Possible Sickness

Rithvik

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Hi, So I have been experiencing this ever since I got my Indian star and its worrying me. So the thing is my star has a weird habit of opening his mouth when his scared (for example when I pick him up) like a way of gasping or something. I thought it was something tortoises do. Today I fed him some pieces of cucumbers and went right in started eating. And suddenly foam started coming out of his mouth and I panicked I thought he was choking and threw away the food and shake him gently. It stopped but his nose started becoming runny. After few minutes he pooped. I am thinking it was RI but I don't have tortoise vets nearby so I don't know what to do. Help.
 

Ink

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Hopefully @Tom will be able to help you. What are your temperatures for the enclosure?
 

wellington

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Temperature? I only leave the enclosure in a spot where there is some sunlight, I don't see temperature. Am I suppose to?
Oh boy yes it needs to be kept at certain temps and needs uvb lighting. The sun if going thru glass or screen won't do it.
Please read the caresheet o will link and follow it asap.
 

Tom

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I did some research about stars and they just said that the enclosure temperature shouldn't reach more than 100°F. It isn't even that hot outside so I thought its OK to not have a thermometer.
Most of what you read is going to be old wrong info. Read the care sheet that Wellington posted for you. Let that be your research.

The temperature directly under the basking lamp needs to be about 100. The rest of the enclosure needs to be no lower than 80 at night, and up around 90 during the day,

When kept in captivity, they need heating and lighting. A sunny window is not enough. The result of not using proper heating and lighting is usually a respiratory infection and eventually death. This is true of any tortoise species even when housed in their country of origin. Its true of sulcatas, and its true of California desert tortoises when kept in someone's house in the California desert.

Also, what you saw with the cucumbers is why I recommend people not cut up the food, even for babies. If they bite a piece off with their own beak, it can never be too big too swallow. If you cut up the pieces, they will try to swallow it and they can choke. Biting off their own pieces from large leaves or cucumber slices or opuntia pads also helps them exercise those neck and mouth muscles and helps their beak develop properly.
 

Rithvik

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Most of what you read is going to be old wrong info. Read the care sheet that Wellington posted for you. Let that be your research.

The temperature directly under the basking lamp needs to be about 100. The rest of the enclosure needs to be no lower than 80 at night, and up around 90 during the day,

When kept in captivity, they need heating and lighting. A sunny window is not enough. The result of not using proper heating and lighting is usually a respiratory infection and eventually death. This is true of any tortoise species even when housed in their country of origin. Its true of sulcatas, and its true of California desert tortoises when kept in someone's house in the California desert.

Also, what you saw with the cucumbers is why I recommend people not cut up the food, even for babies. If they bite a piece off with their own beak, it can never be too big too swallow. If you cut up the pieces, they will try to swallow it and they can choke. Biting off their own pieces from large leaves or cucumber slices or opuntia pads also helps them exercise those neck and mouth muscles and helps their beak develop properly.
So its necessary to have a basking lamp and not let the sun do the job?
 

Tom

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So its necessary to have a basking lamp and not let the sun do the job?
Correct. How long is the sun coming in through that window? No matter what side of the house the enclosure is on, its only going to get direct sun a few hours a day. What is the basking temperature in that area of the enclosure? What is the sun doing to heat up the entire enclosure? Is it too hot, or not warm enough in the shady areas? What about temperatures for the majority of each day and night when the sun is not beaming through that window? What about cloudy days? How do you keep it warm at night or when the sun is blocked by clouds?

If the tortoise were living out side in the wild, it would move around all day in and out of the shade and sun to regulate its body temperature. In our indoor enclosures we need to provide an artificial means for them to move in and out of a heat source. When they feel too cool, they get under the heat lamp and warm up. When they are warm enough after basking, they walk around, eat, drink, explore or sleep, until its time to warm up again.
 

wellington

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I Guess your right. but i cant find any good quality uvb and basking lamp in my area
Tom is absolutely right and there is no uv coming thru a window which they need.
Can you get items from Amazon delivered?
You will have to get things right asap or you will have a sick and dead tort.
 

Rithvik

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Tom is absolutely right and there is no uv coming thru a window which they need.
Can you get items from Amazon delivered?
You will have to get things right asap or you will have a sick and dead tort.
Well the Indian uvb lamp from amazon has a quality that it can literally burn the rocks in the enclosure or give the tortoise/turtle a eye infection. And there isn't a basking lamp available
 

wellington

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If you can get a regular incandescent bulb that will work for basking. 60 watt will probably work. Also a regular incandescent flood bulb will work.
A tube florescent uvb will work for uv if you can find that.
 

Tom

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I Guess your right. but i cant find any good quality uvb and basking lamp in my area
You can use access to real direct sunshine when weather permits, in a safe secure outdoor enclosure with plenty of heavy shade available. An hour or two 2 or 3 times a week will be plenty, and its no problem to skip a couple of weeks if the weather isn't cooperating.

For basking, all you need is any regular round or flood type incandescent bulb. I buy them at the hardware store. I typically start with a 65 watt flood bulb and adjust the height to get the correct basking temperature under it. Some enclosure require higher or lower wattage bulbs to get the temp correct. Set a timer to turn this bulb on and off and run it for 12-13 hours a day.

You'll also need a ceramic heating element or radiant heat panel set on a thermostat to keep the temperature above 80 everywhere in the enclosure at all times, including night time.

All of this is explained in the care sheet in more detail.
 

Rithvik

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You can use access to real direct sunshine when weather permits, in a safe secure outdoor enclosure with plenty of heavy shade available. An hour or two 2 or 3 times a week will be plenty, and its no problem to skip a couple of weeks if the weather isn't cooperating.

For basking, all you need is any regular round or flood type incandescent bulb. I buy them at the hardware store. I typically start with a 65 watt flood bulb and adjust the height to get the correct basking temperature under it. Some enclosure require higher or lower wattage bulbs to get the temp correct. Set a timer to turn this bulb on and off and run it for 12-13 hours a day.

You'll also need a ceramic heating element or radiant heat panel set on a thermostat to keep the temperature above 80 everywhere in the enclosure at all times, including night time.

All of this is explained in the care sheet in more detail.
This seems possible. Thanks tom.
 

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