russian tortoise not eating

[Stephenblock]

I just got a russian tortoise from a reptile expo last weekend and at first he was eating the kale and other greens that I was putting into him but all of a sudden hea has stopped eating in the last few days. I have him both in a rubber made inside and a new tortoise hut built outside.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Make sure his basking spot is hot enough (95-100*F), and his ambient temperatures are cool enough (in the 70s). Make sure he has a nice, moist substrate like coco coir, cypress mulch, or soil to dig in. He also needs UVA and UVB radiation, which can be provided by artificial lighting indoors, or better still, sunlight outdoors.

Also, make sure he is getting a varied diet. Sounds like you're feeding him other greens besides kale, which is good. If you're not already, try plants in the sunflower family (their favorite), like lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, radicchio, and dandelion. Also, try other crucifers, like collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, and others. Russians can also eat buttercups and poppies, and occasionally grasses like crab grass, wheat grass, and Bermuda grass. You can also offer them monthly treats of strawberries, raspberries, grapes, mushrooms, snails, or slugs. If none of this improves his appetite, he may be suffering from a bloom of gut parasites, in which case he would need help from a veterinarian.

 

[Stephenblock]

I have him outside in his summer cottage. I thought that leaving him overnight due the security of it would be good so that he gets the ambient temps. I have a mound of dirt that surrounds him water dish sort of like a swimming pool set up. Havern't noticed that he was eating grass. Concerned primarily that he ate the first few days and stopped only in the last few days after I started to administer meds given to me by my vet for his pinworms.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Ah, well then it's probably the meds. Are you certain they are necessary? If he must continue taking them, then you might have to wait until the duration of the medication is over before his appetite comes back.