PLEASE HELP!!! Dehydrated hermann

[babyhermann909]

Hi all I am so very upset as I have come home to my new hermann tortoise (approx 1. year) on her back under the heat lamp. She has a rock basking area in her enclosure and I think she fell off that. Today is the first day I have left her on her own as I was working. I was out from around 8am-5:30pm and saw her not moving on her back under the lamp when I came home. Through tears and an absolute mad panic I flipped her, put her in a lukewarm bath, she did a big wee and sat there for 5ish mins. I put her back in a few times but she doesnt like the baths it seems. She seems to be walking relatively normally, not pacing, and she is currently sat under the heat lamp again. I’ve given her some mixed leafy greens, she doesnt seem to want them.

I am terrified she has heat stroke. I feel so guilty about leaving her on her own and an awful tort mum. She is my first tortoise and I adore her. I’ve only had her one week and feel so upset that this has happened. I dont want to ever leave her alone again!!!

I’m mostly concerned that her eyes seem sunken. I dont know if I’m just freaking out but they do seem a bit more sunken than usual (l have not had her long so its really hard to say). I’ve attached some pics - can anyone see if they are sunken?? If so I will take her to a vet ASAP. Sorry I know they arent the best pics but its tricky with the lighting.

Please anyone help me as I dont want to leave her side or sleep tonight until I know shes okay 😢😢😢😢

Thanks in advance

 

[TechnoCheese]

Welcome to the forum!
Definitely keep soaking her daily, for 30 minutes or longer in warm water. It doesn't matter if she seems to not like it. Babies should already be soaked frequently, but it's doubly important now.
I would remove any big flipping hazards, especially near the basking spot.
Give this a read: There's a lot of bad care advice for tortoises out there, and it can be hard to parse the good stuff from the bad. If your substrate is part hay, it needs to be switched to coconut coir, orchid bark (fir bark), cypress mulch, or a mix of any of these.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[babyhermann909]

Welcome to the forum!
Definitely keep soaking her daily, for 30 minutes or longer in warm water. It doesn't matter if she seems to not like it. Babies should already be soaked frequently, but it's doubly important now.
I would remove any big flipping hazards, especially near the basking spot.
Give this a read: There's a lot of bad care advice for tortoises out there, and it can be hard to parse the good stuff from the bad. If your substrate is part hay, it needs to be switched to coconut coir, orchid bark (fir bark), cypress mulch, or a mix of any of these.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you for this!! I have read and saved the post linked. Very useful.

I know the pictures arent great but do you think her eyes have sunken to the point of concern? I’m just so upset to have found her overturned under the lamp. I will remove the basking area whenever I’m out of the house/room as I wont risk that again. She does love to climb though!!

Yes I do bathe almost every day but will ensure it is daily now. I have only missed two since having her. The breeder told me to bathe her 2-3 a week but I’ve seen on the forum that daily is better.

I am using a mix of an ‘edible’ Komodo substrate but mostly coco coir. I am having trouble with regulating humidity. It usually sits around 50-60% in the day but can drop to mid 40s. I do my best to keep it up by regularly misting and pouring water on the substrate but it doesnt help. I notice the humidity at night jumps up to around 70% sometimes. I did buy some spagnhum moss but saw on the post you linked that is not ideal as they can eat it and it can cause complications (there are so many conflicting reports on this!!). Do you have any ideas as to what I can do?

Thank you sooo much for getting back to me. I really really appreciate it xx

 

[TechnoCheese]

Thank you for this!! I have read and saved the post linked. Very useful.

I know the pictures arent great but do you think her eyes have sunken to the point of concern? I’m just so upset to have found her overturned under the lamp. I will remove the basking area whenever I’m out of the house/room as I wont risk that again. She does love to climb though!!

Yes I do bathe almost every day but will ensure it is daily now. I have only missed two since having her. The breeder told me to bathe her 2-3 a week but I’ve seen on the forum that daily is better.

