Hi From New Zealand

[Cosigroove]

Hi Everyone from Wellington New Zealand!
At the end of last month I finally made my life long dream of becoming a tortoise owner come true! Our new family member is 4 months old and came from a breeder here in the North Island. Gerald (or Geraldine if a female!) has been doing well but over the last couple of days has been dragging his back legs when walking. It seems he can feel them and moves them a little but I am worried. He is eating everything recommended by the breeder and I am using a calcium supplement with D3 but I am worried. The substrate he is on is peat (recommended by the breeder). I have taken him outside and he has been using the legs a little so I wonder is being on the peat making him not want to use his back legs? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

Do we get pics of your tort and its enclosure? We like pics .

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

We also need to know the species.
Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Gerald(ine).
A photo of your enclosure and tortoise would be very helpful if you could manage it.
We would also need to know the temperatures (basking spot, hot side cool side, night time low) and humidity.
Are you soaking him?
What do you feed him ?
As much information as possible would help us to help him .

 

[Cosigroove]

Thank you so much for replying to me and for your lovely welcomes! I am having some trouble loading up pics but will do when I get my cam working.
My breeder recommended the following which we have been feeding:
Dandelion greens
Clover
Chickweed
Bok choy
Brussel sprouts
broccoli (not his favourite!)
grated apple
grated carrot
seasonal fruits
Everything fresh and organic
I put a pinch of Flukers Repta Calcium with D3 on every feed.
He is currently in a well ventilated enclosure with a ceramic heat emitter at 35 degrees celcius. We are in the process of building a tortoise table after gleaning some ideas from this forum and other tortoise related webs.
I haven't soaked him before - I noticed there was a thread about a torty with a similar issue who recommended this - how do I go about this?
Tortoises are so rare here in NZ that it is really hard to get good info so I am very grateful for having access to experienced tortoise owners through this
forum! I want to give this little one the best life I can

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

We can't offer feeding advice without knowing the type of tortoise.
Some need grasses, some don't, likewise some are okay with fruit and others it is bad for.
Again a tortoise table may be unsuitable depending on your room's ambient humidity, you may need a closed chamber but it depends on the species.
What do you use for UVB ?
Get a high sided opaque container and fill it with warm water to a level just above where the plastron joins the carapace. Soak him for 20 to thirty minutes, three or four times a week. (more if he's dry and not kept in humid conditions) he won't like it at first, but it's good for him, it will keep him hydrated.

 

[Cosigroove]

We can't offer feeding advice without knowing the type of tortoise.
Some need grasses, some don't, likewise some are okay with fruit and others it is bad for.
Again a tortoise table may be unsuitable depending on your room's ambient humidity, you may need a closed chamber but it depends on the species.
What do you use for UVB ?
Get a high sided opaque container and fill it with warm water to a level just above where the plastron joins the carapace. Soak him for 20 to thirty minutes, three or four times a week. (more if he's dry and not kept in humid conditions) he won't like it at first, but it's good for him, it will keep him hydrated.

Thanks for the reply. Gerald is a Greek Spur Thighed Tortoise. The ambient humidity in the room according to the gauge I have is 78%. I have a 10.0 UVB tube 15w. I leave it on from 6am to 6pm - is this right? I gave him his first soak this morning and you are right - he wasn't happy!! I noticed this morning that he did a big poop and seemed to be moving his legs more after the soak. Do you think this may have something to do with the leg dragging?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thanks for the reply. Gerald is a Greek Spur Thighed Tortoise. The ambient humidity in the room according to the gauge I have is 78%. I have a 10.0 UVB tube 15w. I leave it on from 6am to 6pm - is this right? I gave him his first soak this morning and you are right - he wasn't happy!! I noticed this morning that he did a big poop and seemed to be moving his legs more after the soak. Do you think this may have something to do with the leg dragging?

Yaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!!!!
I love Greeks, that's what I have. Of course they're indigenous to Morocco, or at least three of the sub species are.
So for a start, no fruit at all, Greeks are not one of the fruit eating tortoises, and fruit is too high in indigestible sugars and acids for them. Carrot is too high in sugar, too, though a tiny bit won't hurt and carrot tops are good.
The rest of the stuff you're feeding is good, as part of a nice mixed diet, but not too heavy on the broccoli and sprouts as they're high in goitrogen.
Humidity of 50 to 70 percent is ideal, but yours is fine. The tube you are using is ideal ,12 to 14 hours a day is good. You should also have a basking bulb to produce a 95 to 100°F hot spot for the tortoise to bask in.
Regarding the legs, i'm really not sure, but it's obviously good that he's moving them a bit now, let's hope for continued improvement.
Substrate for this species should be fine grade orchid bark, coco coir or cypress mulch. If you can get them from your local garden centres it will be much cheaper than the pet shops.

 

[Cosigroove]

Yaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!!!!
I love Greeks, that's what I have. Of course they're indigenous to Morocco, or at least three of the sub species are.
So for a start, no fruit at all, Greeks are not one of the fruit eating tortoises, and fruit is too high in indigestible sugars and acids for them. Carrot is too high in sugar, too, though a tiny bit won't hurt and carrot tops are good.
The rest of the stuff you're feeding is good, as part of a nice mixed diet, but not too heavy on the broccoli and sprouts as they're high in goitrogen.
Humidity of 50 to 70 percent is ideal, but yours is fine. The tube you are using is ideal ,12 to 14 hours a day is good. You should also have a basking bulb to produce a 95 to 100°F hot spot for the tortoise to bask in.
Regarding the legs, i'm really not sure, but it's obviously good that he's moving them a bit now, let's hope for continued improvement.
Substrate for this species should be fine grade orchid bark, coco coir or cypress mulch. If you can get them from your local garden centres it will be much cheaper than the pet shops.

Great to hear you have Greeks! We have so little knowledge available here in NZ that this forum is a real lifeline to experienced owners like yourself. I have a basking bulb which should be the right heat (I keep Blue Tongues as well) - I will set up this afternoon. It is absolutely pouring down here right now and I usually like taking Gerry outside to get some natural sunlight but no hope of that for the next few days! Thanks again - I really appreciate your help.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Great to hear you have Greeks! We have so little knowledge available here in NZ that this forum is a real lifeline to experienced owners like yourself. I have a basking bulb which should be the right heat (I keep Blue Tongues as well) - I will set up this afternoon. It is absolutely pouring down here right now and I usually like taking Gerry outside to get some natural sunlight but no hope of that for the next few days! Thanks again - I really appreciate your help.

Hello, Gerry!
Natural sunlight is always best, of course. If you can get him out for a couple of hours a couple of times every week you don't need UVB lighting. Though he should still have a dedicated enclosure for security.
Rain? What is rain ?

 

[Cosigroove]

Hello, Gerry!
Natural sunlight is always best, of course. If you can get him out for a couple of hours a couple of times every week you don't need UVB lighting. Though he should still have a dedicated enclosure for security.
Rain? What is rain ?

It feels like Wellington has been in constant rain for weeks now! I will send some to Morocco if you like Winter and spring in NZ can be a little wet but summer is just around the corner for us..... I am looking forward to more days in the sun with Gerry. Do you think I should take him to a vet to be xrayed in regard to the leg thing or see how we go with the soaks etc? Vets with reptile experience are hard to find here and given Gerry's age I am unsure if exposure to Xray could affect him?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

It feels like Wellington has been in constant rain for weeks now! I will send some to Morocco if you like Winter and spring in NZ can be a little wet but summer is just around the corner for us..... I am looking forward to more days in the sun with Gerry. Do you think I should take him to a vet to be xrayed in regard to the leg thing or see how we go with the soaks etc? Vets with reptile experience are hard to find here and given Gerry's age I am unsure if exposure to Xray could affect him?

