I Am Very Worried…

Tom

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Why is there a barrier in the middle?
That is a 2x4 for support. It is attach at the top of the 2x12, and they can walk under it. It is there to prevent warping and make the whole thing more sturdy.

Someone could make a divider in the middle if they were using this for sunning small tortoises and wanted to keep them separate, like someone who breeds two different species, for example.
 

MaNaAk

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I looked into it a bit more. I think I overshot the temperatures, going off of a thermometer there, and they seem more appropriate. The lamps also go off at night.

I would let him outside, but I feel very cautious of him getting hurt, especially since there is a dog who probably doesn’t know he exists (good).

If he’s not interested in what he will eat, I don’t see him becoming interested in new foods.
Can you get hold of an outdoor pen where you are?

MaNaAk
 

MaNaAk

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Going off of the advice I've gotten, I think it would be easier to just build one. I do think it might be a good idea.
I've got a pen for my Greeks and it's very safe and convenient. Here in the UK their favourite food is dandelions. Your tortoise should also eat grass and a bit of calcium powder would do him the world of good.

MaNaAk
 

Nicholas Mahoney

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That is a 2x4 for support. It is attach at the top of the 2x12, and they can walk under it. It is there to prevent warping and make the whole thing more sturdy.

Someone could make a divider in the middle if they were using this for sunning small tortoises and wanted to keep them separate, like someone who breeds two different species, for example.
I noticed him sticking his head out and moving it. I heard that this indicated a breathing problem?
 

Nicholas Mahoney

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I've got a pen for my Greeks and it's very safe and convenient. Here in the UK their favourite food is dandelions. Your tortoise should also eat grass and a bit of calcium powder would do him the world of good.

MaNaAk
Time has passed since deciding to build or get an outdoor pen or contained area, but things keep getting in the way. I should also note that I am going away to college soon, so I won’t even be there for him myself.

The more I think about him, the more I question his happiness, despite what I have done.

On other posts on this forum, I’ve seen some people talking about giving their tortoises a new home. I can’t shake the feeling that there is at least one person out there who could take better care of him and make him happier. I don’t know how that would ever happen, or if it would or should.

Is that an idea worth considering?
 

MaNaAk

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Having just moved into a flat which isn't the best for Jacky and Daisy? I know that they are both okay here judging by the eating and pooping (although Daisy has issues). How is your tortoise now are they eating and pooping and active?

MaNaAk
 

Nicholas Mahoney

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Having just moved into a flat which isn't the best for Jacky and Daisy? I know that they are both okay here judging by the eating and pooping (although Daisy has issues). How is your tortoise now are they eating and pooping and active?

MaNaAk
Ummm…he’s about the same. I’ve been told he’s been eating a little bit, since I’m not even there right now.
 

MaNaAk

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I'm hoping @Tom or @wellington will take another as I really don't want you to give up on him. If tortoises have got some ailment they take some time to recover. Daisy seems to be brighter these days she is still very constipated but she's eating well and drinking as well.

MaNaAk
 

wellington

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Many people get told the wrong info and sold the wrong products about UV. When you say it is "good" that doesn't tell me what you are using. What type of UV bulb are you using? Not the brand but the type? Is it a CFL, or an HO tube, or a all-in-one-mercury vapor bulb? How close to the tortoise and how long is it on each day?

In the right circumstances, in some cases, this is true. Your circumstances are different. Even in those right circumstances, while I will agree that soaks are not "essential", I will argue that soaks are always beneficial.


This might be because of the wrong lighting, wrong temps, small enclosure, or some other factor. Something isn't right, and I would like to try to help you figure it out.


Tortoises can be stubborn. It won't happen if you just put the new food down. He won't eat it. He would probably go a week or more without eating a pile of some new and unfamiliar food. That is why Barb and I both took the time to explain how to do it. It any of that explanation isn't clear, please ask us. We want to help you and your tortoise.

What are you unsure of? Let us help. You are now part of a whole community of people who want to see you happy and see your tortoise thriving.
Second third and fourth this!
 

Nicholas Mahoney

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Second third and fourth this!

I have found another concern after I came back to my house for a few days as a short break from college. He has a sort of divot in the back of the left side of his shell. It looks kind of like an indent.

I tried looking this up too - although at this point, it’s kind of hard to know what to really believe - but supposedly it could be a result of overly dry skin or wallowing in unclean water. He likes to make his water unclean, if you get what I mean, and I usually try to fix that whenever I see it.

However, I need to say again that I am not there for a large part of each year to really take care of him, because I am a college student.

The more times I see something like this, the more ill-equipped I feel to take care of him.

This is also why I wonder if he would be happier if someone actually qualified or fully capable of providing for him.
 

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wellington

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I cant see anything of concern.
It's of course up to you. If you feel you are not providing for him properly then of course rehome him.
 

MaNaAk

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I think I see what you are talking about and I still see no worries.
Neither can I. My tortoises have been in our family for seventy-two years and their shells have had the odd scrape. Also a CT scan recently showed that Daisy has a small hole in her shell but this doesn't affect her at all.

MaNaAk
 

zovick

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I have found another concern after I came back to my house for a few days as a short break from college. He has a sort of divot in the back of the left side of his shell. It looks kind of like an indent.

I tried looking this up too - although at this point, it’s kind of hard to know what to really believe - but supposedly it could be a result of overly dry skin or wallowing in unclean water. He likes to make his water unclean, if you get what I mean, and I usually try to fix that whenever I see it.

However, I need to say again that I am not there for a large part of each year to really take care of him, because I am a college student.

The more times I see something like this, the more ill-equipped I feel to take care of him.

This is also why I wonder if he would be happier if someone actually qualified or fully capable of providing for him.
@jsheffield Would you possibly want this person's tortoise? It seems that he is looking to place it in a better home, and you are not all that far away.
 

jsheffield

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@jsheffield Would you possibly want this person's tortoise? It seems that he is looking to place it in a better home, and you are not all that far away.
I'm not in a position to take on another male Russian at the moment.

Sorry and fingers crossed for this tort!

Jamie
 

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