My Tortoise isn't eating

[Kelly250989]

I just wondered whether some of you could help.

My tortoise (Tortilla) just isn't eating. Just a little back ground info, she's just over 2 years, lives inside (we live in a flat you see) but she has a descent sized pen with a basking lamp and a uv lamp, and she lives by the window to get as much natural light as she can. She was meant to have her first hibernation at the end of 2012, but I felt I was prepared enough, and I read that if you didn't fell 100% then you should hibernate (I'm planning to start preparing in August this year) She gets bathed 2-3 times and week and has a diet of rocket, watercress, spinach and when she's lucky dandelions.

Tortilla was staying at my mums for 2 weeks while I went on holiday. She stopped eating a day before we picked her up. We just assumed she was full. But she hasn't ate much since she's got back home. She'll have a little munch, but not eat how she used to. She is sleeping a lot in her bedroom too, so she isn't basking much. When I rub he shell she stirs, but then falls straight back asleep. I gave her a bath this morn hoping it would help her but it hasn't at all.

I don't know whether she has gone like this because of the drive (it was only 30 mins and she has done that before) or she is poorly.

I just wondered whether you had any ideas before I take her to the vets

Thanks in advance

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Kelly, and welcome to the Forum!

The first thing to check when a tortoise stops eating is the heat. Tortoises won't eat if they can't warm their bodies up past 80F degrees.

Are you using a light that gives off UVB? The UV rays from the sun don't go through glass, so while it's nice for the tortoise to get the sun through the window, it really isn't offering the tortoise anything other than light and warmth.

If you do decide to take the tortoise to the vet, tell him you are not wanting the tortoise to have a vitamin A shot. Too much vitamin A makes the skin slough off.

 

[Kelly250989]

Thank you for your response. The uv lamp is Arcadia UVB/UVA bulb.

Since posting this I popped out and picked 3 dandelions and she gobbled them down. She a bit more awake now and is sitting under her lamp. Maybe I was a little premature worrying about her, but she's my baby . She still isn't running around like a crazy tortoise like she usually does, but I'm sure she's just hungry after not eating.

Thanks for your advice about the vet, if I take her ill remember that.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I just wondered whether some of you could help.

My tortoise (Tortilla) just isn't eating. Just a little back ground info, she's just over 2 years, lives inside (we live in a flat you see) but she has a descent sized pen with a basking lamp and a uv lamp, and she lives by the window to get as much natural light as she can. She was meant to have her first hibernation at the end of 2012, but I felt I was prepared enough, and I read that if you didn't fell 100% then you should hibernate (I'm planning to start preparing in August this year) She gets bathed 2-3 times and week and has a diet of rocket, watercress, spinach and when she's lucky dandelions.

Tortilla was staying at my mums for 2 weeks while I went on holiday. She stopped eating a day before we picked her up. We just assumed she was full. But she hasn't ate much since she's got back home. She'll have a little munch, but not eat how she used to. She is sleeping a lot in her bedroom too, so she isn't basking much. When I rub he shell she stirs, but then falls straight back asleep. I gave her a bath this morn hoping it would help her but it hasn't at all.

I don't know whether she has gone like this because of the drive (it was only 30 mins and she has done that before) or she is poorly.

I just wondered whether you had any ideas before I take her to the vets

Thanks in advance

Hi, Kelly. First off, I want to second everything Yvonne said. During the day, Russian tortoises need ambient temperatures in the 70s-80s, and basking temperatures in the 90s. At night, they prefer temperatures in the 60s, but it's not a big deal if your house does not cool off that much.

Also, as Yvonne said, sunshine coming through a window is nice for light and warmth, but because glass and plastic filter out most of the UV rays, you need a UVA and UVB bulb for indoors. You said you have a UV bulb, which is great, but I want to make sure it's a good one. You can use either a long fluorescent bulb, like the ZooMed ReptiSun, or a mercury vapor bulb, like the ZooMed PowerSun. You want to avoid compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), because those hurt the eyes and can even lead to permanent blindness.

As for your setup, it sounds pretty good, but I do have some suggestions for diet. Dandelions (sunflower family) are awesome! Rocket or arugula (brassica family) is also a good one. Watercress is another brassica, and it's good, too, although it does not seem to be their favorite. However, spinach is generally considered to be a poor tortoise food. Many tortoises don't like it, probably because it contains high levels of anti-nutrients, like oxalic acid and goitrogens. Other plants contain such compounds, but the high concentrations in spinach mean that tortoises shouldn't be getting spinach very often. Every once in a while is okay, but many tortoise keepers do not offer spinach at all. Again, tortoises seem to smell that it's not the best plant for them, and often refuse it.

I recommend sticking mostly with the sunflower and brassica families (Russians eat from these a lot of in the wild). Other edible sunflowers include cultivated lettuce, wild prickly lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, and radicchio. Other edible brassicas include collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens. It's also a good idea to let your tortoise outside so he can forage on his own. As long as your grounds are not sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, it is safe to allow him to find plants that he likes. Weather permitting, let him go outside as often as possible so he can soak up the natural sunlight, which provides plenty of UVA (stimulates appetite) and UVB (stimulates vitamin D3 production for strong bones). Plus, it's fun!

As an occasional treat (no more than monthly), you can also offer sweeter fruits and vegetables, like tomato, cucumber, strawberry, raspberry, grape, or diced carrots. Finally, you might want to add some good commercial foods to his diet. Mazuri Tortoise Diet and ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food are both good choices. Just soak the pellets in warm water for a few minutes before feeding. You can mix them with the plants you offer him, too. If your guy is used to whole plants, it might take him a while to learn how to eat these, but most do eventually learn. Enjoy!

