Rescued Russian Tortoise not eating

[ancook519]

Good morning everyone! 2 days ago I rescued a Russian Tortoise from a bad living situation. He was being kept in a too small tank, nails and beak wildly overgrown, only being fed peas and carrots, no calcium dust, and no UVB light.

I brought him home and got him a UVB light. Offered him spring mix leaves and squash sprinkles with calcium. Gave him a cuttlebone and clipped his nails down a little bit.

The first night he ate a few bites of squash. Yesterday my daughter and I took him outside to walk around the back yard in the sun. He ate 2 bites of some yard grass (not chemically treated).

Other than that he isn't really eating. We soaked him for a bit hoping that would help but no luck. Our vet can't see us until Wednesday so I'm hoping someone may have tips for a new owner!

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

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[RosemaryDW]

Welcome! If you just got him, he’s not going to eat any time soon (few days to a week or longer); he’s had a big shock.

Plus he may have a difficult time eating with an overgrown beak.

He will be fine until he gets adjusted; tortoises can go without food or water much longer than humans or mammals. Put your energy into making sure his setup is good before anything else.

 

[ancook519]

Thank you for the responses! Voldetort actually started eating about an hour after my post and has been chowing down since! His new enclosure is almost done. My husband is building one for him.