victoria88
Member
Hello, first post so bare with please.
I got a Russian last month from a "rescue". We have a 65year old Hermanns so thought, what could be the difference with a baby Russian... Oh how I was wrong because our Hermanns was an old school rear thanks to my grandad, left to his own devices eating the dogs food kind of tortoise :/ so for starters I can't get him to eat anything but red chard, I've tried all sorts, even bought a tortoise mix that I've grown myself and still he won't eat it (he has a black mouth from staining!) and now he has a puffy chin like it's retained fluid... I've read online this is kidney failure... Ive no idea how old he actually is, just that he's tiny so still extremely young. My closest reptile vets is 42miles away and waiting for the vet to call back for a phone consult because of covid and I just wanted to know if anyone has experience if it is kidney failure and what the prognosis is...? I can get pictures if needed. He's currently in a 3.9ft x 1.5ft open top viv (small I know but I'm making him a a custom one bigger) he's on coco fibre substrate, has a cold end reading 24degrees and 72 humidity and a hot end reading 32 degrees and 43 humidity, his night temp drops to 20-21 degrees and use an 80w arcadia Mercury bulb, I use arkvitz and calci dust a few times a week, daily soaks (I have noticed he only drinks when bathing not in his viv) he poops daily, and urinates most days that I notice. Any more info required please just ask. Thank you for your time in advance
I got a Russian last month from a "rescue". We have a 65year old Hermanns so thought, what could be the difference with a baby Russian... Oh how I was wrong because our Hermanns was an old school rear thanks to my grandad, left to his own devices eating the dogs food kind of tortoise :/ so for starters I can't get him to eat anything but red chard, I've tried all sorts, even bought a tortoise mix that I've grown myself and still he won't eat it (he has a black mouth from staining!) and now he has a puffy chin like it's retained fluid... I've read online this is kidney failure... Ive no idea how old he actually is, just that he's tiny so still extremely young. My closest reptile vets is 42miles away and waiting for the vet to call back for a phone consult because of covid and I just wanted to know if anyone has experience if it is kidney failure and what the prognosis is...? I can get pictures if needed. He's currently in a 3.9ft x 1.5ft open top viv (small I know but I'm making him a a custom one bigger) he's on coco fibre substrate, has a cold end reading 24degrees and 72 humidity and a hot end reading 32 degrees and 43 humidity, his night temp drops to 20-21 degrees and use an 80w arcadia Mercury bulb, I use arkvitz and calci dust a few times a week, daily soaks (I have noticed he only drinks when bathing not in his viv) he poops daily, and urinates most days that I notice. Any more info required please just ask. Thank you for your time in advance