Not eating!

[Shannon99]

Hello it’s been 5 days since we’ve brought our till Russian tort home and he’s not eaten anything! Pooing every day and daily soaks and outside in the sun but is just not interested in food he just wants bury himself and sleep all day long! All temps are ok I just don’t know what to do

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Has there been a change in his behavior during the 5 days? Have you made the changes recommended in your previous thread to your old set up? What is your current set up like? What have you tried to offer?

 

[Shannon99]

Has there been a change in his behavior during the 5 days? Have you made the changes recommended in your previous thread to your old set up? What is your current set up like? What have you tried to offer?

Yes I changed the lighting to the Arcadia pro t5 kit 12% and the floodlight basking bulb temps are all ok, I’ve offered lambs lettuce, kale, romaine, geranium, dandelion leaves and dandelion, clover and even some pellets and pak choi I’ve tried different things every day just to try and see if he would entertain anything but no. There is no change from when I brought him home really. He is pooing every day after a soak in warm water. Substrate is being changed tomorrow to coco coir and orchid bark. I’ve tried going outside with him giving some fresh safe flowers but to no avail seems alert when having a soak and when being handled to and from bath but apart from that buries himself in the corner all day and night.

 

[Shannon99]

Has there been a change in his behavior during the 5 days? Have you made the changes recommended in your previous thread to your old set up? What is your current set up like? What have you tried to offer?

I’ve also got some friendly plants from the tortoise hut to plant in his enclosure that should be here by next week

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Not eating and not active isn't really a good combo. I am not sure what is causing this in your case. When did you make the changes with the lighting? It may take a while before you see improvement from the better set up.

 

[Shannon99]

Not eating and not active isn't really a good combo. I am not sure what is causing this in your case. When did you make the changes with the lighting? It may take a while before you see improvement from the better set up.

I swapped to the t5 12% kit Arcadia and the Arcadia flood light did this Saturday morning I’m going to ring the exotic vets tomorrow to rule anything out but we brought him home Wednesday so understand it may take time to settle in but I’m just getting abit worried

 

[Tom]

Hello it’s been 5 days since we’ve brought our till Russian tort home and he’s not eaten anything! Pooing every day and daily soaks and outside in the sun but is just not interested in food he just wants bury himself and sleep all day long! All temps are ok I just don’t know what to do

What size and type of enclosure? Indoors or out?
How thick and how damp is the substrate?
What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and over night low?

We need to know the actual temperatures. What is ok to one person, might be too low or too high for the tortoise.

 

[Shannon99]

Enclosure is Measurements 45 x 25 x 170
Basking temp is 37
Cool side is 21/22
Overnight is 22
Warm side is around 30
It’s inside at the moment as we live in uk but building outside area for when it warms up abit but will still be brining in at night
Substrate is quite deep to the point little tort can almost fully submerge himself I mist every morning and it’s about 55% humidity

 

[Shannon99]

Enclosure is Measurements 45 x 25 x 170
Basking temp is 37
Cool side is 21/22
Overnight is 22
Warm side is around 30
It’s inside at the moment as we live in uk but building outside area for when it warms up abit but will still be brining in at night
Substrate is quite deep to the point little tort can almost fully submerge himself I mist every morning and it’s about 55% humi

Enclosure is Measurements 45 x 25 x 170
Basking temp is 37
Cool side is 21/22
Overnight is 22
Warm side is around 30
It’s inside at the moment as we live in uk but building outside area for when it warms up abit but will still be brining in at night
Substrate is quite deep to the point little tort can almost fully submerge himself I mist every morning and it’s about 55% humidity

What size and type of enclosure? Indoors or out?
How thick and how damp is the substrate?
What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and over night low?

We need to know the actual temperatures. What is ok to one person, might be too low or too high for the tortoise.

Substrate is just top soil but will be changing to coco coir and orchid bark next week

 

[David Steere]

If you can take pictures of your entire setup.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

The knowledge of this forum is off the scale so they will help you figure out exactly what your issue is with your tortoise not eating.

