Looking for some clarification/hibernation problems

[Capri]

My boyfriends Russian Tortoise is about 10 years old. Her name is Hazel and they have had her for a few years now. When I first met him, she was hibernating for a good 6 months. The vet said it was fine and to let her do it. However they didn't know what temps to keep her at and she had never had a bath or water until I started giving them to her. She is trying to go into hibernation again but I read that if you don't keep them at the right temperature, they will start to break down muscle and any fat that they have and it isn't good for them. At this point I don't think it's good for her to hibernate so I've been giving her daily soaks, keeping her lights on and I'm going to the store today to pick up a different variety of foods for her. I'm not really sure how to help her because I'm not at his house every day and his work schedule is crazy right now. I could really use some help and any advice you have! On another note, a website suggested "if the tortoise isn't kept outdoors in natural sunlight, also use a combination calcium-D3 product a couple of times a week." does anyone know where to get that if if it really helps? I have to bring over some cuttle bone or calcium dust as well but I didn't know about that D-3.

Her enclosure is inside, has a humid hide with sphagnum moss. It has cypress mulch and play sand. I've been trying to keep her away from the hide for a few days so she can wake up and not hide in there all day to sleep. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hibernation (brumation) is a state that allows a cold-blooded animal to live through a very cold time frame. If your tortoise is not subjected to cold weather, if he's kept indoors under lights and heat, then he doesn't need to brumate. Just keep offering him food, keep his habitat warm as usual and give him the occasional soak.

 

[ascott]

She is trying to go into hibernation again but I read that if you don't keep them at the right temperature, they will start to break down muscle and any fat that they have and it isn't good for them. At this point I don't think it's good for her to hibernate so I've been giving her daily soaks, keeping her lights on and I'm going to the store today to pick up a different variety of foods for her.

--Where was she being brumated in the winter for the last 3 years?

--What negative symptoms is the tortoise displaying that supports your view of "I don't think it's good for her to hibernate"

--This species of tort is not "usually" a big fan of soaking, but if the tortoise has been eating the last three years then likely she has been taking in water from the food (not ideal, but not unusual and not enough of a reason to force the tortoise to overwinter)

Some folks believe that the only trigger/reason certain species of torts brumate is because it gets cold---there are likely so many other factors in the "why" a tort actually brumates that to limit it to cold has not been ruled the only reason, but the fashionable and apparent reason...

There have been countless threads here on this Forum that demonstrate that simply running lights and heat and extending light duration, "pretending" it is summer still does not work...if a tort is driven to brumate...it will do so.

I would first step back and evaluate the basics of the torts life thus far...before you began your concerns...and understand that some species of torts can and do brumate for 4-6 months...again, that is a variable based on the tortoise...

Also, what is the tortoise keepers feelings on what is transpiring? I mean, this is a tortoise he has had for a few years right, are you sure he has been a complete idiot thus far or has he done the basics but not much frill?

Sometimes a helping hand is much needed, other times a basic set up has worked and appears to work and harm can come from messing with a simple basic set up?

Now, I don't know anything about the set up...I don't know anything about the tortoise health...just sharing my thoughts is all.

 

[Blakem]

I'm just going to cover some things that I didn't see being covered. You don't need to soak your tortoise everyday. My Russian is 5-7 years of age, and I feel like 3-4 times a week is good, unless your tortoise is sick. Keep the water luke warm the whole time it's being soaked.

Since the vet didn't know proper temps, I will give you what I've read here in the forum and what has worked for me. It's important to keep four temps, night time temp, ambient (overall tank temp), basking temp, and cool side. Night time shouldn't get below 70, but this species is tough and can be in a slightly lower temp, ambient temp no lower than 80-90, basking temp 90-105, and cool side 75-85. I could be wrong, but this has worked well for my Russian. He eats daily, except for around winter when things slow down, basks, gets soaked, and sleeps with a normal routine.

As for the vet, depending on where you live, we have a list of vets all over the US.
Good luck

 

[Capri]

It was his sisters tort that she couldn't take care of anymore so she gave it to his parents to they just kept her in a glass aquarium with a heat bulb and food. She brumated there indoors for the last few years. Until recently she didn't have any UVA lights. We made her a tort table.

I just read a few articles and people saying that if you don't know how to properly hibernate them, then it can be bad for them and eats away at their fat then their muscles. I jut wanted to make sure it's not going to hurt her.

She usually gets soaks 3 times a week but they said it was good soak them more to help them not brumate. We only give her a bath for 10 minutes when we do it every day. It always has luke warm water throughout the whole bath.

The owners didn't know much about tortoises and asked me to see what people on the forum thought about the brumation because they were concerned when she stopped eating and started sleeping a lot in her hide.

I think I might need to check on the cool side temps. I know the basking temps are around 100 degrees.

We bring my tortoise and turtle to a great vet in Concord, NH so we are are probably going to bring Hazel there when she needs it and for wellness check ups.