RT orange dot on shell and inactive

[lymcBoris]

Hi. I've been here for a few years and asked many questions over the years with great advice. My 6 year old RT has been very inactive, not interested in food and rarely pooping for about a month now.
He had a successful brumation, following @Tom s excellent information from Dec-March. He was like a new man on awakening and was doing great. Eating, active and things great. He's been out quite a few times in his outdoor enclosure, although Scotland has had the worst summer possible. His weight has been good and roughly a month and a half ago he started refusing his food. Mallow, his favourite, all the splentiful weeds and flowers I've grown in the garden for him. I forage weeds and follow the tortoise table.
He is sleeping, hiding not hungry and not pooping. I bathe him every morning for 35 mins, he has a huge enclosure 8x 4 with UV tube, incandescent 60 w , extra long bright daylight light, a ceramic heater, humid hide, even an oil filled mini heater for colder days. Absolutely everything studied, followed and recommended by this forum. Temps are all as recommended.

I have worried before, but this time I'm really worried. I found a tiny orange spot on his shell. Only thing I've never done is worm him.
I've ordered a feclab kit to check for works, but can't get a poop from him. I get so stressed about this little tortoise that my husband wants him rehomed. I will not do that. An animal iny household is for life. We don't have a ln exotic vet within 100 miles of us. I have dogs, guinea pigs and fish and this is by far the most stressful animal to love ever. I wish I had known that tortoises just shouldn't be kept in Scotland. I researched a month before getting him, but should have realised how stupid to keep him in Scotland. I love him dearly and yes, I know he doesn't love me back and is not a dog.
Please can anyone help me with advice without making me feel like I am an idiot. Because I honestly could not do anything more for this little guy. I just want him to thrive.
Could his behaviour be due to worms? Would a blockage allow small poops to pass? I'm stumped.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Let’s tag @Yvonne G and @Tom and see what they think.

Also can I just say, wonderful enclosure you have there!!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
It's a joy to see a such well-cared for tortoise!

I hope there is nothing serious with your guy. I'm neither very experienced nor knowledgeable, so take all I post with a grain of salt:
1. Maybe he's trying to brumate. To perk him up check that ambient and basking lights are on 13-14 hours timer, also try to raise ambient temperature a little (I see it's 15C on the photos, so try to up it to 22-24C).
2. Unlikely worms are issue here but fecal test should tell you (keep in mind that some roundworms is normal).
3. How old is his UVB lamp? Is it set on 4 hours timer or longer?
4. Do you supplement him with plain calcium or calcium + D3 powder?
5. The orange spot in rare cases can indicate a bacterial infection. Did you check his plastron (bottom shell) for other orange spots, pink/red areas?

 

[lymcBoris]

Let’s tag @Yvonne G and @Tom and see what they think.

Also can I just say, wonderful enclosure you have there!!

Thank you very much

 

[Tom]

I don't see the orange dot on the shell. Your routine sounds great. I see no problems there either.

What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and overnight low?

How long are your lamps on for? UV, basking, and ambient?

What is your substrate composed of?

 

[lymcBoris]

Hello!
It's a joy to see a such well-cared for tortoise!

I hope there is nothing serious with your guy. I'm neither very experienced nor knowledgeable, so take all I post with a grain of salt:
1. Maybe he's trying to brumate. To perk him up check that ambient and basking lights are on 13-14 hours timer, also try to raise ambient temperature a little (I see it's 15C on the photos, so try to up it to 22-24C).
2. Unlikely worms are issue here but fecal test should tell you (keep in mind that some roundworms is normal).
3. How old is his UVB lamp? Is it set on 4 hours timer or longer?
4. Do you supplement him with plain calcium or calcium + D3 powder?
5. The orange spot in rare cases can indicate a bacterial infection. Did you check his plastron (bottom shell) for other orange spots, pink/red areas?

Thank you for the reply.

Maybe he's just just too cold It's difficult to keep temps steady as he's in a large shed.

I do supplement every few days with calcium and alternate with D3.

Plastron is looking fine, no discoloration.

His UV lamp is quite new. I have a UV meter to check it's working and I set a timer for all lights on 12 hours.

 

[lymcBoris]

I don't see the orange dot on the shell. Your routine sounds great. I see no problems there either.

What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and overnight low?

How long are your lamps on for? UV, basking, and ambient?

What is your substrate composed of?

Thank you Tom, it's reassuring to hear you don't see a problem.

It's just a tiny orange dot to the left of his shell. Very small.

I think maybe he's just too cold He used to be in the house but I wanted a bigger enclosure for him so he's in a large wooden shed in the garden and I find it difficult to keep his enclosure steady temps. In the warmer months it's not too bad, but it has been a really bad summer here this year and Temps just now only 12 celcius with rain and wind.

I have all lights on a timer for 12 hours, ceramic heater in his humid hide on at all times.

Night time hide stays about 16-18 celcius

Cool end enclosure ranges from 15-20 depending

Basking temp 37-40 celcius

Middle about 22 celcius

When it's a warmer day, but not warm enough to go outdoors, the cool side is about 24 celcius.

I get worried that he will overheat in the enclosure.
Do you think he's just not warm enough? It is a fairly new enclosure. It was ready for him coming out of Brumation and he was very lively. Maybe it's just the cooling down again and bad weather we've had?

This morning I put up foil insulation inside his sleeping box and humid hide. I've turned the oil filled heater up too. And I think I will get more for putting all around the entire inside of the enclosure. I don't want to make the entire shed too hot as I have two guinea pigs in a large hutch at the other end of the shed.

Sometimes I think too much and convince myself he's really ill, when maybe he's just too cold!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you for the reply.

Maybe he's just just too cold It's difficult to keep temps steady as he's in a large shed.

I do supplement every few days with calcium and alternate with D3.

Plastron is looking fine, no discoloration.

His UV lamp is quite new. I have a UV meter to check it's working and I set a timer for all lights on 12 hours.

Sounds good! Try bumping temperatures a bit and increase photoperiod to 14 hours (it's not necessary to make UVB run longer if you have separate timers, just the basking lamp and ambient LED).