You have come to the right place!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

It’s sounds like you’re making the needed improvements so it’s difficult to say what’s causing the no eating issuemy best guess currently is they’re still settling in, but definitely try and upload a photo of your set up if you can, might help members visualising it, and yeah it might be an idea to get in touch with a reputable exotic vet(they list uk ones on the tortoise table) and just getting some advice, provide them with all the information you’ve relayed here, hopefully they’ll be able to help with what to do next, if they don’t start eating, it’s possible some further investigation is needed.

 

[Shannon99]

It’s sounds like you’re making the needed improvements so it’s difficult to say what’s causing the no eating issuemy best guess currently is they’re still settling in, but definitely try and upload a photo of your set up if you can, might help members visualising it, and yeah it might be an idea to get in touch with a reputable exotic vet(they list uk ones on the tortoise table) and just getting some advice, provide them with all the information you’ve relayed here, hopefully they’ll be able to help with what to do next, if they don’t start eating, it’s possible some further investigation is needed.

I’m not home right now but will send pictures shortly, and will be trying to get him in next week and an exotic vet just for some investigation and a mot I’m hoping it’s just settling in but will keep updated x

 

[Tom]

Enclosure is Measurements 45 x 25 x 170

170? Is this inches or cm?

Substrate is just top soil but will be changing to coco coir and orchid bark next week

This could be your problem. Soil should never be used as tortoise substrate. There is no way to know what is in that bag. Could be something toxic or something dangerous, like perlite.

What size is the tortoise?

 

[Shannon99]

Just wanted to update you all my little Sheldon has been to the vets and has RI infection which he’s probably had from before I picked him up. So a course of antibiotics should hopefully bring him round !

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Just wanted to update you all my little Sheldon has been to the vets and has RI infection which he’s probably had from before I picked him up. So a course of antibiotics should hopefully bring him round !

Aw bless him! Did they run some tests or was it based on his breathing?
Hope he feels better soon!

 

[Shannon99]

Aw bless him! Did they run some tests or was it based on his breathing?
Hope he feels better soon!

Based it off his breathing, but true to form I’d been checking his nose and mouth daily just to make sure there was no bubbles or anything that could be the cause of him off his food and there was nothing. Get in to the vets and he starts blowing bubbles every few seconds can’t win!! Just wondering how anyone has got on with torts with respiratory infections? We got given Medicine antibiotics orally but couldn’t get him to open his mouth so have to go back in the morning for injection antibiotics. So how long am I going to be waiting for an improvement? Also how much is this vet bill going to cost

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Based it off his breathing, but true to form I’d been checking his nose and mouth daily just to make sure there was no bubbles or anything that could be the cause of him off his food and there was nothing. Get in to the vets and he starts blowing bubbles every few seconds can’t win!! Just wondering how anyone has got on with torts with respiratory infections? We got given Medicine antibiotics orally but couldn’t get him to open his mouth so have to go back in the morning for injection antibiotics. So how long am I going to be waiting for an improvement? Also how much is this vet bill going to cost

I had to make a thread not too long back for our red foot having a potential RI, I’ve included some bits of information some of the members gave me over there you might want to look over before proceeding, do you know kind of antibiotics you’ve been given?

 

[Shannon99]

Oh gosh the oral ones were baytril but couldn’t get any down him so not sure which the injection one is?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

When it comes to injectable antibiotics, if a good knowledgable vet can show you how to do them, you can administer them yourself at home, will save the stress of multiple trips for your little guy

 

[Shannon99]

When it comes to injectable antibiotics, if a good knowledgable vet can show you how to do them, you can administer them yourself at home, will save the stress of multiple trips for your little guy

Thank you! I’m not sure I’d feel fully confident doing it myself as I don’t want to cause any further harm considering I couldn’t even do the oral ones