Rescued Juvenile- Severe Pyramiding, Worried it may die

[Sobergrower]

So I just took in an 18 month old Sulcata… I’ve been researching tortoise care & some people we know had two young ones… when I saw them I noticed the female was in particularly bad shape (the male probably is too but the female is worse) I immediately noticed her disfigured shell & decided to take action. However, she’s not eating, drinking, hardly moves, I just ordered all the supplies for her tortoise table, right now it’s not warm enough for her & the heat emitters come today. I’ve had her 2 days & it’s been 75F. I gave her a warm soak with some baby food but I’m not sure if she’s just still adjusting to the new home or what else can I do to make her happy, comfortable, well, Better…. I ordered critical care life saving nutritional food … I have a full spectrum light on her for now until other supplies get here today. I’m just so worried for her what can I do ?! I also put some water soluable D3 in her water dish…..OH & there’s a cuttlefish bone in her habitat with some orchard hay

 

[zolasmum]

So I just took in an 18 month old Sulcata… I’ve been researching tortoise care & some people we know had two young ones… when I saw them I noticed the female was in particularly bad shape (the male probably is too but the female is worse) I immediately noticed her disfigured shell & decided to take action. However, she’s not eating, drinking, hardly moves, I just ordered all the supplies for her tortoise table, right now it’s not warm enough for her & the heat emitters come today. I’ve had her 2 days & it’s been 75F. I gave her a warm soak with some baby food but I’m not sure if she’s just still adjusting to the new home or what else can I do to make her happy, comfortable, well, Better…. I ordered critical care life saving nutritional food … I have a full spectrum light on her for now until other supplies get here today. I’m just so worried for her what can I do ?! I also put some water soluable D3 in her water dish…..OH & there’s a cuttlefish bone in her habitat with some orchard hay

Well done for taking on this poor little tortoise.You are obviously going to try really hard to help her - thank you for being such a good kind person. I am not an expert, but I do know tortoises can take quite a while to get settled in a new environment, so don't worry -that's quite normal. Also, as for the pyramiding, that will most likely improve over time.
I'm sure there will be more experienced members to help you soon.
Oh, and one other thing -Welcome !
Angie

 

[wellington]

Post pics of her so we know better what you are dealing with.
Keep up the baby food soaks and you can add baby Pedialyte to the soak water too
When you get your equipment, get the over all day and night temps to 85 and a basking area of 95-100
Get the table covered so you can get the humidity up to 80%.

 

[SinLA]

can you take pics of her and the enclosure?

 

[Tom]

So I just took in an 18 month old Sulcata… I’ve been researching tortoise care & some people we know had two young ones… when I saw them I noticed the female was in particularly bad shape (the male probably is too but the female is worse) I immediately noticed her disfigured shell & decided to take action. However, she’s not eating, drinking, hardly moves, I just ordered all the supplies for her tortoise table, right now it’s not warm enough for her & the heat emitters come today. I’ve had her 2 days & it’s been 75F. I gave her a warm soak with some baby food but I’m not sure if she’s just still adjusting to the new home or what else can I do to make her happy, comfortable, well, Better…. I ordered critical care life saving nutritional food … I have a full spectrum light on her for now until other supplies get here today. I’m just so worried for her what can I do ?! I also put some water soluable D3 in her water dish…..OH & there’s a cuttlefish bone in her habitat with some orchard hay

Hello and welcome. Here are some notes:

1. You can't tell the sexes at 18 months. Not until they reach at least 14" and sometimes 16-18 inches.
2. They should never live as a pair.
3. Almost everything you find doing "research" is going to be wrong. Read more here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

4. You cannot maintain the correct conditions for this species in an open topped table. You need a closed chamber.
5. You don't need hay until they are much larger. I don't even start introducing it until they are at least 12 inches.

The correct care, housing and feeding info is here:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? 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. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome to the best place for great help and advice!

 

[Cathie G]

Hello. I'm so glad for you to have found your young torts and finding TFO in time to help them. They wind up being a lifelong treasure. Welcome.🤗🙏

 

[Sobergrower]

 

[Sobergrower]

The person before me only fed her Romaine lettuce & I know spinach isn’t ideal I just but one leaf down to try to show her something familiar 🤷‍♀️ This is her “outside” enclosure for now, I got the heat bulbs but have no proper lamp clip 🙄 so waiting for that today..

 

[Sobergrower]

This is the indoor enclosure for now, I usually have a little terracotta saucer of water but it keeps getting dirty

ALSO…. Her back right leg is weird when she walks… she almost extends it way too far it looks like to walk, the other one just stomps along normally…

 

[Sobergrower]

Hello and welcome. Here are some notes:

1. You can't tell the sexes at 18 months. Not until they reach at least 14" and sometimes 16-18 inches.
2. They should never live as a pair.
3. Almost everything you find doing "research" is going to be wrong. Read more here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

4. You cannot maintain the correct conditions for this species in an open topped table. You need a closed chamber.
5. You don't need hay until they are much larger. I don't even start introducing it until they are at least 12 inches.

The correct care, housing and feeding info is here:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? 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. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much!! I’ve read so many conflicting “facts” on tortoises 😵‍💫 also the person who gave the tortoise to me just said she was female so that’s what I’ve been referring to as but I just hope it can be happy & healthy😩

 

[Sobergrower]

Hello and welcome. Here are some notes:

1. You can't tell the sexes at 18 months. Not until they reach at least 14" and sometimes 16-18 inches.
2. They should never live as a pair.
3. Almost everything you find doing "research" is going to be wrong. Read more here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

4. You cannot maintain the correct conditions for this species in an open topped table. You need a closed chamber.
5. You don't need hay until they are much larger. I don't even start introducing it until they are at least 12 inches.

The correct care, housing and feeding info is here:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? 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. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Sorry one more reply; do you have any recommendations for a DIY closed top? I’ve been using a tub lid with rubber mats on top & a human heating pad on top of that to try to retain the inside environment… our closure didn’t come with a lid

 

[Tom]

Sorry one more reply; do you have any recommendations for a DIY closed top?

Buy or build a large closed chamber. I tried and tried to retro-fit open topped enclosures for years. It just doesn't work.

 

[TammyJ]

This tortoise needs a daily hour or two of soaking. She has been totally dehydrated and mistreated for too long. Thanks for trying to help them. You came to the right place for advice!

 

[zolasmum]

I'm just wondering about the other tortoise that was with her.Will you be able to tell the owners about the changes you are making,and perhaps help them improve it's situation? You didn't say exactly where they were - was it in a pet shop, or at someone's home.?
Angie

 

[Cathie G]

I'm thinking since you've only had the tortoise since Thursday to use some romaine only because that's what is familiar. Add a bunch of better greens cut up also. She'll hunt for the romaine but might accidentally get a bite of the other stuff Keep decreasing the romaine over time until you don't have to add it. Tortoises don't like changes. And it's been several big changes for her. So it'll take time getting her to eat properly.