My tortoise wont wake up.

[Tim_9518bingo]

Hey i am new here and need some advice. I have my russian tortoise for bout 3 months now. she used to eat but now she has stopped completely. I have her still under a heat lamp. I bth her every 2 days and ususally she wakes up once i take her out of the water. She will open her eyes look around and look at her food and go right back to sleep. Now she doesnt even really open her eyes anymore.

 

[Jacqui]

What temps are you keeping her? What is it under the heat lamp? Do you have a light on her and if so, how many hours a day?

 

[Jacqui]

... and Hi and welcome!

 

[Heather H]

hi and welcome. can you post pics of her and her enclosure?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tim, and welcome to the forum!! In my opinion, you have 3 options: 1. He's dead, 2. He's hibernating 3. He's sick.

We're going to have to have a bit more info before we can offer you any advice. Plus a picture of her habitat would be helpful.

 

[Tim_9518bingo]

At her basking spot it is at 95 degree and the other side is at 70. She always lays under he basking spot. I have a 100 UVB light. separate heating light. the light is on for 13 hours a day. I have had it on for 15 but thought that was too long and didnt make a change anyway.

 

[Tim_9518bingo]

this is the cage

 

[Tim_9518bingo]

she is not dead, she does move even tho its very little and only when i lift her

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tim:

It's a little hard to tell, but I'm thinking the light is up too high to be providing enough heat down at substrate level. Also, your spot thermometers are up too high to be giving you an accurate reading of tortoise-height.

Are you using a UVB light? It could be that the UVB isn't working anymore even though the light still works. They do get old after about 6 months and stop providing UVB.

My suggestion is to get a bigger habitat or set the tortoise up outside (not right now, though because she seems to be sick and needs to be in a hospital tank).

Hospital tank: Small aquarium with moistened substrate and a cover to keep the warm, humid air inside. Soak the tortoise daily in a mixture of Gerber strained carrots or squash and water. If you use a smallish bowl with tall sides you won't need too much of the mixture, a half jar and warm water. Leave the tortoise in their for at least a half hour. Do this daily and you should start to see an improvement in three days. You can also add a few drops of liquid bird vitamins to the water. Once you have her eyes open and a little more active, then you can set her up in a larger habitat. They (especially Russians) get stressed when kept in a too small space. They are used to roaming over great distances and being cooped up causes what you're seeing.

If you decide to take this tortoise to the vet, please do not allow them to give her an injection of vitamin A. The baby food soaks are giving her vitamin A.

 

[Tim_9518bingo]

i just got a new UVB light 3 weeks ago. So just mix the baby food with some water and she will soak it up?
thanks for all the healp already. most people have told me that she is just hibernating and it will all be ok. i figured that cant be right

 

[Yvonne G]

Yeah, no I don't think it's trying to hibernate. There's something else wrong. She may have a respiratory infection, but the only way to know that is to have a vet take a smear and look at it under the 'scope. The carrot baby food soaks usually perk a tortoise up, but it's not a cure. You still have to figure out what made her lethargic in the first place.

 

[ascott]

Hey i am new here and need some advice. I have my russian tortoise for bout 3 months now. she used to eat but now she has stopped completely. I have her still under a heat lamp. I bth her every 2 days and ususally she wakes up once i take her out of the water. She will open her eyes look around and look at her food and go right back to sleep. Now she doesnt even really open her eyes anymore.

Where in the world do you and this tortoise live in? What is the weather like now? When you acquired the tortoise where did you get it from?

 

[Tim_9518bingo]

Yesterday it seemed like the baby food was working she woke up and started moving but today i came home and found her dead.
Thx for all the help tho guys.

 

[Heather H]

Yesterday it seemed like the baby food was working she woke up and started moving but today i came home and found her dead.
Thx for all the help tho guys.

Tim I am so very sorry for your loss. Its so hard to loose a member of the family. hugs

 

[Yvonne G]

Aw, darn it Tim. I'm so very sorry. It takes a long time for them to actually show you that they're sick. And by that time they're pretty sick indeed. That's really too bad.

 

[phebe121]

Im sorry for your loss

 

[leigti]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[Jodie]

So sorry about that.

 

[dmmj]

So very sorry for your loss.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

 

[rkelleh]

So sad. Am sorry for your loss.