looking for advice caring for my tortoise

[ashk]

so, ive had my indoor russian tortoise for around a year now. she was young when we got her - the pet store said she was around 2-3 months old.
in all honesty, our care for her has not been optimal. i listened and have been following the advice of an aunt with a russian tortoise, and my tort hasnt seemed to have any red flag signs with her health, but recently ive done further browsing online and many sites have contradicting advice with that of my aunt.
i want to raise her right from this point forward so she doesnt develop any major health issues along the line.
at the moment, she gets: weekly soaks, and a diet of mainly artisan lettuce + chopped baby carrots (the rare piece of watermelon as a treat). sometimes i sprinkle hay and dandelions on her salads.

i did research and i know this diet is not enough for her, but everywhere seems to have contradicting information on what a tortoise should eat regularly. whenever i look up whether something is good for her or not, one place will say it's healthy and another will say it's dangerous im still not sure if carrots are okay or not, she really likes eating them though

i was also told by my family member that she doesnt need a water dish because she gets her water from her food, but i learned that she should have one to stay hydrated so i just bought one, sorry little girl

as for her behavior, shes somewhat active, i hear her move a bit in the night and i see her shuffle about her cage during the day. shes usually under her heat lamp side though, and doesnt walk to the other side with the longer light as often (i dont know the terminology, sorry) she comes to greet me when i bring her salad to her in the mornings. her waste seems healthy according to descriptions ive seen around the web.

one concern i have is that her eyes look a little sunken, and not too wide and bright. there is no discharge from her eyes or mouth, though. also, there seems to be more yellowish space between her scutes than some pictures ive seen online. her shell is smooth and pretty flat though, it doesnt look like a pyramid. it's looked like this since i got her - i was looking at pictures of her from last year and her shell looked similar, just smaller. i dont know if this is a health problem or just her appearance.

also, when i soak her, she usually poops and pees in the water, and she looks a bit grumpy with me when im drying her off. she doesnt seem to enjoy her baths too much. is this bad?

is it too late to improve my care of her? what should i add/remove from her diet? apart from adding the water dish, is there anything else i can get for her or do for her to make her happier and healthier? i feel super guilty and regretful for taking so long to look into this but i love her a lot and i want to change, her little face makes me happy and i dont want anything to happen to her!

sorry if i posted this incorrectly or in the wrong place, im new to the forum and i joined just for advice for her :')

 

[Sarah2020]

Welcome, great questions to ask and excellent you want the best for your shelled warrior.

First I suggest you read this care sheet to check settings/ setup/ diet/hydration and substrate etc... and make any changes.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

If you have questions please ask, as there are many breeders and Russian owners who can help and advise. Every Russian tortoiseuis different so get the best in place, enjoy their personality and adapt as required. Re eyes you need to check light settings as they should be clear black mini marbles.

 

[Tom]

so, ive had my indoor russian tortoise for around a year now. she was young when we got her - the pet store said she was around 2-3 months old.
in all honesty, our care for her has not been optimal. i listened and have been following the advice of an aunt with a russian tortoise, and my tort hasnt seemed to have any red flag signs with her health, but recently ive done further browsing online and many sites have contradicting advice with that of my aunt.
i want to raise her right from this point forward so she doesnt develop any major health issues along the line.
at the moment, she gets: weekly soaks, and a diet of mainly artisan lettuce + chopped baby carrots (the rare piece of watermelon as a treat). sometimes i sprinkle hay and dandelions on her salads.

i did research and i know this diet is not enough for her, but everywhere seems to have contradicting information on what a tortoise should eat regularly. whenever i look up whether something is good for her or not, one place will say it's healthy and another will say it's dangerous im still not sure if carrots are okay or not, she really likes eating them though

i was also told by my family member that she doesnt need a water dish because she gets her water from her food, but i learned that she should have one to stay hydrated so i just bought one, sorry little girl

as for her behavior, shes somewhat active, i hear her move a bit in the night and i see her shuffle about her cage during the day. shes usually under her heat lamp side though, and doesnt walk to the other side with the longer light as often (i dont know the terminology, sorry) she comes to greet me when i bring her salad to her in the mornings. her waste seems healthy according to descriptions ive seen around the web.

one concern i have is that her eyes look a little sunken, and not too wide and bright. there is no discharge from her eyes or mouth, though. also, there seems to be more yellowish space between her scutes than some pictures ive seen online. her shell is smooth and pretty flat though, it doesnt look like a pyramid. it's looked like this since i got her - i was looking at pictures of her from last year and her shell looked similar, just smaller. i dont know if this is a health problem or just her appearance.

also, when i soak her, she usually poops and pees in the water, and she looks a bit grumpy with me when im drying her off. she doesnt seem to enjoy her baths too much. is this bad?

is it too late to improve my care of her? what should i add/remove from her diet? apart from adding the water dish, is there anything else i can get for her or do for her to make her happier and healthier? i feel super guilty and regretful for taking so long to look into this but i love her a lot and i want to change, her little face makes me happy and i dont want anything to happen to her!

