Reassure me- Shrimp is healthy, right?

[chaseswife]

This is Shrimp. We have had him since September 6th. My aunt already has 6 or 7 sulcata tortoises and a friend gave her a new hatchling. She had him about a week when she asked if me and my 5 kids would like to take care of him. If we wanted to keep him forever, that was fine. But if the kids got tired of him we could take him back- she has the space to keep him. But after all my research and work on his habitat I am kind of attached to the little guy. He has gained 1/2 an ounce since we got him, but is not any longer along the bottom of his shell. So... i guess I am just wanting reassurance that he is looking good. I have read several posts about hatchling failure, and I guess I am just getting paranoid. His shell seems to be doing well. The bottom has a little give to it, and the shell above his back legs and tail seems to be a little bit flexible. Is that just because he is still a baby? He still had a little spot of black stuff on his bottom shell when we got him- but that came off just a few days later. He is active when his light is on, he eats, drinks, poops, and pees great. He even got me the other day when I was moving him from outside to inside- I had no idea such a little guy could pee so much! I am just being a big silly worrier, right?

 

[margykid]

Yes. I am afraid ....YOU HAVE JOINED THE TORTOISE STRESS GROUP.He is fine, if not wonderful. And beautiful,adorable and amazing.

 

[ShadowRancher]

He's very cute and looks healthy! If you're worried the best way to keep track of health is weight. These guys are slow to show illness so the fastest way to tell something is wrong is if they loose or stop gaining weight. You can just get a little food scale and write down his weight weekly.

 

[lismar79]

Yep, hes pretty! Keeping a weight journal is a good idea to track his growth.
This is my Sully's starting at one month old to 7 months. I actually got her at 8 months so this was the previous owners records
9/11 56g
10/20 72g
10/31 77g
11/6 85g
11/20 95g
12/4 109g
12/11 121g
12/18 132g
1/8. 151g
1/15. 158g
1/22. 180g
1/29. 203g
2/5. 227g
2/25. 243g
3/20. 275g

 

[chaseswife]

Yesterday, 1 week ago, and when we first got him. Our scale doesn't do grams very well, but it gives us a decent idea of if he is or isn't growing.

 

[lismar79]

I got this one. Cheap & works decently well. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004164SRA/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[Jodie]

He is adorable. Keep him hydrated and enjoy all that cuteness.

 

[Robertchrisroph]

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

He looks AMAZING. He looks so healthy, there isn't a way to describe it You're doing an AMAZING job with him!
I have to agree with marjykid, the tortoise stress group is all the rage these days !
I've gotta ask, if you want to keep him now, do you have room to accommodate him in a few years? Those little buggers grow fast!

 

[chaseswife]

We have this much room to keep him in. Trying to get a picture that shows the size of our yard is kinda hard. .. It is not a huge backyard, but eventually it can be all his. No other pets to share with besides the little humans, and so far it is just grass.

 

[chaseswife]

Thank you guys for the kind words! I love this forum and all the help I have gotten.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

He will be one happy tort!!

 

[chaseswife]

So I just came home from the store with a new digital scale that can display in grams and ounces.


And Shrimp is sleeping in his humid hide so I can't get him out to weigh him. Come on Shrimp- don't you know we play with our new toys as soon as we buy them!?

 

[chaseswife]

A little early for his weekly weigh in, but we had to break in the new scale and share!

60 grams.

 

[chaseswife]

The official weekly weigh-in. 62 grams. It was higher, but them he pooped. So I rinsed his bowl and started over. Then he peed and i rinsed the bowl. And then he pooped again! Longest weight check photo shoot yet!