PLEASE HELP. (closed eyes)

[drewey]

I have a baby leopard tortoise that is not opening its eyes, walking, or eating. It was once active and then just stopped suddenly and I have no clue how to help it. I have been giving it soaks daily, keeping the humidity at the right levels and the temps in the 80s but there have been zero signs of increase. I’ve spent so long searching trying to find an answer but I just haven’t been able to find anything and no vets in my area know how to do tortoise check-ups. I’ve noticed the eyes seem a little sunken as well but I have visually seen it drink. If you know anything that I can do please let me know

 

[TaraMaiden]

You MUST find a herp vet even if you need to travel; this isn't something that anyone can safely or accurately diagnose online... Personally, I wouldn't have a clue, but find a vet, even if you just call them for advice. It's essential to get someone contemporaneously experienced to help you.

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and thanks for asking for help from us. There are many very experienced and dedicated tortoise experts right here who can help you right away while you try too locate a good tortoise vet. Please provide more details of the tortoise like how long you have had him and what are his enclosure conditions? Also a few pictures please! We want to help you!

 

[TammyJ]

@Yvonne G @Tom @ZEROPILOT

 

[ZEROPILOT]

@Yvonne G @Tom @ZEROPILOT

I agree with @TaraMaiden
This sounds very serious and I have no guesses that will be helpful with such limited information to go on.

 

[wellington]

You said temps are in the 80's. He needs a basking temp of 95-100 does he have that? They need that basking temp in order to digest their food. If they can't they will stop eating.
Where did you get him? They they start him out right with humidity or did they start him out dry? He may have been doomed before you got him.
Add baby food carrot and piediyte to his warm water soaks. Do this 1 to 2 times daily until improvement is seen. Get the basking temp up and be sure it doesn't get below 85 every place else in the enclosure day and night. Humidity to be 80%.
What kind of substrate are you using?
What type of uvb bulbs are you using?
What type of heat sources are you using?

 

[Tom]

I have a baby leopard tortoise that is not opening its eyes, walking, or eating. It was once active and then just stopped suddenly and I have no clue how to help it. I have been giving it soaks daily, keeping the humidity at the right levels and the temps in the 80s but there have been zero signs of increase. I’ve spent so long searching trying to find an answer but I just haven’t been able to find anything and no vets in my area know how to do tortoise check-ups. I’ve noticed the eyes seem a little sunken as well but I have visually seen it drink. If you know anything that I can do please let me know

Wellington said everything I was going to say. If you are able to answer her questions, it will give us a bit more insight and we can offer better help.

What is the temp directly under the basking bulb?
What kind of basking bulb?
What is the over night low temp?
What are you using to generate night heat?
What type of enclosure?
What type of UV bulb?
What substrate?
Where did you get the baby and how was it started?

 

[drewey]

I got it a few months ago from tortoise supply, so I assuming that it was started off very well. The mix of substrate is repti-bark and the coconut substrate, I use the reptibark to hold onto moisture better. I use a ceramic heat emitter at night and the basking spot reaches well in the 90’s. UV bulb is a t8 uvb tube light. I originally had him in this kiddie pool but since he’s started doing this I moved him inter a smaller laundry tupperware so I can monitor everything much easier. I’ll boost the humidity more because i was getting it to around 60% at night. Night temps usually around 79 (higher closer to bulb though). Heat source is a basking light for desert reptiles.

 

[drewey]

I got it a few months ago from tortoise supply, so I assuming that it was started off very well. The mix of substrate is repti-bark and the coconut substrate, I use the reptibark to hold onto moisture better. I use a ceramic heat emitter at night and the basking spot reaches well in the 90’s. UV bulb is a t8 uvb tube light. I originally had him in this kiddie pool but since he’s started doing this I moved him inter a smaller laundry tupperware so I can monitor everything much easier. I’ll boost the humidity more because i was getting it to around 60% at night. Night temps usually around 79 (higher closer to bulb though). Heat source is a basking light for desert reptiles.

And how much pedialyte and carrots should I mix into the water?

 

[TammyJ]

Is it dark at night in his enclosure? It needs to be. Also I hope the various bulbs are not hurting his eyes. Some bulbs are very damaging to their eyes. Not sure which ones.

 

[drewey]

I bought the tube light because I heard the coil uvb lights can cause stress and such, but everything is made for reptiles. Could it still cause that even though it’s made for reptiles?

 

[wellington]

I bought the tube light because I heard the coil uvb lights can cause stress and such, but everything is made for reptiles. Could it still cause that even though it’s made for reptiles?

It's the Coil bulbs we don't trust. The tube bulbs are fine as long as it's not too close. It usually says on the package the distance they should be.
There is no measurement for the baby food or piediyte that I have ever seen. If I ever had to use either, I would do a tablespoon or 2 of carrot and a 1/4 cup of the piediyte to a sink/wash tub of water that comes up just past where the top and bottom shells meet.

 

[drewey]

It's the Coil bulbs we don't trust. The tube bulbs are fine as long as it's not too close. It usually says on the package the distance they should be.
There is no measurement for the baby food or piediyte that I have ever seen. If I ever had to use either, I would do a tablespoon or 2 of carrot and a 1/4 cup of the piediyte to a sink/wash tub of water that comes up just past where the top and bottom shells meet.

ok i’ll give it a shot thankyou so much for the recommendation

 

[Gillian M]

Please post pictures asap so as to enable the experts to help you.

And good luck.

 

[drewey]

first pic is my initial set up(keep in mind i took some lights and stuff out to make the temporary one better, including some dirt) and the second is what I moved it into.

 

[wellington]

In both situations he needs to be in a closed chamber enclosure. There is no way heat and humidity are stable in an open top enclosure. Lots of changes needed.
Please read the caresheet and the closed chamber thread and make all needed changes.

 

[wellington]

Also uvb does not go thru screen well at all. The enclosed chamber should have all heat and lighting inside and far enough away.
Look up pop up green houses. They work good for closed chambers and can be bought cheap.

 

[drewey]

Ok i’ll fix that right now thankyou

 

[TammyJ]

Where are the hides? And you still have the raised water pool.

 

[drewey]

Where are the hides? And you still have the raised water pool.

in the first pic there are 2 hides pictured but the third i put into the temporary one, the hide is that rock thing in the bottom right corner. i’ll lower the water pool as well. There is moist sphagnum moss inside of all of the hides too. I used the rock one because it was the hide it used the most.