sorry if i posted this incorrectly or in the wrong place, im new to the forum and i joined just for advice for her :')

The world is full of the wrong care advice and bad tips. Pet shops and family are often the worst places to get advice from. Here is the correct care info. Your questions are welcome. We are all here to talk tortoises.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[ashk]

The world is full of the wrong care advice and bad tips. Pet shops and family are often the worst places to get advice from. Here is the correct care info. Your questions are welcome. We are all here to talk tortoises.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

hi tom, thank you so much, i went through the care sheet and id like to apply as much of the advice as possible for my little girl

i did come up with a few questions though if that's okay!
so, i think i plan to use grocery food and get a variety of the vegetables listed in the sheet so she has variety in her diet, and get supplements as well. ill try and convince my dad to help me grow our own food for her, too (i am still a teen which complicates matters)
how should i apply calcium supplements to her food? do i just sprinkle a pinch on her salads every day? also, i wanted to get her cuttlebone. is it safe to purchase this online, and should i just leave it in her cage for her to munch when she pleases or do i handfeed it to her?
i will check my lighting and substrate too

one last question! sorry for so many! on the topic of her shell, is its appearance a health concern or just what she looks like? there is more yellowish brown space in between the dark parts on her scutes than ive seen in pictures of russian tortoises online, but i was thinking that might just be because shes young/growing

 

[wellington]

Just a pinch if calcium on her food 2 times a week.
Cuttle bone is usually fine to purchase on line. Just put it in the enclosure and he will use it as needed.
If you post a pic of your tort and enclosure we can better help you.

 

[Tom]

hi tom, thank you so much, i went through the care sheet and id like to apply as much of the advice as possible for my little girl

i did come up with a few questions though if that's okay!
so, i think i plan to use grocery food and get a variety of the vegetables listed in the sheet so she has variety in her diet, and get supplements as well. ill try and convince my dad to help me grow our own food for her, too (i am still a teen which complicates matters)
how should i apply calcium supplements to her food? do i just sprinkle a pinch on her salads every day? also, i wanted to get her cuttlebone. is it safe to purchase this online, and should i just leave it in her cage for her to munch when she pleases or do i handfeed it to her?
i will check my lighting and substrate too

one last question! sorry for so many! on the topic of her shell, is its appearance a health concern or just what she looks like? there is more yellowish brown space in between the dark parts on her scutes than ive seen in pictures of russian tortoises online, but i was thinking that might just be because shes young/growing

Look for weeds and leaves. Maybe neighbors have mulberry trees or grape vines? Hibiscus or rose of Sharon plants? Weeds are always good too if you can ID them. Adding the dried leaves or flowers is great too. Soaked horse hay pellets will add fiber.

Like Barb said, a tiny pinch of calcium once or twice a week works well for most situations. You can use less if you are feeding a lot of "natural" foods. You can use less for an adult male. Using this much, even if it is not needed, will do no harm. Cuttlebone is good. Just leave the cuttle bone in the enclosure in a dry area, and your tortoise will munch on it when it feels like it. It may ignore it for months, and then one day eat a bunch.

 

[zolasmum]

Just a ponch if calcium on her food 2 times a week.
Cuttle bone is usually fine to purchase on line. Just put it in the enclosure and he will use it as needed.
If you post a pic of your tort and enclosure we can better help you.

You can get cuttle bone in any pet shop that sells cage bird items - these usually have a clip on them to fix in the bird cage, but you just take it off and it should be fine. It might be cheaper than online, and you can choose it yourself. Zola used to get through a lot when he was younger, but he ignores it now - he is 22. But I always leave some there for him.
Angie

 

[Yvonne G]

The wide bands of yellow between the scutes is great! You can quit worrying about that. It's new growth. I'd love to see pictures of your tort and if you include the enclosure we can critique and try to give helpful advice.

 

[wellington]

You can get cuttle bone in any pet shop that sells cage bird items - these usually have a clip on them to fix in the bird cage, but you just take it off and it should be fine. It might be cheaper than online, and you can choose it yourself. Zola used to get through a lot when he was younger, but he ignores it now - he is 22. But I always leave some there for him.
Angie

Actually I think you can get prices cheaper online and even bulk, much cheaper then a pet store. Lots of the ones online don't come with the clip.

 

[zolasmum]

Actually I think you can get prices cheaper online and even bulk, much cheaper then a pet store. Lots of the ones online don't come with the clip.

You are probably right, but I was thinking that Ashk might just want to try an individual one for a start, and see how her tortoise responds.
Angie Near where I live, I can find them on the beach for free!

 

[JasperFossils]

You can get cuttle bone in any pet shop that sells cage bird items - these usually have a clip on them to fix in the bird cage, but you just take it off and it should be fine. It might be cheaper than online, and you can choose it yourself. Zola used to get through a lot when he was younger, but he ignores it now - he is 22. But I always leave some there for him.
Angie

if you find them naturally on the beach tough, put them in boiling water for a few hours to cook out the salt. I forgot how long it was.