I would see how it goes for a couple of days first, since there has been improvement. Having said that, a visit for a check up to a recognized herp vet can't be a bad idea with a new tortoise. I know what you mean about a lack of specialist vets, though. Do not go to an ordinary cat and dog type vet as they can be worse than useless and do not let them inject the tortoise with vitamins or the like.

 

[Cosigroove]

I would see how it goes for a couple of days first, since there has been improvement. Having said that, a visit for a check up to a recognized herp vet can't be a bad idea with a new tortoise. I know what you mean about a lack of specialist vets, though. Do not go to an ordinary cat and dog type vet as they can be worse than useless and do not let them inject the tortoise with vitamins or the like.

Thanks for that advice. I will make some enquiries. Gerry is currently lying in his cage with back legs stretched out enjoying the bask lamp I have set up!!!!

 

[Cosigroove]

Hi Again
I finally found a herp vet (V rare in NZ and the only one in Wellinbgton!!!) who thought Gerry may be dehydrated and lost condition because of dryness. He thinks perhaps his enclosure is too warm for his size. He said the soaks will help and recommended giving him some coconut water via a syringe. He thought the advice on this forum was great so thank you very much. He did recommend that I ask you specifically for Greeks what your cool - hot spot temp recommendations would be as he has little experience with this type of tort and has dealt with Hermanns and Box mainly so didn't want to put me wrong. He felt that to get him back into condition we would need to give him some rescue boost foods for a short time (he recommended strawberries) but again thought I should ask you as Gerry seems to be rejecting anything but Dandelion greens!!!!!! The good news though is no breaks or systemic/bone related issues but we are on a mission now to get his strength back up. Your knowledge of Greeks would be so very helpful here.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

These links are good.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
that last one is written for Russians but the same applies for Greeks.
You need a hot spot of 95 to 100F and just let it tail away from there over the enclosure. A temp drop at night is natural for them, so can drop down into the 50s without a problem as long as the tortoise is able to warm up properly when it wakes in the morning. Dandelions is way better than strawberries, one of the best foods, strawberries are a no, if you need to get liquid in to rehydrate him, then cucumber is a better option, but don't feed it under normal conditions.
I got a new Greek yesterday!
Meet SPLAT !


And my big old girl, Tidgy.

If you get the temps right and he eats dandies and drinks and soaks, hopefully he'll soon get his strength up.

 

[Cosigroove]

These links are good.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
that last one is written for Russians but the same applies for Greeks.
You need a hot spot of 95 to 100F and just let it tail away from there over the enclosure. A temp drop at night is natural for them, so can drop down into the 50s without a problem as long as the tortoise is able to warm up properly when it wakes in the morning. Dandelions is way better than strawberries, one of the best foods, strawberries are a no, if you need to get liquid in to rehydrate him, then cucumber is a better option, but don't feed it under normal conditions.
I got a new Greek yesterday!
Meet SPLAT !
View attachment 217016

And my big old girl, Tidgy.
View attachment 217017
If you get the temps right and he eats dandies and drinks and soaks, hopefully he'll soon get his strength up.

Thanks again for the advice. I will load him up on the Dandies. He at the moment seems to like me holding him while feeding the leaves as is weak.
Splat is lovely !! How many torts does that make for you?? Tidgy is so beautiful - How old is she? Have printed off pics to show my hubby I love the dino she is pictured with.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thanks again for the advice. I will load him up on the Dandies. He at the moment seems to like me holding him while feeding the leaves as is weak.
Splat is lovely !! How many torts does that make for you?? Tidgy is so beautiful - How old is she? Have printed off pics to show my hubby I love the dino she is pictured with.

Try to offer other foods as well, a mixed diet is best, of course.
Just the two house torts though I visit and help look after a dozen or so other torts in the city.And I have a little bit of land with some wild ones, too, down south.
Tidgy is about 7, still very young, I've had her 6 years.The dino shot, or rather a similar one, was selected for the Tortoise Forum calendar, her second year on it, so she's September's tortoise this year.
My little international superstar.