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BTW - In my opinion, bathing a healthy adult tortoise 2-3 times per week is too frequent, and can be stressful. Babies and sick tortoises do benefit from several baths per week, but if they're healthy, one bath per week is all that's needed to stay hydrated. Maybe if you cut back on the bathing, your guy will feel more relaxed and his appetite will increase.

 

[WillTort2]

I remember reading that having the enclosure in a sunlit window could cause the temps in the enclosure to get too warm. Keep a check on the temperature range. If the tort can't get out of the hot area then they are unable to cool down after basking.

Is the water dish large enough to allow the tort to climb in and self soak? And shallow enough to eliminate any flipping and drowning issue? Many prefer a terra cotta planter base. Round 6" or 8".

Good luck.

 

[Kelly250989]

Thanks again for all your responses.

As I said earlier she's now eating again, but still is really sluggish. She doesn't like to wake up in the morning and right now she is on my lap and hasn't attempted to move. Normally if I leave her like that she would have tried to crawl off. She never normally sleeps this much. Last time she went like this it was because her basking lamp wasn't warm enough for her, so she was naturally winding down as if she was to hibernate. I've put my hand under her lamp and it is a warm as it normally is. But because she's not sitting under there maybe she is trying to hibernate herself.

Should I try and keep her under the lamp? I don't want her to hibernate when I'm still feeding her.

 

[Kelly250989]

Also I just put a thermometer into her cage and under her basking lamp it is only 77F. I brought the bulb from the reptile section of pets at home so it a proper bulb. The lamp looks like a desk lamp but it came with her cage. Maybe a new lamp would work?

EDIT: I've left the thermometer in and it has now got up to 86.4F

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Also I just put a thermometer into her cage and under her basking lamp it is only 77F. I brought the bulb from the reptile section of pets at home so it a proper bulb. The lamp looks like a desk lamp but it came with her cage. Maybe a new lamp would work?

EDIT: I've left the thermometer in and it has now got up to 86.4F

Well, that seems to be the answer then. Russians need a basking temp in the 90s. Most keepers (including me) have ours at 95-100*F. Without that elevated temperature, the animal is unable to digest its food, and its appetite goes down.

For a basking spot, I usually use ZooMed ceramic heat emitters (CHEs), but I have also used the ZooMed basking spot lamp. You can also use the ZooMed PowerSun, which is a mercury vapor lamp that provides light, UVA, UVB, and heat as well. As you can see, I like the ZooMed brand a lot, but there are other, comparable products from other brands, too. As long as you're getting that hot spot to 95*F, that's what matters.

 

[lynnedit]

The Arcadia UVB/UVA bulb is equal to (or possibly better) than the Zoomed Powersun.
Do you have it as close to the basking area as is allowed? (there would be instructions with your bulb). I believe that is 12 inches for the Powersun 100w, but it might be different with the Arcadia.
Do you have a piece of slate or a tile under the basking light to add warmth?
Finally, all of these type of bulbs just become less effective after 6 months, certainly by 12 months. Do you know how old your bulb is? It might help to replace it.

PS. Geo, I always love your descriptions; this time of the tortoise food groups.

---

And Kelly..., if you can't get the heat up with the one Arcadia bulb (and if it is relatively new), then add a second bulb near the warm end (can be a regular house bulb), to brighten up the enclosure and also add warmth.
Get that basking area up to 35c!

 

[Kelly250989]

Once again that's for you responses.

The bulb is right near her basking area. I'd say less that 12in, maybe 8in. The Acadia bulb is her UV bulb not the basking one, at the moment were using a Bayonet one from pets at home. What watt would you recommend, at the mo were only using a 40w basking bulb, that could be why it's not getting up to the temps she needs. I'm looking at getting an Acadia basking bulb since you speak so highly of them.

The basking bulb gets replaced every 4-5 months when it's blows, the UVB/UVA bulb has never been changed.

We don't have slate under her basking areas, but I'll definatly look into that. Anything to get my little girl better.

It's just strange as she's be fine with this set up since we got her, we've used the same brand of basking bulb the whole time. Hopefully nothing else is wrong. The only thing I can thin of is when we were on holiday my mum took her into her school (3-4y/o) and I wonder whether she is a little traumatised from that. But it's been over 2 weeks since she went.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

What watt would you recommend, at the mo were only using a 40w basking bulb, that could be why it's not getting up to the temps she needs.

If you're going to use incandescent bulbs for basking warmth, you should get more like a 75-W bulb. A 40-W bulb is not going to be hot enough.

It's just strange as she's be fine with this set up since we got her, we've used the same brand of basking bulb the whole time. Hopefully nothing else is wrong. The only thing I can thin of is when we were on holiday my mum took her into her school (3-4y/o) and I wonder whether she is a little traumatised from that. But it's been over 2 weeks since she went.

Hmm ... sounds like she might have gotten sick while she was out there in the world. Was she housed with other reptiles at the school? If so, she might have contracted a disease from one of them. Was she transported without adequate warmth? If so, then she could have developed a "cold" - an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Does she have trouble breathing? Is there any discharge from her nostrils? If so, then she's going to need warmer temperatures and daily warm baths as a home remedy. If that doesn't work, then she might need to go to the vet.

 

[lynnedit]

Good point about the trip. If no URTI, then it may have just stressed her.
Tortoises can sometimes go into a funk and hide out for a few weeks, but you do want to make sure that you have things right for her now.

I am still a bit confused about your lighting. Is the Arcadia a tube fluorescent light? Or a large bulb light? Perhaps a picture, or link to the exact kind you have?
The tube lights are fine, as long as they are switched out every 6 months.
The basking light can indeed be a regular house bulb, but again, I agree, it should be a higher wattage if it is your only heat source. Whatever it takes to get the basking area up to 35c.