Rescuing a RF- Feedback and Suggestions Needed

[KL55413]

Hello, I'm brand new to Tortoises, and this forum has so far provided me with much more information than I hoped. Thank you for sharing all of your information!

I am temporarily housing a male RF, 9 inches long, and around 6 years old. We have had him for two days. His habitat has been in a 3" x 1.5" aquarium in a classroom. He is let out in the classroom in the morning (not with students) so he can roam for at least 1-2 hours. In the summer, the teacher takes him home and has built an outdoor enclosure that is much larger and meets his needs. This teacher feels bad and has asked me to take it as they can't put in the time needed to keep him happy and healthy.

Hopefully, we will be keeping him. We are still waiting for an answer from our landlord and from the original owner of the RF. Upon receiving him, we have read a lot and realized what poor conditions he has been in.

• We have covered up the sides of his aquarium because he was constantly pushing against the glass.
• He had a CF UVB bulb, and we have ordered a tube one as we read that the CF can damage their eyes.
• We have also been working on increasing the humidity of his enclosure, and have been getting it closer to the recommended levels.
• We added a coconut husk plant liner that we flipped over for a hide, and added some bricks and covered them to create more diversity in the substrate. He has a mix of some sort of moss substrate, and cypress mulch.
• We also added a ceramic heating element (75 watt) but we may need a higher wattage. We figured we would start low until we could get a thermostat.
• Since we have gotten him, we noticed that he makes a whistling noise when he breathes. More often when he is moving around a lot. We are pretty sure it's because he has not had enough humidity, so we have been putting him in the bathtub with 1 1/2" of warm water (we ran the shower hot for 10 minutes prior to build humidity) and let him roam. His whistling has been getting better.

So, now on to my questions:

1. Assuming we are able to keep him, we would like to build him a much larger enclosure. At least 6' x 4'. I have read differing information about whether or not the habitat should be enclosed. Is it possible to keep it open and still have enough humidity? Or have it partially closed? Any suggestions on building something to meet his needs would be greatly appreciated.
2. In the meantime when we have him, we have only let him roam in the bathtub. I have read that it is dangerous to let him roam outside of his enclosure. However, he has been used to getting to do this his whole life. At this point, is it more important that we keep him in his tiny enclosure, or let him roam while highly monitored for a short time?
3. We will need to take him to a vet. He has some white patches on his plastron that I believe to be a fungus. It doesn't really look like shell rot, but it is very possible based on his conditions. I could try to self treat, but I figure it would be better to get a vet's opinion. Are there any resources or well-known vets for tortoises in the Minneapolis area? Also, how do most tort owners transport their tortoises? In a cat carrier?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

 

[Bee62]

Hello, I'm brand new to Tortoises, and this forum has so far provided me with much more information than I hoped. Thank you for sharing all of your information!

I am temporarily housing a male RF, 9 inches long, and around 6 years old. We have had him for two days. His habitat has been in a 3" x 1.5" aquarium in a classroom. He is let out in the classroom in the morning (not with students) so he can roam for at least 1-2 hours. In the summer, the teacher takes him home and has built an outdoor enclosure that is much larger and meets his needs. This teacher feels bad and has asked me to take it as they can't put in the time needed to keep him happy and healthy.

Hopefully, we will be keeping him. We are still waiting for an answer from our landlord and from the original owner of the RF. Upon receiving him, we have read a lot and realized what poor conditions he has been in.

• We have covered up the sides of his aquarium because he was constantly pushing against the glass.
• He had a CF UVB bulb, and we have ordered a tube one as we read that the CF can damage their eyes.
• We have also been working on increasing the humidity of his enclosure, and have been getting it closer to the recommended levels.
• We added a coconut husk plant liner that we flipped over for a hide, and added some bricks and covered them to create more diversity in the substrate. He has a mix of some sort of moss substrate, and cypress mulch.
• We also added a ceramic heating element (75 watt) but we may need a higher wattage. We figured we would start low until we could get a thermostat.
• Since we have gotten him, we noticed that he makes a whistling noise when he breathes. More often when he is moving around a lot. We are pretty sure it's because he has not had enough humidity, so we have been putting him in the bathtub with 1 1/2" of warm water (we ran the shower hot for 10 minutes prior to build humidity) and let him roam. His whistling has been getting better.

