space but doe's nothing ALL day.

I may take him to the vet if I don't see some improvements soon. I am really worried about my little guy.

 

[tortoisenerd]

1. Ditch the shell lotion...it is unnatural to put anything on the shell (who does that in the wild?), and many of those are very harmful...they can dry out the shell and create a layer so that it can't naturally "breathe", as it is a living part of the tort. Sorry, but most of the stuff pet stores sell is pure junk.
2. If he truely isn't eating (do you have a baseline weight so you can weigh now and see?), then yes you need a vet. Once they go off food it can be very tough to get them back on. Find a reputable reptile vet and bring in a fecal sample when you go. Its a good sign he gets up on his own, but thats about it. I am very for going to the vet...especially as a new owner, they can notice things you may not (and we online may not be able to see from just words or photos). A good vet will ask you to describe your enclosure (it is helpful to bring in pics), ask about diet, check the poop for parasites, check the tort's temperature and maybe hearbeat, and do a general visual health exam. Spending that $50-$100 can save your tort's life in some cases, so I think its an important investment for when you get a tort, yearly, and whenever you are worried about something.
3. Can you get us enclosure pictures?
4. Please don't just turn up the heat..actually measure the temps. Too hot or too cold can be very dangerous. What temperature does he hide in? Do you have hides in warm areas? If you only have hides in cold areas, the tort will often choose safety over warmth, and then he won't be warm enough to want to eat.
5. How long has this been going on?

 

[Jc918]

I am not sure how old he is. He's not too big and YES it's my first winter with him. I got him from the pet store always had problems with him eating. I tried everything the little guy won't eat ANYTHING but roman lettuce. I was told with vitamins on the lettuce this would be ok but to offer other foods in case he would eat them. He will sometimes eat corn and carrots but that's about it. I tried tough love and I think he would rather just make him self sick. I will post some photos of him and his housing on here soon