My Russian won't eat !!

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Jaasmiine

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I had my Russian tortoise since November 2012. I never had any experience with tortoise. I first had in a 10gal fish tank. While my dad builds him a better place . I seen him not eat when he didn't have his lights for a while (it burned) then today 7/12/13 he won't eat and it has been 7days that he hasty eaten . I tried several ways to get him to eat. Like get him outside to walk . And still won't eat . I tried having the red light on . Nothing and tried to force him to eat (not a good idea he peed on me :'( ) any thing that I should try I'm worried he could die.
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Tom

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You need to give him proper housing and the correct temperature gradient and leave him alone for a bit.

Red lights are not good for daytime use. Does he get UV indoors? Do you ever soak him? What are you offering him to eat?
 

jjsull33

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Tortoises can go a while without food and still be alright, plus a lot of times they eat when you aren't looking. Make sure he has a basking spot of 100 degrees and a cool side of 65-70 degrees that way he can properly digest his food, and try not to stand over him and watch to see if he is eating, sometimes they will only eat when they think they are alone.
 

Jaasmiine

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I give him cabbage . I don't have a uvb lamp. Ima buy one sometime around . Is it really important?

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NicoleB26

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Hi Jaasmiine, yes uvb is important. It is a must have if your tort doesn't get outdoors regularly. He also needs a varied diet. Go to the website russiantortoise.org, it has alot of info on how to care for your tort and lists of what to feed him. I am sure you will get more responses to your post with helpful advice also! Hope this helps :)
 

Laura

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cabbage is not a diet.. I don't blame him for not wanting to eat..
Time to do some reading.
Do you have Weeds outside? no Spray... Clover, Dandilions, Mallow, grape leaves, Mulberry, thistle, Spring Mix salad in your fridge? slice of Squash, Broccoli?
 

Jaasmiine

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I do have weed and Dantalian in my from yard . I hope there not sprayed ima try to feed him that

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LolaMyLove

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Before you try to feed him that, ask your parents if they have sprayed the weeds, you do not want to kill him. You can also ask your mom to take you to the store and get him some other dark leafy greens. Organic Spring Mix (bagged salad) is a decent start. You have to have a UVB light to keep him healthy. He needs a much larger enclosure then a 10 gal fish tank. Did your father already make a new one or is he still planning it?

This is a good link to help with food choices. They dont like to eat the same thing everyday (just like people) so you need to mix it up a bit.
http://russiantortoise.org/plant_photos.htm

Keep asking questions here, everyone is good about helping out. Good luck and keep us all posted.
 

Jaasmiine

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Yes my dad did build a bigger home for him. I guess I can buy lettuce from The grocery store .

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LolaMyLove

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Not iceberg, needs to be organic dark leafy greens for the most part. My Russian loves kale, endive, frisse (lettuce), radicchio, any red leaf lettuce and arugula.
 

Tom

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What are his indoor temps and what is his heat source?
 

Jaasmiine

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I found out that his shell is cold but his home is 115 degrees .:(

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jjsull33

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Only one area should be 115, if the whole enclosure is that hot then he has no where to go to cool off and that's no good.
 

Tom

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Jaasmiine said:
I found out that his shell is cold but his home is 115 degrees .:(


There are four temperature that you need to know. Warm side, cool side, basking spot, and night.

And what are you using to heat him?
 

Jaasmiine

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He has a basking spot . A cooling spot . And a spot to hide

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Jaasmiine

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I soaked him in water before . But I really dont know how to do it :/

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WillTort2

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To soak your Russian you need warm water (about the same as baby's milk), and a large pan (a dish pan works well). Fill the pan about 1 inch deep or slightly deeper if your Russian is over 5 inches long. Gently place your tortoise in the warm water. Watch for about a minute to see that he can breath ok. Then leave the room for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the water temperature, if it feels cool, replace the water, if it's still warm, give him another 5 to 10 minutes.

Most keepers advise a soak of about 20 minutes. Expect your tortoise to drink some when first put in the water. Then expect to see bubbles and excrement from the rear. Also, expect the tortoise to pace and try to climb out of the container.

Good luck.
 

Cowboy_Ken

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When soaking, I shoot for a temp of 75-80f. I like numbers. And I soak for 20 minutes on average. When placed in the water, I have them looking away from me so I can observe them without spooking them. After 5 minutes, I leave the room and take that time to clean soiled spots out of the enclosure.
 

WillTort2

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I've noticed there is a wide range of soaking temperature advised by various members over the range of tort species. I'm using a tap water mix of hot and cold and adjusting until I get a 95 degree temp gun reading. By the time I move the dish tub to the tort room the temperature drops to about 93 degrees.

By the time 10 minutes of soaking have passed the water temperature is down to approx. 82 degrees and my Russians are scratching to get out. If it's a cool day I'll add a glass of warm water and give them their final 5 to 10 minutes; on a warm summer day I'll just let them handle the cooling water for the remaining 5 to 10 minutes and then place them near their basking spot to rewarm.
 
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