Mr Mortimer seems unwell ?

[Mr Mortimer]

We have a Russian Horsfield Tortoise - he is about 6 yrs old. We have owned him for 2.5yrs. He came from a reptile shop & has been very happy.
This year we are having our garden renovated - so have been keeping him in doors for a bit due to the digging work & when the workman leave - we let him back out for a run about - However he seems to be very stressed about the new garden !
He sleeps at night in his tortoise table & goes in the garden (when allowed) during the day.
The last week - he has shown no interest in wanting to come out of his tortoise table. He just wakes up, eats, poos' & wee's & then will sleep most of the day under his heat lamp.
He then in the late afternoon takes himself into the dark bedroom area & sleeps until morning again - where the whole cycle starts again.
This is NOT like him at all - he usually is scraping for me to eagerly get him out & put him in the garden.
I took him to the vet last week as I was worried it may be worms/parasites. It is not - but he gave him some antibiotics & advised if he was no better to take him back for a £550 Xray & blood test? Im not sure what the problem is & of course if the Xray is needed - I would pay - but any advice from fellow Tortoise owners would be greatly appreciated.
Im wondering if he is stressed . The garden will be finished next week & im hoping he will then improve being out in the sunshine exploring.
He looks healthy, his poo seems okay, he is eating & wee'ing. I have also been bathing him every other day.... He is just sleeping most of the time
Thank you

 

[Tom]

We have a Russian Horsfield Tortoise - he is about 6 yrs old. We have owned him for 2.5yrs. He came from a reptile shop & has been very happy.
This year we are having our garden renovated - so have been keeping him in doors for a bit due to the digging work & when the workman leave - we let him back out for a run about - However he seems to be very stressed about the new garden !
He sleeps at night in his tortoise table & goes in the garden (when allowed) during the day.
The last week - he has shown no interest in wanting to come out of his tortoise table. He just wakes up, eats, poos' & wee's & then will sleep most of the day under his heat lamp.
He then in the late afternoon takes himself into the dark bedroom area & sleeps until morning again - where the whole cycle starts again.
This is NOT like him at all - he usually is scraping for me to eagerly get him out & put him in the garden.
I took him to the vet last week as I was worried it may be worms/parasites. It is not - but he gave him some antibiotics & advised if he was no better to take him back for a £550 Xray & blood test? Im not sure what the problem is & of course if the Xray is needed - I would pay - but any advice from fellow Tortoise owners would be greatly appreciated.
Im wondering if he is stressed . The garden will be finished next week & im hoping he will then improve being out in the sunshine exploring.
He looks healthy, his poo seems okay, he is eating & wee'ing. I have also been bathing him every other day.... He is just sleeping most of the time
Thank you

Tortoises don't like change, and his "home" territory in the garden has now disappeared. He can't make any sense of it and it is stressful.

Are you sure they are re-doing the garden with tortoise safe plants and not using any insecticides, perlite, fertilizers, or other toxins?

Most of the care advice given for this species from pet shops and vets is old and all wrong. Take a look at this thread and look for the temperate species care sheet at the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Mr Mortimer]

Tortoises don't like change, and his "home" territory in the garden has now disappeared. He can't make any sense of it and it is stressful.

Are you sure they are re-doing the garden with tortoise safe plants and not using any insecticides, perlite, fertilizers, or other toxins?

Most of the care advice given for this species from pet shops and vets is old and all wrong. Take a look at this thread and look for the temperate species care sheet at the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you Tom. I shall take a read. I appreciate your time and hopefully if it is stress it’s something we can sort out for him.

 

[TammyJ]

Does he not have his own outdoor enclosure, that would not have been any different when you made the changes in your garden? Or was he just free to roam in the garden? I am just wondering.

 

[Mr Mortimer]

Does he not have his own outdoor enclosure, that would not have been any different when you made the changes in your garden? Or was he just free to roam in the garden? I am just wondering.

He has

Does he not have his own outdoor enclosure, that would not have been any different when you made the changes in your garden? Or was he just free to roam in the garden? I am just wondering.

Does he not have his own outdoor enclosure, that would not have been any different when you made the changes in your garden? Or was he just free to roam in the garden? I am just wondering.

Thanks for asking
He has always been free to roam around the garden which is fully enclosed with a wall so he can’t escape.
He just then comes into his tortoise table of an evening.
But at the moment with the work that’s been going on he doesn’t want to go out. He just sits at the back door. And then goes off to a corner to sleep again.

 

[TammyJ]

I would keep him indoors for a spell until all the changes and activities are finished outside, then gradually introduce him to the new outdoors space.

 

[Mr Mortimer]

I would keep him indoors for a spell until all the changes and activities are finished outside, then gradually introduce him to the new outdoors space.

Ah thank you. Yes hopefully all finishing next week. He’ll have new grass and an area made specially for him so hoping he’ll like it and settle. Thanks for advice.

 

[zolasmum]

Ah thank you. Yes hopefully all finishing next week. He’ll have new grass and an area made specially for him so hoping he’ll like it and settle. Thanks for advice.

When you do take him out after it is finished, can you also take out familiar objects from his table (and bring them back when he comes in, of course) Like his water dish, hide, etc. He might feel it less strange then.
Angie

 

[Mr Mortimer]

When you do take him out after it is finished, can you also take out familiar objects from his table (and bring them back when he comes in, of course) Like his water dish, hide, etc. He might feel it less strange then.
Angie

Good idea. Thank you.