How to keep this one alive

[Mandambrown]

We had a baby leopard tortoise for 2 months. He was always pretty lethargic and refused to eat. He hardly opened his eyes. One was goopy once but it went away and no goop at his nose. We asked the place we got him multiple times how to help him and they said it was normal. It was not normal and last night he passed this white stool and then by the morning he was stuck in his shell and unresponsive. We took him back to the store and they said he has passed. We got a baby Suculta today from a different breeder. He is very active and his eyes are open and he looks healthy. We put him in the enclosure only to wonder if the other one had parasites and that’s what killed him. What is the best way to make sure this new one doesn’t get it if he did have it.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

We had a baby leopard tortoise for 2 months. He was always pretty lethargic and refused to eat. He hardly opened his eyes. One was goopy once but it went away and no goop at his nose. We asked the place we got him multiple times how to help him and they said it was normal. It was not normal and last night he passed this white stool and then by the morning he was stuck in his shell and unresponsive. We took him back to the store and they said he has passed. We got a baby Suculta today from a different breeder. He is very active and his eyes are open and he looks healthy. We put him in the enclosure only to wonder if the other one had parasites and that’s what killed him. What is the best way to make sure this new one doesn’t get it if he did have it.

Gotta wash the enclosure and everything in it....thoroughly. Replace all the substrate as well.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Is that the Leopard in the photo?
It's not a Sulcata.

Yes. Remove and sanitize everything in bleach and totally air dry

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I am sorry for the loss of your first tortoise. Sounds like you unfortunately got the tortoise from a wrong source.

Maybe @Littleredfootbigredheart can link some great visual guides?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I am sorry for the loss of your first tortoise. Sounds like you unfortunately got the tortoise from a wrong source.

Maybe @Littleredfootbigredheart can link some great visual guides?

Aw yeah no problem at all! I too am sorry to hear about your first tortdont suppose you have a photo of the sulcata?

This covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, a diet list and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! but ill add another link that has some different closed chamber ideas that might hopefully come in come a size upgrade

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes a bunch of different closed chamber examples, some work better than others

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is really good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hopefully they can come in useful for you! Wishing you the absolute best with your new baby

 

[turtlesteve]

It is almost certain your first tortoise was sick, and had the disease when you bought it. It is impossible to say what it had, but there are several parasitic diseases that impact tortoises that are very contagious, which is why this situation is so common.

If you put the new tortoise into the same habitat and on the same substrate as the one that died, you need to take it out it immediately and hope it's not already too late. The entire habitat needs to be cleaned and sanitized. Any substrate should be disposed of, and also discard any decorations that are made of wood and impossible to sanitize.

What I would do is clean the habitat first, then spray it down with 10% aqueous ammonia (non-diluted) multiple times - making sure the contact time with the ammonia is at least 30 minutes. Then you can rinse it and add new substrate. Water and food dishes should either be discarded and replaced or sanitized similarly. If you choose to keep them, I would sanitize them AND boil them for good measure.

Steve

 

[TammyJ]

Hi. Hope you can get a better result with the Sulcata. Please follow all the crucial advice given! Pictures would be great.