Need help with my tortoise!

naya the tortoise

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Hi, I’m a new tortoise owner from Ireland and is hoping to get some advice on my tortoise.
I got my western Herman tortoise who is 9 months old about two weeks ago she’s being trying to escape for the first two day she got here but soon settled in. Though just recently she started scraping the corner of her enclosure again trying to escape I’ve also notice her poo is slightly running and she’s not drinking and eating as much now. I’ve been feeding her escarole and some salad leaves as well as dandelion leaves and clover picked from outside with calcium powder sprayed on it daily, I was also feeding her Komodo pellets along with her diet but she was hooked and is eating less of everything else so I stopped the pellets and started giving her normal food which is when I noticed her loss of appetite and runny poo, I used a few soaked pellet to try to test if she just simply doesn’t like the food and she’s not showing that much interest to the pellet like she used to as well. The loss of appetite has being happening for a few days now and the runny poos being occurring for 2 days the overly active and constantly trying to escape just started today. I’m really worried is this anything serious or am I just being paranoid? (btw her appetite was fine before the pellets it only started a few days after I started giving her pellets I’m not sure if it’s the pellet’s problem? Maybe just coincidence, anyway thought I’d include it in there just in case) I’ve attached a photo of her poo as well in the post, any help is appreciated! also sorry for the messy post and grammar mistake in advance I was in a rush when writing this and didn’t have time to look over.
 

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zolasmum

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Welcome from Devon. I have a Hermans tortoise too - he is 22 years old now. I don't think you should worry about Naya's behaviour - baby tortoises take a while to settle down - that's quite normal. I suggest giving more of the pellets, soaked and mixed up with fibrous leaves like dandelion, and don't give her so much calcium powder - just a small amount, twice a week. What is her substrate ?
Has she got a hide ?
Can you send a photo of her enclosure -it might help to see if something is bothering her. And one of her too - because it is always nice to see pictures of baby tortoises. !
Of course you worry until you have got to know each other better, but you will soon feel more confident, and there are knowledgeable people here who can help you, if needed (not me, I'm not an expert )
Angie
 

Sarah2020

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Hi and welcome. Tortoise hate change so they need time to settle but they need the correct setup. Heat, light, substrate, diet hydration.
I suggest you read this care sheet and check the set up and any questions, please ask.
As a new owner I recommend you keep a weekly weight log because it is nice to look back and you will also spot weight gain and loss. Please share pics of tortoise and enclosure for additional advise. They are great fun to keep so bear with it and enjoy.
Poo looks fine a bit soft but better out than in!
 

zolasmum

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Yes, keep a record of her weight, and also I suggest sometimes putting her on a sheet of paper and drawing round the edge of her shell. It is interesting to see how she changes shape over time.
Angie
p s Zola's poo often looks soft like that, but, as Sarah says, better out than in !
 

wellington

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Welcome from Devon. I have a Hermans tortoise too - he is 22 years old now. I don't think you should worry about Naya's behaviour - baby tortoises take a while to settle down - that's quite normal. I suggest giving more of the pellets, soaked and mixed up with fibrous leaves like dandelion, and don't give her so much calcium powder - just a small amount, twice a week. What is her substrate ?
Has she got a hide ?
Can you send a photo of her enclosure -it might help to see if something is bothering her. And one of her too - because it is always nice to see pictures of baby tortoises. !
Of course you worry until you have got to know each other better, but you will soon feel more confident, and there are knowledgeable people here who can help you, if needed (not me, I'm not an expert )
Angie
None of us are experts. We all are always learning. And you did great in your answer, so don't sell yourself short.
 

zolasmum

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Thank you very much, Wellington- I sometimes feel I shouldn't reply to posts so often, but it always seems a shame especially with new members, to leave them waiting a long time for a reply. I have learned a great deal here, but there are things , like lighting, that I wouldn't think of replying to.
Anyway, I really appreciate what you said.
Angie
 

naya the tortoise

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Welcome from Devon. I have a Hermans tortoise too - he is 22 years old now. I don't think you should worry about Naya's behaviour - baby tortoises take a while to settle down - that's quite normal. I suggest giving more of the pellets, soaked and mixed up with fibrous leaves like dandelion, and don't give her so much calcium powder - just a small amount, twice a week. What is her substrate ?
Has she got a hide ?
Can you send a photo of her enclosure -it might help to see if something is bothering her. And one of her too - because it is always nice to see pictures of baby tortoises. !
Of course you worry until you have got to know each other better, but you will soon feel more confident, and there are knowledgeable people here who can help you, if needed (not me, I'm not an expert )
Angie
Hi Angie, Thank you so much for the advice ! Really sets my mind at ease, I’ve put the pellets back to her diet, I squashed them on her leaves to see if I can trick her to eat some of the leaves, but she somehow managed to pick all of them out without eating any of the leaves lol, but her appetite’s back so that’s a good sigh, I guess she was just being picky before.
 