So, now on to my questions:

1. Assuming we are able to keep him, we would like to build him a much larger enclosure. At least 6' x 4'. I have read differing information about whether or not the habitat should be enclosed. Is it possible to keep it open and still have enough humidity? Or have it partially closed? Any suggestions on building something to meet his needs would be greatly appreciated.
2. In the meantime when we have him, we have only let him roam in the bathtub. I have read that it is dangerous to let him roam outside of his enclosure. However, he has been used to getting to do this his whole life. At this point, is it more important that we keep him in his tiny enclosure, or let him roam while highly monitored for a short time?
3. We will need to take him to a vet. He has some white patches on his plastron that I believe to be a fungus. It doesn't really look like shell rot, but it is very possible based on his conditions. I could try to self treat, but I figure it would be better to get a vet's opinion. Are there any resources or well-known vets for tortoises in the Minneapolis area? Also, how do most tort owners transport their tortoises? In a cat carrier?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Hello and a very warm welcome to the forum.
To your questions:
1. Redfoot tortoises need high humidity. 80 - 85 % is normally ! You can`t provide such high humidity in an open enclosure.
The new enclosure of the tort should be closed or covered.
2. To let him roam outside of his enclosure is dangerous for him but in this case ( with the small enclosure ) I would let him roam in the
bathtub when you are monitoring him highly as you wrote.
3. Can you show us some pics of him ? All sides of the tort and the white patches ? With pics we can better see if there are really
problems.
When you take him to a VET please don`t let the VET give him any vitamin shots or antibiotica. These shots can harm the tortoise
seriously ! Not every VET is familiar with torts. The opinion of a VET is often not what the tort needs.
Give this tortoise long warm soaks, keep humidity and warmth high in his enclosure and feed him a wide variety of food. Provide
calcium for him ( cuttle bone ) and if it is possible natural sunlight.
And yes, you can transport your tort in a cat carrier.

I hope you can take the tort and give him a better life. Good luck !
Please don`t forget to upload some pics of him.

 

[KL55413]

We have gotten the green light to keep him! Thank you for answering my questions.

Is a cuttle bone or calcium that is sprinkled over food better?

I have added some pictures of him- the plastron looks so bad ☹️ There is a dark spot on the top of the dome that doesn't come off when scratched. It seems kind of soft, but I don't really have anything to compare it to.

 

[KL55413]

Hello and a very warm welcome to the forum.
To your questions:
1. Redfoot tortoises need high humidity. 80 - 85 % is normally ! You can`t provide such high humidity in an open enclosure.
The new enclosure of the tort should be closed or covered.
2. To let him roam outside of his enclosure is dangerous for him but in this case ( with the small enclosure ) I would let him roam in the
bathtub when you are monitoring him highly as you wrote.
3. Can you show us some pics of him ? All sides of the tort and the white patches ? With pics we can better see if there are really
problems.
When you take him to a VET please don`t let the VET give him any vitamin shots or antibiotica. These shots can harm the tortoise
seriously ! Not every VET is familiar with torts. The opinion of a VET is often not what the tort needs.
Give this tortoise long warm soaks, keep humidity and warmth high in his enclosure and feed him a wide variety of food. Provide
calcium for him ( cuttle bone ) and if it is possible natural sunlight.
And yes, you can transport your tort in a cat carrier.

I hope you can take the tort and give him a better life. Good luck !
Please don`t forget to upload some pics of him.

Sorry, I didn't reply to your post, but posted pictures below.

 

[Clamhandsmcgee]

I would try soaking him and see if the white on his plastron doesn't come off. Definitely prepare to increase the humidity to stop the pyramiding. It's head also appears dry by the looks of its skin. Also, I wouldn't feed him too much lettuce (low in nutritional value) I would vary fruits, grasses, weeds, animal protien, and mushrooms. I prefer cuttlebone instead of calcium powder, because he can get calcium when he decides he needs it.

Keep in mind that red foots need high humidity but they are susceptible to shell rot.

 

[theguy67]

Regarding his plastron, you can try scrubbing the white material off. If its not coming off, its probably shell rot.

And as previously stated, yes redfoots like high humidity, BUT this isn't always possible, such as in an outdoor enclosure. I think it can get confusing as everyone says "high humidity!" and then you see people putting them outside in drier climates. If it is an indoor enclosure, then it is more imperative, as it is something that is actually feasible.

The wheezing is probably what you suspected. Being in a dry/dusty enclosure. Mine eventually stopped once I got them outside, but I still attribute it to having access to humid conditions. It should subside as your conditions improve.

Once he gets settled, start thinking about an outdoor enclosure for next year. He is certainly large enough .

Do what you can. You're off to a good start.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, that's the start of shell rot. Clean it good then dry it and apply a light coating of athlete foot cream. You can do this daily for a couple weeks.

 

[Clamhandsmcgee]

Regarding his plastron, you can try scrubbing the white material off. If its not coming off, its probably shell rot.

And as previously stated, yes redfoots like high humidity, BUT this isn't always possible, such as in an outdoor enclosure. I think it can get confusing as everyone says "high humidity!" and then you see people putting them outside in drier climates. If it is an indoor enclosure, then it is more imperative, as it is something that is actually feasible.

The wheezing is probably what you suspected. Being in a dry/dusty enclosure. Mine eventually stopped once I got them outside, but I still attribute it to having access to humid conditions. It should subside as your conditions improve.

