Not eating

[Court562]

my Lepord tortoise has not eaten or pooped in 9 days. She's in a 40 gallon glass terrarium with cocoa it that I wet daily. Temps are 95 and humidity is 60%. I offer food daily but never see her eat. Once I saw her stop pooping I got worried. I put her in warm water daily for thirty minutes or so. I noticed she has gas, and lifts her butt as if she's trying to go but is constipated. What's wrong and should I be worried ?

 

[Court562]

I forgot to mention she's 4 months old too.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

What are you offering her to eat? What was she eating before?

Is it 95F, day and night in the enclosure?

 

[JoesMum]

How long have you had her?

 

[Jodie]

Can you give more information please. Where did you get the baby? What are your 4 temps, basking, warm side, cool side and night lows? What lights are you using, and what are you feeding?

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/
Along with questions Jodie asked, this might help.

 

[Yvonne G]

It does sound like the baby is constipated. This usually boils down to being kept too dry and not being fed the right foods.

More info please - and some pictures of the tortoise and where you keep it.

 

[Court562]

 

[Court562]

I've had her about four weeks, and got her a pet expo from the breeder. I've been offering, green leaf, carrots, cucumber, dandelion, sun flower, and Zilla land turtle and Tortoise food. I use two heat sources. First is pictured above that use during the day and second is a infrared her bulb that's a 59 watt at night. I place them lower as the heat and UVB won't always pass the screen on top. I have a feeling she is constipated. Oh yesterday as she was trying to poop, I saw what looked like a string of mucus come out of her butt that I had to help pull out. It kept getting stuck. I bathe her daily in warm water for 30 minutes at a time, is that not enough?

What's wrong with her?

 

[JoesMum]

That substrate is very dry. Do you have a water bowl in there? it would also benefit from some plants for your tort to nibble and hide under.

Please post pictures of your lighting so we can the type of bulbs you use.

We also need to know the 4 important temperatures: Directly under the basking lamp, warm side, cool side, and overnight minimum. Your tortoise cannot digest its food (and hence poop) or be properly active if these are wrong.

Please read the following so you understand the care your tort needs:

For those who have a young Sulcata (much of it applies to Leos)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-care-sheet.63792/

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[JoesMum]

As far as pooping is concerned, you need to keep on soaking. Do it twice a day while she is not eating. This will help her to rehydrate.

A white mucus type stuff called urate does come out with Tortoise pee. It's normal, so don't panic too much about mucus from the butt.

 

[Court562]

This is her night time set up.

 

[Court562]

She has a water dish but I never see her use it.

 

[JoesMum]

Those pet store water bowls are a tipping hazard. A terracotta plant saucer is much safer and far cheaper.

Put food on the flat rock, not in a bowl. It helps with beak maintenance.

Your tort needs complete darkness at night to sleep. Infrared lights color the tank decor red - torts love red food and don't always use the intelligence they're born with and eat the decor. If you need extra heat at night, use a Ceramic Heat Emitter on a thermostat so it doesn't get too hot.

What lighting are you using in the daytime? You need a basking lamp and a source of UVB.

 

[Court562]

What do you think of this set up?

 

[Court562]

Here she is in Luke warm water.

 

[Court562]

This is the bulb I use for her heater.

 

[Court562]

I'm waiting for her tempers in the tank to change since I just switched it around. Ill post temps in a little bit.

 

[JoesMum]

This is the bulb I use for her heater.

That's great. A Mercury Vapor Bulb that provides both UVB and basking heat. It should hang down vertically. It must not be obstructed by mesh or glass and the temperature directly under it is very important

 

[Jodie]

That is a very cute tortoise. I like your enclosure. I would add water to keep the substrate damp, and switch the infared bulb for a ceramic heat emitter. Get some cactus to feed, and soak twice a day to help pass whatever is stopping her up. Your diet needs a little adjusting. Weeds should be the primary part. Cut out the veggies completely. Commercial foods, I like mazuri and Zoo Med grassland best, are ok as a small part to supplement.