Introduction from a new Sulcata (or 3) owner

[KaraJ]

Welcome, And your babies are soo cute. They are tiny for their age. More than likely they were started out dry. I would soak them daily and keep them warm and offer some sprIng mIx you can moIsten the grassland pellets and then take a fork Is what I use and beat them around, to break them apart, Its like wet grass you can then mIx a lIttle wIth their sprIng mIx to gradually introduce them to the grassland pellets you can do this with anything your feeding them. I Keep my Sulcatas using @toms methods also. Your babies will be healthy, and smooth, following his guidelines. Good Luck To You and Your Little Ones.

Thank you, We are currently soaking them for 15 minutes every night before bed, is there a time that you (or anyone else) have found best to soak them? We do bedtime because it is an easy routine to remember. We do kind of pat them with a paper towel afterwards so they are not soaking when we turn their light from the Mercury vapor to the ceramic heater. I don't know if it is necessary but I didn't want to give them more ways to get a chill

 

[KaraJ]

Tums are ok, but the coloring flavoring and sweeteners are not needed for your torts. A reptile calcium would be better.

Thank You, it sounded kind of odd to me as well.

 

[chaseswife]

We did not go search them out... They came by an accident/surprise really. It was not a purchase from a breeder more an our pet had more babies than we need situation. I really know nothing of their rearing or care up to this point I NOW know how important that was but hindsight is 20/20. But we had discussed getting one, or more, since we bought our house that has a pretty large yard and there was already a circular area built up with bricks etc. that looked like it was for a tortoise specifically.
So we took them, and are, unfortunately, learning as we go. But we do not regret it and will give them the best care and love we can!

Do you have any way to get in touch with the previous owners to find out information now that you know more? It would be much better than having a vet guess.

 

[KaraJ]

Welcome.
You can buy calcium powder (with or without vitamin D3) at any pet store or Walmart for about $7. We very lightly dust their food 2x a week. You could also use a cuttlefish bone and scrape some on their food.

Soft shell is a very bad thing, sounds like flash has MBD, metabolic bone disease. What kind of UVB are you offering?

I know when the vet called he believed had said something metabolic so that would make sense. I was at work when the vet called so it was harder to hear him. Thank You for the suggestions

 

[KaraJ]

I have never heard of using tums for torts before. When they make a specific product just for torts to get the calcium they need it is hard to justify modifying a human product with extra stuff in it that is not healthy for torts. Get a container of reptile calcium powder and a cuttlebone.

Where did you get the sulcatas from? I am not an expert on this AT ALL, but given the right conditions and the use of incubators, I am pretty sure that they can produce year round. I am in Arizona too. Long story short, my guy came from a clutch hatched naturally in someone's back yard in August. It is very possible that you have a later hatch date than the vet thinks.

As far as the dark rings of growth: It will vary greatly between tortoises, I have read several times on here that there is no "normal growth rate". Get a digital kitchen scale that measures in grams and track there weight gain each week. As long as they are going up each week- instead of staying the same for a long time or continually dropping- it is considered normal.

I wish we could do more for Flash. I know that people have had a lot of success with doing baby food soaks to get nutrients into sick tortoises.

Thank You, I am definatly not against trying the soak with babyfood when he gets home! Is there any specific kind/flavor/type that people have had success with on the baby food or any to avoid?? Thanks for the info on the growth rings also

 

[chaseswife]

Thank you, We are currently soaking them for 15 minutes every night before bed, is there a time that you (or anyone else) have found best to soak them? We do bedtime because it is an easy routine to remember. We do kind of pat them with a paper towel afterwards so they are not soaking when we turn their light from the Mercury vapor to the ceramic heater. I don't know if it is necessary but I didn't want to give them more ways to get a chill

I try to soak mine for about 30 minutes in the afternoon after he has had a little bit of outside time. It helps keep everything cleaner inside and make sure he get dehydrated after time in the sun. I know his temps drop a little during bath time, afternoon is when it is warmest in my house and I like to make sure he warms up again in his habitat before bedtime.

 

[KaraJ]

Do you have any way to get in touch with the previous owners to find out information now that you know more? It would be much better than having a vet guess.

Yes, I believe I can get their number. I was thinking I would at least like to know the real age. I wish I had though to ask.

 

[chaseswife]

Thank You, I am definatly not against trying the soak with abbyfood when he gets home! Is there any specific kind/flavor/type that people have had success with on the baby food or any to avoid?? Thanks for the info on the growth rings also

I think it was carrots that helped a lot. I have never needed to do it, but do a search on here for baby food soaks and you will find a lot of info about it.

 

[tortadise]

Welcome

 

[Tom]

Hi Kara. I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble. Your attitude, demeanor and intentions all seem so perfect to become a new tortoise owner. It sounds like your only mistake was obtaining your new babies from the wrong source. Many people still mistakenly think that these tortoises are desert animals and should be housed dry all the time. Many people in AZ also have the mistaken idea that leaving babies outside in the warm AZ sunshine is more "natural" and good for them. It isn't. It dehydrates them and leads to the issues you are seeing now. These tortoises come from a region that has a 3-4 month rainy season. Babies hatch at the start of this rainy season and it is hot, humid, rainy and there are puddles, marshes and green growing food every where. Simulating THIS part of their life in the wild is what helps babies make it through heir first few critical months.

This thread will explain more about what I am talking about: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

This one will help you avoid some of the common mistakes we all make: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

And here are some feeding suggestions for your little guys: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[KaraJ]

I just received a call from the vet and unfortunately our Tortoise Flash has now passed away.... Thank you to all of those that gave good thoughts

 

[gingerbee]

So sorry for your loss!!

 

[chaseswife]

So sorry for your loss. And your sons.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome to TFO!

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

sorry for the loss of your baby sulcata

 

[Tom]

I just received a call from the vet and unfortunately our Tortoise Flash has now passed away.... Thank you to all of those that gave good thoughts

I'm sorry too. I know this is a tough time for you and your family, but when the time is right, please let the breeder of these babies know what has happened, and what you have learned here so that dozens more hatchlings don't have to suffer the same fate. We know why this happens and how to prevent it and we just need to get the word out now...

I'm hoping for the best for the remaining two.