Leaving tortoise unattended - doable?

[LudusPlus]

Hi guys.

Currently thinking ahead to Christmas, and was wondering on the possibility of leaving my Russian tortoise alone 2.5-3 days while visiting family.

His lighting is on timers and he's never flipped himself. My only concerns are food & water. I know they can go days without eating, but he won't be used to it. He does have a water dish but obviously won't be daily fresh for those two days.

The plan would be to feed him & scatter food on Christmas Eve and be back on the 27th. I will probably purchase a pet camera as well.

Has anyone done this before? I know a lot of people leave their torts. But what's the risks? Is it worth it.

Duncan has actually been left a week before without food or water when my parents made a mistake in their holiday plans & it had no long term effects. Obviously I'll never be doing anything that cruel to him just a few days.

 

[LudusPlus]

Taking Duncan with us isn't entirely out of the question because I have a portable light fitting & a carrier but it's quite unlikely that I can take a substrate etc with me and my parents have a dog that I'd class as unsafe around reptiles.

 

[zolasmum]

I think Duncan would be fine, especially if you get a pet camera to put your mind at rest. Being without food for a couple of days would probably less stressful than the upheaval and the dog there.
Angie

 

[Tom]

Hi guys.

Currently thinking ahead to Christmas, and was wondering on the possibility of leaving my Russian tortoise alone 2.5-3 days while visiting family.

His lighting is on timers and he's never flipped himself. My only concerns are food & water. I know they can go days without eating, but he won't be used to it. He does have a water dish but obviously won't be daily fresh for those two days.

The plan would be to feed him & scatter food on Christmas Eve and be back on the 27th. I will probably purchase a pet camera as well.

Has anyone done this before? I know a lot of people leave their torts. But what's the risks? Is it worth it.

Duncan has actually been left a week before without food or water when my parents made a mistake in their holiday plans & it had no long term effects. Obviously I'll never be doing anything that cruel to him just a few days.

Soak him the day you leave, or the day before if you are leaving early. Soak him again on the day your return and remove the water bowl while you are gone so that it can't be fouled and then sit there and ferment for days and he can't tip over into it and drown or get stuck upside down.

I would not drop food all over the enclosure. It will wilt and rot. Drop an opuntia pad or two into the normal food bowl. Those last for many days without starting to rot. If you can't get opuntia, just leave a normal pile of food the day you leave, and feed him again when you get back. 3 days is no big deal.

 

[jsheffield]

As long as your heat and light and humidity in the enclosure are managed, there should be no problem leaving the tortoise 2-5 days.

Feed and soak before and after your absence, and leave water down for them and they'll be fine.

Jamie

 

[wellington]

I agree, not a big deal. I have done it many times when mine were little.
However, I give extra food the day I leave, it usually dries before it ever rots. I also did not remove the water dish, but not really needed, as I always put grocery greens in and romaine, which all has enough water in it.