HI Im new from California

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HI Im new at this website and really dont know what Im doing....here it goes. My tortoise's name is Hurricane Tortellini (my daughter named him)
He was adopted 3 years ago and I dont have a clue to how old he might be. I think pretty darn old by how he acts. He is a desert tortoise and has has repiratory disease since I adopted him. I have spent a fortune at the vet and given him injections, nose drops, pills and many stays at the hospital. He is better this year but is not perfect and never will be. I adore him and am learning how to take care of him. He lives in our backyard in sunny california. He hibernates under my bed to keep him warm. He has a kiddie pool just for his enjoyment...I think his life is pretty good. This is a great site if I could just figure out how to work it.

 

[Tom]

Welcome to the site.

I don't want to bombard you with unwanted advice, but if you are like the rest of us, you came here to learn. Here are a couple of things I've learned over the last 30 years.

1. Don't hibernate a sick tortoise.
2. Under the bed probably isn't a suitable place to hibernate. Too warm, unless your house stays 55 all the time, and to much noise and activity. (Keep your minds out of the gutter people, especially dmmj)
3. What part of CA are you in? If you are near the coast you might never get him over being sick. When I was in Hermosa Beach we got in sick ones all the time. We'd send them inland to a friend's place with dryer air and they'd get better within a couple of weeks.

We all wish you well and we'd love to see some pics.

By the way, you are not the only non-computer person here. In fact, most of us aren't very good at it. I'm sure not.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi McCoop:

I think I've already welcomed you on another post, but since this IS your introduction post, I'll do it again:

WELCOME to the forum!!!

Don't worry about learning all the tricks of posting on the forum. It'll be as natural as getting out of bed in the morning, in no time at all. Once you get the hang of it, I'd love to see some pictures on Tortellini!

 

[[email protected]]

Im confused about replying to everyones posts. I hit reply and it takes me to a place I cant get onto to respond. I hope I did this right. Thanks for the welcomes and the advice is always welcome. I dont know how not to let him hibernate. I have a life and cant just keep him from sleeping if you know what I mean. I did check on him and he was pretty good and he didnt cough this year and his nose stopped running which is huge. I dont live near the coast and it actually is pretty cold in my house year round. (old house weird floor heater that doesnt work well) but I dont know where else to put him. We built him his own house when we first got him the way we saw it on the internet but every year he woke up sicker so this year we kept him in and he did so much better. Im sure it can get loud for him at times (no dirty stuff intended he he) but he seems healthier by far than ever before. I would love to know where else I can put him. He has scared the crap out of me at times in the middle of the night moving a little or making sounds.

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum

To keep a tortoise from hibernating, you need to keep the temperatures up and the lights on for 12 to 16 hours a day. Hibernating isn't sleep, hibernating is becoming inactive in response to cooler temperatures.
It sounds like outside and inside is too cool for your tortoise. Your tortoise is getting stressed and thats why the bacterial infection hasn't gone away. How do you have him set-up inside? What was your outside set-up like? Where was it located?

Danny

 

[Tom]

I hibernate all of my animals in the garage. No cars or fumes in there. It stays between 50 and 60 all winter long. An out building or shed would work too, just watch the temps on those below freezing nights. I used to have an old, dead fridge that I' lay down on its back. This made a great hibernation chamber because it was quiet and held a very steady temp, kind of like a burrow in the wild.

To keep him from hibernating, you just need to keep him indoors in a warm enclosure. Alternatively, you can make a heated house for him outdoors in his yard, like we do for our large tropical species. Here's an example:
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-12237.html?highlight=heated+den+boxes

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I am wondering if your yard is dry and dusty and the dust may be causing the runny nose...under your bed may be dusty (mine is, no insult intended) I am just trying to figure it out why he's got a continual runny nose as that is symptomatic of so many other things...

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum, I am sure you will learn a lot on this forum

 

[TortieLuver]

Welcome to the forum and enjoy the knowledgeable advice.

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks so much. Ive learned a lot already.

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Well, those den boxes I saw are very cool. My tortoise doesnt have anything like that. He did once but never really liked it and a light seems like a fire hazard to me? I think my husband has already put up with a lot with all the dr.s visits and such. He is a good patient man but Im pushing it if I ask for another den and one with a light this time. He already thinks Im a bit odd. He doesnt share the same love Im afraid. I will take all suggestions though. At night he puts himself to sleep in our garage. It seems to work when its warm enough.

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A message to Maggie...My yard is not dusty at all and actually under my bed is fairly clean too. I adopted Hurricane and he came with respiratory disease which Ive heard is common and once they have it its close to impossibe to get rid of. I know because Ive spent a fortune on atibiotics and visits to the vet who deals with tortoises and owns one herself. I looked his illness up and they say its really hard to cure. He is better this year after hibernating in my room and not outside.Thanks for your interest though. Im open to any info or questions.