naya the tortoise

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A2B84EEE-DEF8-410F-A3DB-7211E7546135.jpeg
Here’s a picture of her enclosure, the ladders usually against the wall I was checking if she pooped in there this morning and forgot to put it back, I just used tortoise substrate I got from the pet store.
 

naya the tortoise

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Sep 17, 2022
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Location (City and/or State)
Dublin Ireland
Hi and welcome. Tortoise hate change so they need time to settle but they need the correct setup. Heat, light, substrate, diet hydration.
I suggest you read this care sheet and check the set up and any questions, please ask.
As a new owner I recommend you keep a weekly weight log because it is nice to look back and you will also spot weight gain and loss. Please share pics of tortoise and enclosure for additional advise. They are great fun to keep so bear with it and enjoy.
Poo looks fine a bit soft but better out than in!
Will do ! Thanks Sarah !
 

zolasmum

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View attachment 350376
Here’s a picture of her enclosure, the ladders usually against the wall I was checking if she pooped in there this morning and forgot to put it back, I just used tortoise substrate I got from the pet store.
Thank you for the photo - I can see a couple of things you could change. The substrate has lots of little white bits in it - they need to come out as they are a thing that a tortoise will often eat - then get impaction of the bowel - there are much better substrates available. Go to the pet store, and make a note of what is available - not anything with additives in, and then check here what is suitable. Not soil, which can have all sorts of stuff ground down in it, and which is only suitable for plants.
I would also suggest you chop up her food a bit , so you can mix in with the pellets in a porridge - she will end up eating a bit of everything then.
By the way, she is really lovely.
Angie
 

zolasmum

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Hello again - I just remembered that you said Naya had taken bites of the substrate - I would suggest you just take it all out now, and put down paper - newspaper would do - so she doesn't eat any more. It can be really bad for her.
If you have an old towel or something, that would be ok too for now.
Angie
 

naya the tortoise

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Hello again - I just remembered that you said Naya had taken bites of the substrate - I would suggest you just take it all out now, and put down paper - newspaper would do - so she doesn't eat any more. It can be really bad for her.
If you have an old towel or something, that would be ok too for now.
Angie
I’ll do that thank you ! I’ve also checked out the care sheet Sarah sent as well I’m going to the pet store first thing tomorrow to see if they have any orchid bark. In the mean while I’ll take the substrate out and replace it with newspaper.
 

zolasmum

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Great. I look forward to hearing how she is getting on - even when she is settled in properly, it will be lovely to see how she makes progress. The care sheet has lots of information - how I wish this forum had been around 21 years ago - Zola was an impulse buy, and having him has enriched our life so much, but we would have done some things quite differently, had we known what I know now !
Angie
 

Sarah2020

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I’ll do that thank you ! I’ve also checked out the care sheet Sarah sent as well I’m going to the pet store first thing tomorrow to see if they have any orchid bark. In the mean while I’ll take the substrate out and replace it with newspaper.
Hi I normally order orchid bark from swell reeptiles but they are out. I just restocked from Amazon...
PETBLIS Prorep Bark Chips Coarse, 25 Litre https://amzn.eu/d/hA3fUp2
This is course to give you an idea for a hatchling you should get fine or mix up 50 /50 .
Here is a fine but a large bag if you have storage that will be good
BULK BUY 70 LTR SACK PINE ORCHID BARK FINE REPTILE VIVARIUM SUBSTRATE https://amzn.eu/d/6Nnqy3k
 

naya the tortoise

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Joined
Sep 17, 2022
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Dublin Ireland
Hi I normally order orchid bark from swell reeptiles but they are out. I just restocked from Amazon...
PETBLIS Prorep Bark Chips Coarse, 25 Litre https://amzn.eu/d/hA3fUp2
This is course to give you an idea for a hatchling you should get fine or mix up 50 /50 .
Here is a fine but a large bag if you have storage that will be good
BULK BUY 70 LTR SACK PINE ORCHID BARK FINE REPTILE VIVARIUM SUBSTRATE https://amzn.eu/d/6Nnqy3k
Thank you ! I got mine from my local pet shop this time cuz I wanted to get naya out of the old newspapers and into the new substrate as soon as possible, will definitely check the link out. Nice to have some supply at home so I don’t have to go all the way to the pet shop and carry a huge bag of substrate home every month.
 

naya the tortoise

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Joined
Sep 17, 2022
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Dublin Ireland
Great. I look forward to hearing how she is getting on - even when she is settled in properly, it will be lovely to see how she makes progress. The care sheet has lots of information - how I wish this forum had been around 21 years ago - Zola was an impulse buy, and having him has enriched our life so much, but we would have done some things quite differently, had we known what I know now !
Angie
So lucky to discover the forum I would be so worried if it weren‘t for the advices I got ! I’m planning on keeping a record of her growth here would be really interesting looking back in a few years time and see how much progressed she’s made.
 

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