Russian Tort looks like he's trying to vomit?

[NormyMommy]

Okay, I rescued my Russian Tortoise from a reptile rescue a year ago as of December and he's been very healthy. Yesterday I noticed he was making an odd noise, and when I looked into his home I saw that his body was convulsing as though he was trying to vomit. As soon as he noticed me he stopped, and it didn't happen again. Fast forward to about ten minutes ago, when he did it again. This time it only lasted about 30 seconds before he stopped. His appetite hasn't changed, and his level of activeness also hasn't. I bathe him at least twice a week. He doesn't wheeze when he breathes, and there isn't any noticeable illness. I've tried Googling to no avail. Does anyone have any ideas? Please help! I'm really worried

 

[JoesMum]

Was he trying to mate with something? Male straining can be a little ... ahem ... excitable. :redface:

 

[NormyMommy]

I suppose it's possible...The only change in his home is 3 or 4 days ago I bought a bag of stackable stones from Petsmart and placed a few under his basking lamp thinking the rocks would warm when he wasn't there and that it would be an ideal basking spot for him. Maybe he could have thought one of those rocks were another tortoise? I'm hoping it's something along those lines...The best way I can describe it is it looked nearly identical to when a cat vomits. He stood there and as his body "gagged" (if you will), his neck would extend and then come back to normal. I worried that something could be stuck in his throat, but he ate just fine. I just finished bathing him and he excreted both feces and urine, though the urine was an extremely small amount. Could this be possible dehydration? I typically bathe him 2-3 times a week but definitely need to improve on being consistent.

 

[JoesMum]

Have we checked over your enclosure and lighting? Post photos for us to take a look.

If you haven’t already, I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[wellington]

If he does it again try to video it and put it in here.
Also try to look into his mouth/throat to see if there is anything in it.
What kind of substrate do you use? Some will eat mosses and it could act like a hair in his mouth. I stopped using any thread like mosses when my leopard was little for a couple reasons, one being he tried eating it.