I am using a mix of an ‘edible’ Komodo substrate but mostly coco coir. I am having trouble with regulating humidity. It usually sits around 50-60% in the day but can drop to mid 40s. I do my best to keep it up by regularly misting and pouring water on the substrate but it doesnt help. I notice the humidity at night jumps up to around 70% sometimes. I did buy some spagnhum moss but saw on the post you linked that is not ideal as they can eat it and it can cause complications (there are so many conflicting reports on this!!). Do you have any ideas as to what I can do?

Thank you sooo much for getting back to me. I really really appreciate it xx

I wouldn't be too worried about the eyes unless she continues to refuse food, which would indicate that something could be wrong, as long as you keep soaking to get her rehydrated. Being active is a good sign.

Having a humid hide should be enough in addition to your current table humidity. Get a plastic container, like a dishwashing tub or opaque plastic shoe box, turn it upside down, and cut a hole out of the bottom to make a door. Just keep the substrate under that hide extra damp. Be warned, though, that the "edible" substrate you have will likely mold. Definitely skip the sphagnum moss, I saw firsthand with my sulcata as a hatchling how it comes out wholly undigested as an impaction risk. You may also look into making a greenhouse style tent cover to go over your table and keep humidity in. This can be done with a wire, wood, plastic, etc. Frame, covered with a clear plastic shower curtain.

 

[zolasmum]

Welcome from Devon -your baby looks very sweet - we have a Hermanns too - he is 23 now - we made mistakes when he was little, because there was very little good advice around - luckily he survived, and is strong and happy.Please read and follow advice from here only - there are lots of people on facebook, etc, who have their own ideas, but no knowledge to base them on. I'm not an expert, but I would say get rid of the moss at once -it may look nice, but can be dangerous.
As for her eyes, I wouldn't rush her to a vet, who will probably be no help anyway- by tomorrow, they may look better. When Zola had an eye problem, we got some Viscotears liquid eye gel, which we put a blob on a couple of times a day - it stays better than actual liquid. You can get it from any chemist, and it isn't expensive - of course it is intended for humans, but it is just as good for a tortoise.
Best wishes from Angie

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello! I'm not an expert as I have only my first tortoise but from what I read on this forum, moss could be eaten and that could get your tort in trouble. Mine never eaten it, but it's always a risk.

However, if you put layer of moss under the heating element, out of reach for your tortoise, it could greatly help with raising humidity (for example, put it in saucer on the roof of the hide). Yet this works only when your enclosure is of "closed" type - covered with greenhouse top or just a tote box or plastic tub as been suggested.

Photo of the enclosure would help greatly.

I wish your tortoise to stay healthy. And understand you being worried now.

 

[SinLA]

Hello! I'm not an expert as I have only my first tortoise but from what I read on this forum, moss could be eaten and that could get your tort in trouble. Mine never eaten it, but it's always a risk.

However, if you put layer of moss under the heating element, out of reach for your tortoise, it could greatly help with raising humidity (for example, put it in saucer on the roof of the hide). Yet this works only when your enclosure is of "closed" type - covered with greenhouse top or just a tote box or plastic tub as been suggested.

Photo of the enclosure would help greatly.

I wish your tortoise to stay healthy. And understand you being worried now.

Moss should never be used with tortoises, it’s a health hazard as an impaction risk. Humidity needs to be kept with an enclosed chamber

 

[babyhermann909]

Hi everyone, wow I am so grateful for you amazing kind people who have taken time from your day to help me and my baby girl (currently still unnamed - suggestions welcome!!)

Baby is eating again this morning and is about to have a lovely bath. I have given her a strawberry after yesterday’s antics as a special treat and she is chomping away.

Thanks for the spaghnum moss heads up. The dried block I bought from Amazon has gone straight in the bin.

I have a tortoise table. There is a section of the table that is covered by a lid. I notice it gets pretty humid in there. I may use that as a humid hide and trial it today/tomorrow but if not will definitely get a tupperware container sort of thing.

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN ❤️❤️❤️

 

[babyhermann909]

Update - baby is now fully rehydrated and back to normal ❤️ Thanks again guys. Thought I’d share some cute pics I just took!!