So I am a proud owner of a baby sulcata named Baby Clay. (after GB Packer Clay Matthews). Clay started out just fine but lately he has become sluggish and i'm not sure he's eating. His eyes are usually closed too. I soak him every other day and feed him dark leafy greens. He has a UV lamp as well as a heat lamp. Any ideas??New Sulcata Owner
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So I am a proud owner of a baby sulcata named Baby Clay. (after GB Packer Clay Matthews). Clay started out just fine but lately he has become sluggish and i'm not sure he's eating. His eyes are usually closed too. I soak him every other day and feed him dark leafy greens. He has a UV lamp as well as a heat lamp. Any ideas??
Hi Kvenegas:
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
Buy some Gerber strained baby food - carrots, squash or sweet potatoes, and soak the baby every day. Using a small bowl with tall sides (so he can't climb out), put in a half jar of baby food and mix with warm water. Not too deep so he has trouble keeping his head out of the water. Soak him for at least 15 minutes every day.
But starting right now, read this thread and make any changes to your tortoise-keeping or habitat accordingly:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1esP2izBJ
Your baby is acting like he is due to husbandry issues. So keep an open mind and read the above thread.
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
Buy some Gerber strained baby food - carrots, squash or sweet potatoes, and soak the baby every day. Using a small bowl with tall sides (so he can't climb out), put in a half jar of baby food and mix with warm water. Not too deep so he has trouble keeping his head out of the water. Soak him for at least 15 minutes every day.
But starting right now, read this thread and make any changes to your tortoise-keeping or habitat accordingly:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1esP2izBJ
Your baby is acting like he is due to husbandry issues. So keep an open mind and read the above thread.
Thanks for all the info! My name is Kristina. As for the baby food soak...how many times should I do this and should I add some vitamins? Any input on a cuttle bone?
Welcome to the group 
. Well Clay is named after one of the NFL's best LB's. So you are a Packers fan. Im a 49ers fan and my fav LB is Patrick Willis . But Clay Mattews is a monster on the field too. Sorry got my talking about football. Btw, I hope you get to find out what is wrong with your lil sulcata. Glad place and many experienced tort keepers to help you out.
. Well Clay is named after one of the NFL's best LB's. So you are a Packers fan. Im a 49ers fan and my fav LB is Patrick Willis . But Clay Mattews is a monster on the field too. Sorry got my talking about football. Btw, I hope you get to find out what is wrong with your lil sulcata. Glad place and many experienced tort keepers to help you out.
I always have cuttlebone available in my tortoise habitats. There is no need to add vitamins to the soaking water. You can use either or. What I mean is, you can either soak in baby food water, or you can soak in liquid bird vitamin water. No need to use both in the same water.
try to soaked him with watermelon water..
it can help, cause tort likes the way it smell..
it can help, cause tort likes the way it smell..
there is no nutrients in watermelon water.. so try to vitamins or baby food first..
Cuttle bine is great to keep in with them or shave over thier food..
right now you got to get your baby awake and moving. Check temps, lights, and No coil bulbs.
Good luck!
Cuttle bine is great to keep in with them or shave over thier food..
right now you got to get your baby awake and moving. Check temps, lights, and No coil bulbs.
Good luck!
What kind of UV bulb is he under? Is it one of those coil type compact florescents? If yes, shut it off right away. That could be the sole source of your problem.
If that is not it, you might need to do some background checking from whoever you got the tortoise from. If they tell you your baby was housed on rabbit pellets, with no water bowl, no humid hide, and soaked a couple of times a week, then you will likely have found he source of your problem. It could be a combination of things too.
Hello and welcome to the forum.
If that is not it, you might need to do some background checking from whoever you got the tortoise from. If they tell you your baby was housed on rabbit pellets, with no water bowl, no humid hide, and soaked a couple of times a week, then you will likely have found he source of your problem. It could be a combination of things too.
Hello and welcome to the forum.
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welcome
He has the right kind of lighting and the temp is kept at least 80 degrees. I got him from a pet store with avery knowledgeable employees. He was started on greens and had water available. I am currently keeping him in a 30 gallon tank with timothy hay substrate. I will try the baby food as soon as i get home. Thank you all!!!
Hello Kristina and welcome to the forum...
Kristina...look into a Zoo Med Mercury Vapor Bulb and a Ceramic Heat Emitter. There's a GREAT sale right now on PetMountain.com ...also, if there's any sun where you are (whereis that, BTW) the little one can withstand 60* temps as long as it's full sun...keep us posted...with lotsa pics
I just ordered some stuff from petmountain.. thanks for the hint..
I prefer to use orchid bark or cypress mulch as substrate. If your tortoise is very young, timothy isn't good because you can't wet it. And a young sulcata requires a moist substrate in order to grow smoothly with no pyramiding.
Any input on feeding with a syringe/medicine dropper?
I don't think that's necessary yet. Just do the baby food soaks and tweak your habitat and tortoise-keeping practices according to the link I gave you. It should work out on its own before the need to tube or force feed.
timothy hay bedding needs to go. it doesnt offer good traction, they arent going to eat it at this age, and like Yvonne says.. you cant get it wet. A pile in a corner is ok to hide in.
What type of bulb are you using? Even the 'right' one from a pet store, can be wrong. No offense.
If you want to drip some bird vitamin water into the corner of his mouth, it wont hurt, but you dont want to be handling too much right now.
Have you tried different foods? something with a tasty smell or color? butternut squash, pumpkin. Even a spoonful of babyfood plopped on top of his greens.
What type of bulb are you using? Even the 'right' one from a pet store, can be wrong. No offense.
If you want to drip some bird vitamin water into the corner of his mouth, it wont hurt, but you dont want to be handling too much right now.
Have you tried different foods? something with a tasty smell or color? butternut squash, pumpkin. Even a spoonful of babyfood plopped on top of his greens.
I soak my 10 week old sulcata daily, mist him 4 or more times a day, always keep him warm, cool side around 78 degrees, search threw these forums, I set mine up like Tom keeps his, read the thread †how to raise sulcata hatchlings and babiesâ€, something else I've learned from this site is to add bird vitamins to the bath water.. Soaks, the right temps with humidity and a good diet I've learned all is extremely important, if u follow the advice here u cant go wrong, my baby is thriving greatly, and everything I've done I've got from this site here
I am not sure of the brand name but i have 3 lights. One long skinny UV light, a heat lamp and a nightime lamp. What would you suggest for bedding? Also I plan on making him a large enclosure.
I use coco coir mixed with clean dirt, I love that stuff, its very soft, clean and not hard to keep moist
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