Please help! Worried about DT hatchling

[Tom]

If he went from 23 to 40 grams in three weeks it is doubtful that you have a problem. That is a very good sign that things are okay. More sun will be a good thing, but I think he is gonna be fine.

We've been mhaving really hot weather, so I doubt your temps have dropped, but the quickly shortening days might have something to do with him slowing down a bit. Try setting your heat and lights to come on an hour before sunrise and shut off an hour after sunrise. In other words, trick his little primitive brain into thinking it is still late spring and NOT time to start preparing for hibernation.

And I STILL don't like any of those CFL bulbs... if this were my tortoise I would go get a powersun MVB and put him under that when he's indoors. Unless you are cranking the AC, you probably don't need night heat yet, although it won't hurt to keep him in the mid seventies.

 

[ascott]

I wonder if you perhaps do what alot of us do--perhaps his shell has been as is for a bit but you just suddenly paid more attention in the last couple of days vs the shell suddenly getting softer????

PROTEIN

Wheatgrass contains approximately 25% of the recommended daily value of protein. (Meat has 17% and eggs have 12%) The protein in grass is in the form of poly peptides (shorter and simpler chains of amino acids) which are deposited more efficiently into the bloodstream and tissue. Protein is essential in the building and repairing of tissues, and is an important building block for your bones, muscles, cartilage, and skin.

If your tort is eating this food every day as part of his diet...I would back off of this item to only perhaps once a week or so....it has a high protein value and this is not too beneficial to a DT and even moreover a hatchling DT...In my opinion just too much protein value (if consumed on a regular basis)

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/calcium.htm

This is a good article for reference and to give great information....

I live here in the high desert (apple valley) and the weather during the day is still nice out and if your mother is home and able to take the time out to provide outside time especially since you will be leaving town for a bit...I bet that would be very beneficial....

I bet our little one will be just fine....your care and concern along with your mothers sun offerings D) will likely be of great benefit to your little one....

 

[BaywoodKids]

What a great website Angela, thanks for posting! How is Iggy doing today Gwen?

 

[gwen123]

Thanks for all the care and support, it means a lot to me. I will watch the wheatgrass, I have been giving him a little every day along w/ his other greens because he likes it so much. His shell does not seem to be getting softer at this point. I am sure it softened from how it initially felt. I had him outside for about 8 hours over the weekend, and I did bring him to my mom on Sunday night. I think it would be too stressful on him to drive him to and from work daily. He doesn't like the car. My mom has him outside for a few hours daily and is taking good care of him. She has been giving me a daily report. He continues to eat well and seems to be doing all right. I hope this was just a UV/sun issue and can get better w/ more sun exposure. I also suspect that the bulb I had so far wasn't so great. I will try out the powersun when I get him back in a few weeks. Tom, what are the pros and cons of that bulb as opposed to the other UV only flourescent bulbs? I don't know what I would do w/out this forum, it has been so very helpful.