Leopard not gaining weight.

[Mao Senpai]

So.. my newest leopard and smallest one seems to be a little off or weird. I got him back sometime in June I think... and it weighted 27g. Now some information about it, I noticed it was a little odd compared to the other ones... pretty inactive and seems to be dumb most of the time. It doesn't go out after food and it wakes up after I spray it or soak it. It will eat when I put him in the food bowl... however if I don't he doesn't even bother waking up to find it. It does drink water as well but only if I help him do so. He does kick and what not so.. its not like he is dead or anything. At july 27th I weighted him again and he was at 25g.. which worried me. Today I weighted him and he is at 28g... I have not soaked him yet so he might actually be gaining weight. I am just worried since he has not grown at all or gained weight and seems inactive. He's pretty much been like that, the day I got him. He is still alive and eating.. so I guess everything is fine but what gives? The other two are gaining weight pretty steadily... there's no aggression or anything like that so I am just puzzeled.

 

[Tom]

That is not normal. Something is definitely not right. How was he kept before you got him? Has he ever been under one of those coil type florescent bulbs?

 

[Mao Senpai]

That is not normal. Something is definitely not right. How was he kept before you got him? Has he ever been under one of those coil type florescent bulbs?

I don't really know, from what the guy was saying he was kept outdoors and such... I did notice his shell was kinda weird as if he might have had something rubbed on it. Since the other torts when you spay them the water sits on the shell, while this one... the water flies off like a waxed car almost. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. Under my care he was always under the MVB bulb... I just don't know if I should just not worry or actually I have no idea what to do He is eating and stuff... so eh, the last two days however he has been eating well which is good news. It would just suck.. if he ends up dying... forgot to also mention.. the plastron has a bit of give... no more than the day I got him but its not hardening which is also a major concern :\ just so puzzled on what is going on with him. Oh and he will eat cactus.. but wants nothing to do with Mazuri or Zoomed stuff... he just completely ignores it.

 

[Tom]

Have you read this thread? It might answer some questions for you and help you think of some questions to ask the breeder. It certainly might be something else, but the dry routine is still pretty common among breeders out there in the world. I have no idea what is going on in your case, I'm just trying to help YOU figure out what it MIGHT be.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Hatchling-Failure-Syndrome#axzz1UmsDif8y

If its NOT the above, your symptoms do sound like what happens when they are under those coil bulbs. One of these two things would be my best guess, given what you've said. I hope this helps and I hope he pulls through.

 

[Mao Senpai]

Well I just took a picture of them as well.. just in case if it helps at all. They were all sleeping so they all tucked in tight when I picked them up hehe.

---

Have you read this thread? It might answer some questions for you and help you think of some questions to ask the breeder. It certainly might be something else, but the dry routine is still pretty common among breeders out there in the world. I have no idea what is going on in your case, I'm just trying to help YOU figure out what it MIGHT be.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Hatchling-Failure-Syndrome#axzz1UmsDif8y

If its NOT the above, your symptoms do sound like what happens when they are under those coil bulbs. One of these two things would be my best guess, given what you've said. I hope this helps and I hope he pulls through.

I read that a while back.. and it sounds like the case. The tort literally has been the same since the day I got him. Initially I thought it was dead in the box.. since it was not moving and such, then I put him in some water and it woke up :\ I hope he pulls through.... well I'll just keep caring for it and hopefully one day he'll triple his weight overnight!
Thanks for the help and information.... it has calmed me a bit knowing its not something I am doing to cause this.

Anyhow... I saw him selling his older leopard on kingsnake... and I sent him a message asking if the other two he had at the same time, gained weight or grew in size... lets see if he gets back to me. He only recently stopped posting about those two so who knows what happened...

 

[John]

Mao, Do you know anything about the adults that parented this tortoise? For example age,size or how long the female has been laying?

 

[Mao Senpai]

So.. I contacted the guy and this is what he said...

I do have a couple that have not grown much. They seem to be slow eaters also. I
soak them a couple of times a week to give them water too. As long as the
tortoise is eating, in the long run they will gain weight and grow.

So I'm guessing based on that its nothing I am doing ;(
John, I didn't ask much about the adult parents... but I did notice him posting which I would believe to be the adult parents for sale. They seem to be pretty small in the pictures but that could mean anything really :\ so! I shall ask the guy!

 

[Neal]

How old is the tortoise? I assume in your picture you are talking about the one on the far right?

He is...or was at some point growing, as you can see by the black color in between the scutes. Maybe it's just the picture, but the shell does look kind of weird like something was put on it. It doesn't look like vitashell was put on there or any kind of lotion, even the plastron looks a little odd.

Are you getting him outside at all during the day?

 

[Mao Senpai]

Yeah its the tiny little guy. The way he is now with his current growth seems to be the same as the day I got him which was back in the very end of May. The guy told me there was nothing put on his shell and after chit chatting with him.. he said out of the three he had, (one being the one I have now), the other two one grew a bit and the other has not changed so... it seems like the batch is acting the same. He had it under the exo terra uvb as well..
Also I have not been able to get them outside, don't really have a yard here or a porch... I may bring him out and watch him soak up the rays a few times a week just to perk him back up.... but they are currently under the powersun bulb.

 

[yagyujubei]

Mao, I have a couple that went on slow weight gain kicks for two or three months with little gain. I wasn't able to discover any cause for this, and wasn't sure if they were going to pull through, given the rapid gains I have had on the others. Not really interested in food,or water, 1000 yard stare, sleeping a lot. Here's what worked for me. I would constantly introduce them to food. Waking them up and putting the right in front of the food. If they walked away without eating, I would do it again. A lot of times, after the fourth or fifth try, they'd eat a mouthful or two. A couple of hours later, repeat. You might have to change their food a little. Try making the Mazuri very wet. Try canned pumpkin. I have had luck with regular rolled oats, soaked until soft. I did this for months and each one all of a sudden started to eat and gain. They're all fine now, and gaining weekly. Sometimes, when one is eating like a pig, put the non eater right next to it, it seems sometimes eating is contagious. I honestly believe that there was a good chance that mione would have died, if I hadn't been so persistant. Also, if you don't see them drinking, put them right in the water, until you do.

 

[Mao Senpai]

Mao, I have a couple that went on slow weight gain kicks for two or three months with little gain. I wasn't able to discover any cause for this, and wasn't sure if they were going to pull through, given the rapid gains I have had on the others. Not really interested in food,or water, 1000 yard stare, sleeping a lot. Here's what worked for me. I would constantly introduce them to food. Waking them up and putting the right in front of the food. If they walked away without eating, I would do it again. A lot of times, after the fourth or fifth try, they'd eat a mouthful or two. A couple of hours later, repeat. You might have to change their food a little. Try making the Mazuri very wet. Try canned pumpkin. I have had luck with regular rolled oats, soaked until soft. I did this for months and each one all of a sudden started to eat and gain. They're all fine now, and gaining weekly. Sometimes, when one is eating like a pig, put the non eater right next to it, it seems sometimes eating is contagious. I honestly believe that there was a good chance that mione would have died, if I hadn't been so persistant. Also, if you don't see them drinking, put them right in the water, until you do.

Hmm thats good to know.. I'll just wait it out and see what happens. Yeah that's what I am doing now.. just putting him in the food bowl and water bowls so at least he knows there's food, usually he will eat or drink after that. I might try some canned pumpkin later to stimulate his appetite hehe. At least it's not loosing weight :x