Please help! My tortoise isn’t eating.

[TinkFoxclaw]

Hi can somebody out there please give me some much needed help and advice. I have had my tortoise for about 6 months from a family member. I have been told he is a Russian tortoise so I have been researching all about Russian tortoises. When I was given him he was in a tiny little Vivarium with a heat mat underneath. My family member was told he was a hermann and apparently told not to put him in anything bigger because it would be to frightening for him. So when I was told he is a Russian tortoise i researched about that and I read that isn’t quite true and he would do better in the kind of thing I have him in now, which is a tortoise table with a warm end and a cooler end. And something that is bigger than what he was already in. About 2 or 3 weeks ago I put him in there hoping he would thrive and do better than he was. He used to eat pretty regularly almost ate too much at times, but since I have put him in the new table he isn’t eating or drinking at all. I do make sure I bathe him everyday so he gets some kind of liquid into him, and ofc I change his food daily but he refuses to eat at all. I try him with everything he used to eat like the pellets he basically had from a baby which my mum would feed him, and I have even tried him with clovers, dandelion’s, lettuce and even some of his favourites like spinach because I have read that can be ok to give occasionally because of the calcium in it but he just isn’t interested. He just turns his nose up and goes back to bed. I wasn’t sure at first if he was self hibernating because even tho it’s spring here in the uk, it’s pretty cold. All he wants to do is sleep which is very worrying. He puts himself in the cooler end and stays there, but I try and put him in his basking area, especially after a bath. I know it can take a while to eat when they are put in a new thing like he has but it’s going on for a very long time and I’m really starting to panic. I really don’t want him to become to weak or poorly. Can anybody please give me some help and advice?! I would really appreciate it!
His basking area is about 86f but can go into the 90’s.
And his sleeping area goes up to about 76f to about the middle 80’s if I have my heating on.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

His basking are should be 95 to 100 . That may be the reason. If the basking are is too cool, he can not digest any food and will not eat. Try increasing you basking temp. What are the other temps, cool side, warm side and night?

 

[TechnoCheese]

Please give these links a read and make changes accordingly-
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

 

[DARKFIRE007]

That looks like an MVB bulb and the distance looks questionable, I would put a thermometer on the rock and lower that bulb till it reads say 98 degrees. Beyond that, try some collard greens, mine LOVE them. Kale, turnip greens, mustard greens...all are favorites they like.

 

[Catriona]

I have the same problem and my Tortoise spends his whole time buried unless I coax him out with a soak and food. His basking area is 90 deg. If I put him in the outside run he buries himself and stays there unless I dig him out. He is only eating very small amounts if coaxed. Any advice?

 

[DARKFIRE007]

I have the same problem and my Tortoise spends his whole time buried unless I coax him out with a soak and food. His basking area is 90 deg. If I put him in the outside run he buries himself and stays there unless I dig him out. He is only eating very small amounts if coaxed. Any advice?

That is one of the issues right there, if yours is a Russian the basking spot should be between 95-105. I find 98 to be a good temp.

Try letting him out of the enclosure to peak his interest. When mine get lethargic I find they get active if they can explore something new. Just be sure to watch them and sweep any floor first. I got creative last week and used an entire room...blocked off the door and the walls acted like a huge enclosure. They both had fun roaming and climbing on the things I put in there. Easy to do and takes 5 minutes to break down.

What is the diet like you're feeding?

 

[Catriona]

That is one of the issues right there, if yours is a Russian the basking spot should be between 95-105. I find 98 to be a good temp.

Try letting him out of the enclosure to peak his interest. When mine get lethargic I find they get active if they can explore something new. Just be sure to watch them and sweep any floor first. I got creative last week and used an entire room...blocked off the door and the walls acted like a huge enclosure. They both had fun roaming and climbing on the things I put in there. Easy to do and takes 5 minutes to break down.

What is the diet like you're feeding?

He gets a mix of lettuce, dandelion, spinach, cabbage, broccoli.

 

[DARKFIRE007]

I don't think spinach is a good idea (I could be wrong on that) but I am certain the only thing lettuce is good for is the water content and you can achieve that by just wetting the food. The dandelion I know is fine.

Humor me, go buy some collards at like a Walmart or grocery store, they come in HUGE bundles for 3 bucks. Also some turnip greens for a buck. Try that for a few days and report back. Mine love them and almost never turn their nose up.

 

[DARKFIRE007]

He gets a mix of lettuce, dandelion, spinach, cabbage, broccoli.

Apologies, I made that post and then saw your location. I am unsure if certain greens are sold across the pond or not. If you have trouble finding them, Kale works for me too, and THAT is available most everywhere.

 

[katieandiggy]

Hey Catriona I’m in the U.K.
Tesco sell a good bag of mixed leaves it’s £1 it’s frisée, endive, escarole, lambs lettuce. I also pick lots of dandelion leaves and plantain is plantain is growing wild absolutely everywhere! Today I bought some spring greens and I will offer a little a couple of times per week.