sick russian

[wosman]

Hi everybody.

I think my russian is sick. I am hoping to take him to the vet tomorrow since they said they wouldn't be able to look at him today.

But for 2-3 days now he has had diarrhea and sleeps all day. when i put him outside to play (which he usually loves), he just goes into a dark cold corner and sleeps.

His substrate is sand with coir. a UVB lamp and a heat lamp on one end and a shaded area on the other end. I typically feed him collard and mustard greens. romaine lettuce, endive, kale, spring mix.

What can I do in the mean time? or does he need a vet asap?

 

[tyler0912]

i do not like sand it causes impaction and can kill a tortoise maybe the problem but honestly i dont have a clue! D:

 

[wosman]

i do not like sand it causes impaction and can kill a tortoise maybe the problem but honestly i dont have a clue! D:

What would you recommend as a substrate? would I buy it at a pet store or a homeimprovement center type of deal?

would also letting him rest be a good idea? or should i try and get him to play?

 

[natty01]

i use top soil without the sand . my non proffesional advice would be to keep the heat on him and increase the number of soaks in warm water. dehydration is a major killer of any small animal and i doubt tortoises are any different. i wouldnt hassle him to play just keep him warm and well hydrated and let his tummy rest and get him to the vet as soon as possible.

 

[pdelpizzo]

If it has diarrhea, dehydration is definitely a concern making soaking even more important. I've found regular and frequent soaks cure almost every issue I've faced thus far.

You'll hear people tell you any kind of substrate is a concern for impaction. Everone has a very different opinion (sorry to say). It seems the majority I speak to prefer coconut coir and/or cypress mulch with some other variable substrate potentially mixed in. Many will say equal parts of soil and play sand are good. I personally use just coconut coir with cypress mulch (when available).

Patrick

 

[ascott]

Is he a captive bred or is he wild caught? Have you had him checked for parasites and the like?

I too do not like sand as part of their substrate. In my opinion sand has the ability to settle then collect a back up behind it...tasting of substrate is something that torts seem to like to do...if your tortoise is well hydrated then a taste or two of most substrate should not be a problem.....this is totally my personal opinion.

 

[dmmj]

with diarrhea my first guess is usually parasites.

 

[tyler0912]

i do not like sand it causes impaction and can kill a tortoise maybe the problem but honestly i dont have a clue! D:

What would you recommend as a substrate? would I buy it at a pet store or a homeimprovement center type of deal?

would also letting him rest be a good idea? or should i try and get him to play?

I reccomend....cypress mulch or a topping soil without sand and i agree i think maybe parasites which is causing diarrhea!

 

[lorraine]

I used to use play sand and top soil and my babies didn't like it so I changed it to top soil. I wouldn't change it now as they get on really well with it they are more active now.

Also how many baths do u give him/her. I normally do it every other day. I would try bathing him/her every day while your waiting for the vets appointment.

 

[Yvonne G]

I used to use play sand and top soil and my babies didn't like it so I changed it to top soil. I wouldn't change it now as they get on really well with it they are more active now.

Also how many baths do u give him/her. I normally do it every other day. I would try bathing him/her every day while your waiting for the vets appointment.

Hi Lorraine:

Won't you take a few moments to start a new thread in the "introductions" section and tell us a bit about yourself?

 

[mel262011]

it might be parasites, my RF had diarrhea and it turned out that it had a parasite. I was given some meds to put in its food by my vet. The tort didn't have anymore diarrhea after that. So, I would say take it to get checked for parasites.