My Hermann wont eat

[roxy-lou]

Hi everybody

I am worried about my Hermann as he seems to have gone off his food and its been several weeks now. He is normally a good eater. With regards to his enclosure, he has heat but is not liking sitting under it for too long. He has never accepted UV bulbs, maybe they hurt his eyes and he has always ran away from them. He is outdoors on sunny days and comes inside for the evening to sleep in his enclosure. The only change is that we moved into a new house in January and it is a lot bigger but we have closed off one room for him. He is allowed to walk around in that room. He was eating fine when we moved in but then just kind of stopped but shortly before one day I saw him tearing off a piece of cardboard from a box and I am worried he has swallowed that and caused some harm, although this was a few months back. He will feed once a week from what I can see but maybe he eats when he is outside as his enclosure has weeds? I am worried because its not like him and he normally loves little variation food like courgettes or butternut squash. I am reluctant to take him to the vets as all they have ever done is give him antibiotics for whatever reason Ive taken him in. i bathe him in warm water every other day.

He is still very alert, underside of shell is fine no redness, bright eyed and appearing fine in terms of phyiscal health, moving around normally etc.

Can anyone suggest anything I could try? Thanks in advance

 

[GBtortoises]

Despite not eating is he still active? Is he drinking regularly? What are the temperatures (day, night & basking) and humidity level in his indoor enclosure? How old or how big is he?

 

[roxy-lou]

Despite not eating is he still active? Is he drinking regularly? What are the temperatures (day, night & basking) and humidity level in his indoor enclosure? How old or how big is he?

Despite not eating is he still active? Is he drinking regularly? What are the temperatures (day, night & basking) and humidity level in his indoor enclosure? How old or how big is he?

He doesnt drink of his own free will so I give him regular baths and sometimes will try and force feed him a half teaspoon of water which he does take. I dont force feed him food though. I havent checked the temps with a thermometer but leave the heat lamp on for most of the day but he sits there for an hour or so then wanders off. He goes in and out of the two enclosures as he wants to and can climb back up the slide into the bigger box. So he is free to choose temps which he does - I will attach photos so you will see what i mean. He is coming up to 3 years old. thank you

 

[roxy-lou]

Also i am not sure how to check humidity level but I havent sprayed down the enclosures for some time.. should I be doing that?

 

[GBtortoises]

Well first, it's not unusual for a tortoise that has been moved to a new environment to stop eating for a few days, even a week or more. But at the same time they will usually hide a lot too. Tortoises are very much creatures of habit and will establish a routine within their environment based on light duration and intensity and temperatures. Food and water availability as well as surrounding activity also play a role to some extent. They must first feel secure before their routine can be established. It is important to know what your daytime, night time, basking temperatures and humidity levels are on a daily basis in order to know if your tortoise is being maintained at optimum activity levels. As far as water intake, soaking is okay to do, but it is not a substitute for water intake. Sitting in water has little benefit if the tortoise is not drinking the water too. I've never seen a tortoise that will not drink on it's own if clean water is available at all times. It is the most basic of self-preservation actions by any animal. The water must be a container that is very easily accessible. A low sided dish with it's rim at or barely above ground level is best. The same should be true of food containers used.
You should have a light that produces heat (and light) for basking as well as a separate lamp producing UVB. Both should on 14-16 hours daily. The idea with heat, light and humidity is to emulate early summer conditions when temperate climate tortoises such as Hermann's are most active. Some recommend 12 hours daily. That time period is too short. Ideally, the lights should be on a timer so the photoperiod is consistent. Humidity is also very important for activity. If it is too dry for a long period many tortoises will stop eating and become less active to conserve energy. Being too wet can also cause problems, primarily health issues. Ambient humidity, along with substrate moisture content and water consumption all play an important role in overall body hydration. So it is very important to know. Humidity can be measured with a hygrometer and should maintained in the 50-70% range. Occasionally higher percentages are fine as long as there is adequate air exchange within the enclosure. Much drier than 50% should be avoided. A good thorough spraying once or twice a day will help maintain humidity. I can't tell from the photos but is your tortoise able to roam around your home on it's own? It looks like the enclosures are just open to your home. That is usually a good idea, especially if there are cats, dogs or young children in the home. Walking freely around the house can ultimately be dangerous for a tortoise.

 

[roxy-lou]

T

Well first, it's not unusual for a tortoise that has been moved to a new environment to stop eating for a few days, even a week or more. But at the same time they will usually hide a lot too. Tortoises are very much creatures of habit and will establish a routine within their environment based on light duration and intensity and temperatures. Food and water availability as well as surrounding activity also play a role to some extent. They must first feel secure before their routine can be established. It is important to know what your daytime, night time, basking temperatures and humidity levels are on a daily basis in order to know if your tortoise is being maintained at optimum activity levels. As far as water intake, soaking is okay to do, but it is not a substitute for water intake. Sitting in water has little benefit if the tortoise is not drinking the water too. I've never seen a tortoise that will not drink on it's own if clean water is available at all times. It is the most basic of self-preservation actions by any animal. The water must be a container that is very easily accessible. A low sided dish with it's rim at or barely above ground level is best. The same should be true of food containers used.
You should have a light that produces heat (and light) for basking as well as a separate lamp producing UVB. Both should on 14-16 hours daily. The idea with heat, light and humidity is to emulate early summer conditions when temperate climate tortoises such as Hermann's are most active. Some recommend 12 hours daily. That time period is too short. Ideally, the lights should be on a timer so the photoperiod is consistent. Humidity is also very important for activity. If it is too dry for a long period many tortoises will stop eating and become less active to conserve energy. Being too wet can also cause problems, primarily health issues. Ambient humidity, along with substrate moisture content and water consumption all play an important role in overall body hydration. So it is very important to know. Humidity can be measured with a hygrometer and should maintained in the 50-70% range. Occasionally higher percentages are fine as long as there is adequate air exchange within the enclosure. Much drier than 50% should be avoided. A good thorough spraying once or twice a day will help maintain humidity. I can't tell from the photos but is your tortoise able to roam around your home on it's own? It looks like the enclosures are just open to your home. That is usually a good idea, especially if there are cats, dogs or young children in the home. Walking freely around the house can ultimately be dangerous for a tortoise.

I think I will try measurign the humidity first -thank you for your help.

 

[roxy-lou]

Dear GBTortoises
I sprinkled some water in the enclosures and then put on the light and put Rocky under it. After a few hours offered him food and he took it really happily!! I hope thats the solution and if it is THANK you sooo much I have been so worried about him. I will keep you informed and I purchased a humidity checker as well. thanks again