Once he gets settled, start thinking about an outdoor enclosure for next year. He is certainly large enough .

Do what you can. You're off to a good start.

I would say that if weather permits, put him outside but even if you live in a dryer climate, in my opinion, provide a warm humid hide. Keep in mind though warm and humid, never cold and wet.

 

[theguy67]

I would say that if weather permits, put him outside but even if you live in a dryer climate, in my opinion, provide a warm humid hide. Keep in mind though warm and humid, never cold and wet.

Of course if weather permits. I was more referring to when the tortoise was outside, and the enclosure was being utilized (under best conditions for the specific climate). My redfoots have burrows, and sprinklers that run 4 times per day, but their humidity outside is still below 50%

 

[KL55413]

Yes, that's the start of shell rot. Clean it good then dry it and apply a light coating of athlete foot cream. You can do this daily for a couple weeks.

I read that I should clean with Betadine or Chlorhexidine first. Would you suggest this? I soaked him today, gently used toothbrush, and applied anti-fungal cream. I will try to scrub more tomorrow. Thank you!!

 

[Clamhandsmcgee]

Of course if weather permits. I was more referring to when the tortoise was outside, and the enclosure was being utilized (under best conditions for the specific climate). My redfoots have burrows, and sprinklers that run 4 times per day, but their humidity outside is still below 50%

If you check the OP's location it shows that she lives in Minneapolis, and that's why I stated "if weather permits."

 

[KL55413]

Of course if weather permits. I was more referring to when the tortoise was outside, and the enclosure was being utilized (under best conditions for the specific climate). My redfoots have burrows, and sprinklers that run 4 times per day, but their humidity outside is still below 50%

I am in Minnesota so he will need to be kept indoors for 6-7 months of the year. We will be working on building a closed chamber for indoors, but are trying to make him comfortable in the meantime.

 

[KL55413]

If you check the OP's location it shows that she lives in Minneapolis, and that's why I stated "if weather permits."

Yep! He will need to stay indoors 6-7 months of the year. We are will start building an indoor closed chamber this week, but I'm not sure how long it will take. Your outdoor enclosure sounds amazing! I wish we could have him outside longer.

 

[KL55413]

Regarding his plastron, you can try scrubbing the white material off. If its not coming off, its probably shell rot.

And as previously stated, yes redfoots like high humidity, BUT this isn't always possible, such as in an outdoor enclosure. I think it can get confusing as everyone says "high humidity!" and then you see people putting them outside in drier climates. If it is an indoor enclosure, then it is more imperative, as it is something that is actually feasible.

The wheezing is probably what you suspected. Being in a dry/dusty enclosure. Mine eventually stopped once I got them outside, but I still attribute it to having access to humid conditions. It should subside as your conditions improve.

Once he gets settled, start thinking about an outdoor enclosure for next year. He is certainly large enough .

Do what you can. You're off to a good start.

Thank you for the kind reply- it's hard to feel like I'm helping when there is still so much to learn. I just have to remind myself that even little changes will make a big difference compared to where he started! I am working on increasing the humidity in his enclosure. In the meantime, I will do a daily soak in the bathtub with a super humid bathroom.

 

[KL55413]

I would try soaking him and see if the white on his plastron doesn't come off. Definitely prepare to increase the humidity to stop the pyramiding. It's head also appears dry by the looks of its skin. Also, I wouldn't feed him too much lettuce (low in nutritional value) I would vary fruits, grasses, weeds, animal protien, and mushrooms. I prefer cuttlebone instead of calcium powder, because he can get calcium when he decides he needs it.

Keep in mind that red foots need high humidity but they are susceptible to shell rot.

Thank you for the information. We have been feeding him Kale, Escarole, Spring Mix, Green Pepper. We will continue to vary his diet. Can pyramiding be reversed, or just stopped?

 

[theguy67]

If you check the OP's location it shows that she lives in Minneapolis, and that's why I stated "if weather permits."

Ahhh, I see where you're coming from. I was just discussing humidity in general.

Thank you for the kind reply- it's hard to feel like I'm helping when there is still so much to learn. I just have to remind myself that even little changes will make a big difference compared to where he started! I am working on increasing the humidity in his enclosure. In the meantime, I will do a daily soak in the bathtub with a super humid bathroom.

No problem. Just focus on the closed chamber. I get excited about new tortoise owners (especially redfoots) and the idea of seeing another outdoor enclosure build thread lol.

 

[Bee62]

Thank you for the information. We have been feeding him Kale, Escarole, Spring Mix, Green Pepper. We will continue to vary his diet. Can pyramiding be reversed, or just stopped?

The pyramiding that he already has can`t be reversed but because he is still growing you can prevent that the new groth gets also pyramided. So you can stopp the pyramiding process.